‘Not a chance’: Nicola Sturgeon will NOT be invited to Alex Salmond’s funeral, insiders claim

Nicola Sturgeon has not been invited to Alex Salmond’s funeral and memorial service following their historic row, it was reported on Sunday.

The former first minister will not be invited to her predecessor’s service or other celebrations of his life, with a source close to Salmond telling the Sunday Mail there was ‘no chance’ she would be on the guest list.

Sturgeon and Salmond formed one of the most powerful partnerships in British politics after Salmond took over the leadership of the SNP for a second time in 2004.

But the pair suffered a major public row six years ago in the wake of sexual harassment allegations against Salmond in January 2018.

Their rift widened after police began investigating the former SNP leader, who was later cleared of all charges at a trial.

Nicola Sturgeon will be excluded from Alex Salmond’s funeral and memorial service

Sources close to Sturgeon have revealed she was ‘shocked and sorry’ to hear of her former ally’s death

Kenny MacAskill stands with Salmond’s family and friends as his body returned to Aberdeen Airport on October 18

However, several sources close to Salmond denied the Sunday Mail report, claiming that a decision on who would and would not attend the funeral and memorial service was yet to be decided.

Salmond’s body returned to Scotland on Friday in a Saltire-draped coffin after the Alba Party leader died aged 69 of a heart attack while attending a conference in North Macedonia on October 12.

His wife Moira, sister Gail and acting Alba party leader Kenny MacAskill were at Aberdeen Airport to greet the coffin as a bagpiper played Freedom Come All Ye as it was carried off the plane.

The hearse then drove from Aberdeen Airport to Fraserburgh led by pro-independence group Yes Bikers.

“The turnout in every town and village, every car park, every parking lot, people coming out of their homes, it was so moving for the family,” Mr MacAskill said.

‘They were deeply encouraged by the affection and warmth shown.’

It is understood funeral plans are being arranged before the end of the month, with an intimate service to take place near Salmond’s home in Aberdeenshire.

There is also likely to be a larger public commemoration event in Edinburgh, possibly on St Andrews Day.

“It will be a very small private service with only family present,” a source close to Salmond told The Sunday Mail.

Salmond died aged 69 from a heart attack while attending a conference in North Macedonia on October 12

Salmond and Sturgeon formed one of the most formidable partnerships in British politics after Mr Salmond took over the leadership of the SNP for a second time in 2004

“A larger memorial celebration will take place for Alex’s supporters, friends and old colleagues later this year, or possibly in January.

“Nicola Sturgeon will not be invited to either. Not a chance.’

Friends of Sturgeon have told the former first minister she has been left “devastated” by the loss of her former ally.

A senior SNP source said: ‘It’s been a lot for Nicola and I don’t think she knows what to feel. She is completely devastated by Alex’s death.

‘Although they had clearly fallen out of favor with each other, he was a big part of her life for a long time. His death came as a complete shock to all of us.”

Following Salmond’s death, Sturgeon said she was “shocked and sorry” to hear of his death.

While she acknowledged their previous tensions, she also stressed that Salmond had been “an incredibly important figure in my life” for “many years”.

She added: ‘He was my mentor and for more than a decade we formed one of the most successful partnerships in British politics.’

The pair last spoke in 2018 when Salmond urged Sturgeon to intervene in a civil service investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct against him.

Two female civil servants made the complaints after Sturgeon ordered new Scottish Government policy on sexual harassment in the wake of the #MeToo scandal.

Salmond denied any wrongdoing and later claimed Sturgeon’s new policy was designed to attack him.

He had also accused people close to Sturgeon, including her husband Peter Murrell and aide Liz Lloyd, of conspiring against him and alleged there was a conspiracy within the government to “banish” him from public life.

Salmond later won a victory in the civil courts, which ruled that the Scottish Government’s investigation had been unlawful and ‘tainted with apparent bias’, ordering the Scottish Government to pay Salmond’s £512,000 legal costs.