Nicola Sturgeon memoir on sale three days before embargo
However, the book is already on sale in more than one branch of Waterstones including in Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow and in Newton Mearns.
Read More:
The Herald understands that publisher MacMillan has not brought forward the release date.
In extracts of the book serialised so far, Ms Sturgeon said Alex Salmond 'effectively admitted' he was guilty of one of the complaints about his behaviour towards women which led to his split from the SNP.
She also talks about a rumour that swept social media in 2020 which claimed she was having a single-sex affair with the French ambassador to the UK, Catherine Colonna.
She said that the story, which was fake, was fuelled by 'blatant homophobia' - and that she and Ms Colonna had laughed about during a meeting of EU ambassadors in the Scottish government's London office – even going as far as being photographed together to 'troll the trolls'.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Record
25 minutes ago
- Daily Record
Calvin Harris heartbroken as Scot DJ's pet 'murdered by idiot neighbour's dog'
Calvin Harris has shared his devastation following the death of his beloved pet Smokey as he fumed his neighbours' dog had 'murdered' him. Calvin Harris has been left "gutted" following the death of his beloved pet as he claimed they were "murdered" by his neighbours. The Dumfries DJ, who recently welcomed his first child, shared a photo of him holding his beloved cockerel Smokey as he shared the sad news. He paid tribute to the cockerel alongside a snap of him topless in his large garden, reports the Mirror. Calvin wrote: "RIP Smokey we love you. Raised this lad from chick to a majestic cockerel. "Murdered by the idiot neighbours grimey dog. Absolutely gutted." Last week, he shared the happy news the couple had welcomed a baby son on July 20. He shared sweet snaps from their home as they have been wrapped up in their love bubble. One Kiss hitmaker Calvin shared the very first picture of his newborn son and announced the beautifully unique name the couple have chose for their first-born child. Alongside an adorable photo of the couple's newborn baby cuddling into his dad's chest, Calvin wrote: "20th of July our boy arrived. Micah is here! My wife is a superhero and I am in complete awe of her primal wisdom! Just so grateful. We love you so much Micah." In the collection of photos Calvin shared announcing the birth of Micah, it was revealed that Vick had a water birth as she was seen in a blue birthing pool surrounded by candles. The Scottish DJ's Instagram post also featured a 'jump scare' as he posted a picture of Vick's placenta before going on to post more pictures of how the couple preserved it. This technique involves steaming, dehydrating, and grinding the placenta into capsules for consumption. Calvin and Vick chose to keep their pregnancy under wraps for as long as possible before finally announcing the happy news back in late May. Vick broke the news to her fans while finishing her last BBC Radio 1 show before heading on maternity. She said: "I should say that this is my final week. "I wanted to share that with you because we've had such a lovely time over the last few weeks. That time is coming to an end for a bit because I'm going on maternity leave next week." Former Made In Chelsea star Jamie Laing piped in "You're an amazing friend, an amazing person, and you're just going to be an amazing mum." Vick then went on to share why she didn't formally announced she was expecting a baby. She explained: "This is not an announcement, by the way. People keep saying are you going to announce, are you going to announce? And I'm like, I'm not the King. I do not see the point, it's not for me. I'll be honest, I struggle with anything that's personal or private. "I will tell you a story about eating a kebab out of a bin, that's one thing. But there's a line and so I've never been that big on sharing. Particularly because I've just been enjoying this privately and quietly." Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.
The National
39 minutes ago
- The National
An emphatic 2026 win for the SNP will mean no excuses for inaction
Given that support for independence is around 50% and support for establishing a Scottish parliament was around 75%, it does not take too much imagination to believe that a significant majority can be persuaded (with the help of some serious campaigning) to vote for that parliament to have the legal authority to conduct a referendum enabling the people of Scotland to determine their own future (within or outwith a now dysfunctional Union). READ MORE: Nicola Sturgeon: Alex Salmond 'did not read' 2014 independence paper From Tommy's words, it appears that my personal interpretation of John Swinney's intentions regarding a constitutional convention – as being consistent with the creation of a widely-inclusive citizen's convention – was wrong. However, if we wish to gain broad public support for the next step on our journey to independence then, in addition to progressing an open citizens' convention, independence parties should have the commitment to establishing the legal authority of the Scottish Parliament to conduct a constitutional referendum clearly stated as a primary clause in their manifestos, backed up by stated actions to ensure that authority is granted to Holyrood. Otherwise, unless independence can be achieved in the meantime by alternative actions, the next Westminster General Election must be declared a de facto referendum. Offering another perspective to the dilemmas confronting 'Old John' and Jim Taylor (Letters, Aug 11), and no doubt many others, the more emphatic an SNP victory, the less excuse the SNP hierarchy will have for not taking substantive actions in support of a public mandate. This approach may be considered hypocritical by some if they do not support the route to independence advocated by the current First Minister, but to vote otherwise in the knowledge that it could bring about a Labour government in Holyrood would seem a betrayal to most who are absolutely committed to independence. Better to give neither the First Minister nor the Prime Minister any excuse for not delivering, or for further delaying, the means of exercising the right of Scotland's people to determine their own future. Stan Grodynski Longniddry, East Lothian TRUMP'S views on a deal with Putin over Ukraine seems like a deal between 18th-century aristocrats settling their gambling