Police officers with spades have been seen digging up the back garden of former-First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon, shortly after her husband, Peter Murrell, was arrested as part of an ongoing investigation.
Reports indicate that detectives are investigating over £600,000 in missing donations given to the Scottish National Party (SNP), which were supposed to fund the party’s long-term goal of attaining Scottish independence from British rule. This money was crowdfunded from the party’s supporters.
Reportedly, these funds were supposed to pay for a second independence referendum campaign after the failed attempt in 2014, although this second referendum never took place.
Murrell was formerly the party’s chief executive since 1999, and Sturgeon was its leader, until she announced her resignation in February and formally stepped down as First Minister last week amid much speculation about the motive. After exiting the role, she handed over the reins to party colleague Humza Yousaf.
This morning Yousaf said he did not believe that Sturgeon’s stepping down was related to the investigation.
“I believe her very much when she says how exhausted she was,” he said.
“I think anybody who watched her over the course of the pandemic during those daily briefings, day after day, I think anybody could understand how exhausting that is.
“So, no, I don’t think (Peter Murrell’s arrest) is the reason why Nicola Sturgeon stood down.”
He also defended Sturgeon’s “legacy,” saying that it “stands on its own.”
“Nicola’s legacy, whether it’s in relation to care-experienced young people and keeping The Promise, whether it’s on tackling child poverty, there are many legacies she can stand on, and I think that’s what she’ll be judged on,” he said.
However, opposition parties hit out strongly at the SNP over the developments, with Scottish Labour deputy leader Jackie Baillie saying: “We need Humza Yousaf and Nicola Sturgeon to urgently state what they knew and when.”
In addition, Scottish Conservative shadow Constitution Secretary Donald Cameron called on the SNP’s leadership to “cooperate fully with the investigation.”
Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross further added that the situation was “very serious.”
An SNP spokesperson said that it would “not be appropriate” to “comment on any live police investigation,” but added that the SNP would continue to “cooperate fully” with the investigation.
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