debts. Trump acts like an18th-century monarch. No consideration is given to the views of residents of the possible transfer areas, who are merely insignificant chequers in a high-stakes gambling deal. It seems reminiscent of the Act of Union, whereby the ruling elite in Scotland agreed to a union with England against the will of the general populace. READ MORE: David Pratt: Are Trump and Putin about to stitch up Ukraine? Trump will no doubt gain whatever happens, and Ukraine will suffer, being back under a modern Russian Czar. President Trump will parade as a peacemaker, and his sycophants (with usual brown envelopes pocketed) will propose him for a Nobel Peace Prize which he desires, hypocrite that he is. What's changed in politics since the 18th century? Modern democracy seems little more than a sham, with elites still in charge. Current political parties seem little more than a means for the current elites to maintain control under a pretext of democracy. Where is real limitation of elector funding? The exist many ways to get round and buy elections. If you're in the know, it seems funding is unrestricted. The current government in the UK, as well as the previous one, seem uninterested in altering the present set-up, as they both benefit from it. Drew Reid Falkirk YOUR article 'PM claims people feeling 'better off'' by Hamish Morrison (Aug 7) presents the reader with the classic case of 'the ventriloquist has died but the dummy keeps talking'! The 'dummy' tells us that his government is 'bearing down' on costs and 'putting more money into people's pockets'. Yes, the pockets of his sponsors, big businesses and fellow Labour parliamentarians, definitely NOT those of the people of the country! Since Labour came to power, the 'dummy' has increased the weekly shopping costs by as much as 40%. The facts reveal 'disposable income' is falling! It's not falling, it's PLUMMETING in an ever-increasing spiral into those same pockets that enabled Starmer to become PM. The answer is to tax the super-rich and get them to pay their fair share. Everyone knows 'Starmer the dummy' will never do that because HE is one of the super rich along with his cronies who sit beside him on the government benches. As for 'the focus will be on living standards', these are also PLUMMETING under his watch. Everybody and anybody in the 'vulnerable' category will be forced to pay more tax but not the wealthy pals, sponsors and big businesses who back this 'dummy'. I don't ever see 'Rachel from Accounts' do anything to help anyone other than herself and the 'dummy'. It's time the dummy was put back in the box and a real person with a spine and a conscience took over – or better still, let Scotland leave this Westminster pantomime. Jim Todd Cumbernauld
Scotsman
an hour ago
- Scotsman
Strange case of Nicola Sturgeon's recovery from amnesia over Alex Salmond sexual harassment claims
Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Having been in the Scottish Parliament from the very start, I watched an introverted Nicola Sturgeon manoeuvre her way within the SNP to become the most powerful woman in the country. And what did she achieve with this untrammelled power – is Scotland a better place after 10 years of Sturgeon as First Minister? The answer is not to be found in her newly published memoirs – indeed there is little about her record of achievement. There is no explanation for why the educational attainment gap, which she pledged to eradicate, still persists. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad There is no excuse for the state of the NHS and the health service waiting lists that were growing long before the Covid pandemic. Never mind the stagnant economy and the lack of engagement with business. READ MORE: Nicola Sturgeon says she still counts shamed Derek Mackay as a friend Nicola Sturgeon, seen with Val McDermid during Glasgow International Comedy Festival earlier this year, found her powers of recall had deserted her when she gave evidence to a Scottish Parliament committee investigating the government's handling of complaints against Alex Salmond (Picture: Jane Barlow) | PA Spoiler alert Instead we are told a story of a powerful woman approached by her older male mentor, Alex Salmond, who asks her to protect him, but she refuses. It's a dramatic turning point worthy of any author – which is no doubt why Sturgeon picked it to promote her book. The former First Minister may be more comfortable in a Waterstones' armchair these days than the debating chamber at Holyrood. But while I enjoy a good work of fiction as much as the next person, I was on the parliamentary committee investigating this very same episode. Spoiler alert – there's more to the story. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The committee was set up in 2021 after the Scottish Government's internal investigation into those same sexual harassment claims collapsed, costing taxpayers thousands of pounds and forcing the complainants into a spotlight they never sought. Our committee's job was to understand why this had happened and ensure that in future the Scottish Government's complaints procedures would not let women down. You would think that Sturgeon, who was famed for her attention to detail, would be focused on that task. Instead, we discovered the then First Minister's power of recall had deserted her. She could not remember. I am glad that her memory is returning. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Throughout our evidence-gathering sessions, the SNP government blocked us at every turn, at one point taking two years to deliver the documents we requested. And when they came, some were blank sheets of paper. READ MORE: Nicola Sturgeon says Alex Salmond could have leaked probe against him and addresses conspiracy claim Swinney's role In this obstruction, Sturgeon had a key ally. Secret Scotland came into its own with our current First Minister, John Swinney. He was Sturgeon's political fixer and refused for many months to share information with the committee to the point that opposition parties forced a no-confidence vote. That culture of obfuscation and spin is Sturgeon's legacy, now carried forward by Swinney. On International Women's Day a few years ago, Sturgeon pledged 'to change for good the culture of misogyny'. With all the power she had, with a majority SNP parliament, she could have changed the country. That really would have been a legacy for Scotland's first female First Minister. In this case, actions speak louder than words.
