London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Apr 17, 2025

Husband of ex-Scottish leader Sturgeon quizzed by police in SNP funding probe

Husband of ex-Scottish leader Sturgeon quizzed by police in SNP funding probe

The husband of former Scottish leader Nicola Sturgeon was held by police on Wednesday as part of an investigation into the funding of the governing pro-independence Scottish National Party before later being released without charge.

Police Scotland said a 58-year-old man had been arrested at 0645 GMT and questioned by detectives before being released pending further investigation more than 11 hours later.

Its officers also carried out searches at a number of addresses linked to the investigation.

Peter Murrell, 58, who stood down as the SNP's chief executive last month, was taken into police custody on Wednesday morning, according to a party official who asked not to be named.

A marked police van was parked outside the couple's home in Glasgow, which was sealed off with blue and white police tape. A blue tent was also put up outside.

"A 58-year-old man who was arrested as a suspect earlier today ... has been released without charge pending further investigation," the force said in a statement.

A spokesperson for Sturgeon said it would not be appropriate to comment on a live police investigation.

"Nicola Sturgeon had no prior knowledge of Police Scotland's action or intentions. Ms Sturgeon will fully cooperate with Police Scotland if required however at this time no such request has been made," the spokesperson said.

The police investigation is looking at what happened to more than 600,000 pounds ($750,000) raised by Scottish independence campaigners in 2017, which was supposed to have been ring-fenced but may have been used for other purposes.

The party's accounts published by the Electoral Commission, the independent watchdog, showed that at the end of 2018 the party had about 411,000 pounds in cash or cash equivalents.

The SNP said it would not be appropriate to comment on any active police investigation but it has been cooperating with it.


'DIFFICULT DAY'


The arrest comes after a bruising few months for the SNP, which has dominated Scottish politics for most of the last two decades.

Humza Yousaf won a contest just over a week ago to replace Sturgeon as SNP leader and Scotland's First Minister that exposed deep divisions within the party, and he is now battling to restore the party's credibility.

Talking to reporters after news broke, Yousaf called the arrest a "difficult day for the party" and said that he wanted to reassure SNP members on the issues of transparency and party finances.

"The news this morning, it's challenging and it's difficult," he said.

Murrell, who had run the SNP for more than two decades and has been married to Sturgeon since 2010, resigned last month after accepting the blame for misleading the public about a plunge in the number of party members.

Sturgeon also stood down as the leader of Scotland's semi-autonomous government last month after eight years in power, saying she had become too divisive to lead the nation to independence from the United Kingdom.

In a referendum in 2014, Scots rejected ending the more-than 300-year-old union with England by 55% to 45%.

Britain’s vote to leave the European Union two years later when a majority of Scots wanted to stay, and Scotland’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic, brought new support for independence. However, the Conservative government in Westminster refuses to permit a new referendum.

Polls show support for the SNP and Scottish independence has dropped since Sturgeon's departure.

Police Scotland said a report would be sent to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, Scotland’s prosecutors.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
U.S. State Department Raises El Salvador’s Safety Ranking, Making It Safer Than France and Other European Nations
UK Government Assumes Control of British Steel's Scunthorpe Plant Amid Shutdown Threat
UK MP Wera Hobhouse Denied Entry to Hong Kong During Family Visit
Bangladesh Issues Arrest Warrant for UK MP Tulip Siddiq
China Urges United States to Cancel Tariffs Amid Escalating Trade Tensions
The Empire’s USD Pyramid Scheme Is Working Brilliantly—So Why ‘Fix’ It?
China Raises Tariffs on U.S. Goods to 125% Amid Escalating Trade Dispute
Elon Musk Reports $150 Billion in Projected Government Savings Amid Fraud Investigations
U.S. and Panama Finalize Defense Agreements Amid Canal Access and Chinese Influence Concerns
China Stands Firm Amidst Trade Disputes with the US: A Factual Analysis
U.S. Tariff Escalation Sparks Global Trade Tensions
Helicopter crashes in NYC with four people on board.
Australia Dismisses China's Suggestion to Collaborate Against US Tariffs
EU Postpones Response to US Tariffs
The Trump Administration is contemplating removing Chinese companies from U.S. stock exchanges.
Violent Incidents and Public Safety Concerns Escalate in London and County Durham
UK MP Arrested on Suspicion of Rape and Child Sex Offences
UK Gears Up to Respond to US Tariffs with Industrial Strategies and Trade Initiatives
‘Rocky’ star Dolph Lundgren and his wife Emma Krokdal bask in the Miami sunshine following the actor’s lengthy health struggles.
Spain Encounters Countrywide Protests as Housing Crisis Intensifies
Alisha Lehmann's Modeling Campaign and Public Controversy Stir Debate Ahead of UEFA Women's Euro
U.S. Firms with Major International Revenue Exposure in Light of New Tariffs
President Trump Calls on the Federal Reserve to Reduce Interest Rates in Light of New Tariffs
President Trump Prolongs TikTok Sale Deadline by 75 Days
Global Markets Dive Amid Rising U.S.-China Trade Conflicts
British comedian Russell Brand faces charges of rape and several sexual assaults.
Kanye West Reveals in a New Song That His Wife Bianca Censori Has Departed from Him
Actor Jean-Claude Van Damme Accused of Having Sex with Human Trafficking Victims
Tom Cruise Pays Tribute to Val Kilmer at CinemaCon
Europe Pursues Digital Autonomy Amidst Transatlantic Strains
OpenAI Lands Unprecedented $40 Billion Funding.
Charity Chairwoman Accuses Prince Harry of Bullying and Harassment
DOGE revealed that USAID provided $84 million to the Clinton Foundation. Of this amount, $3 million was spent on Chelsea Clinton's wedding, and $10 million was used to acquire a lavish mansion.
The State Department has announced the formal closure of USAID.
Apple's Innovation Deficit: Falling Behind in AI and Foldable Technology as Chinese Developments Progress
President Trump Proposes Military Intervention to Obtain Greenland
Passenger Taken into Custody After Engaging in Masturbation on SWISS Air Flight
Barcelona player Dani Alves found not guilty of rape accusations.
PUTIN'S LIMOUSINE DETONATES—SECURITY CHAOS ENSUES
French Foreign Ministry Denounces U.S. Interference in Corporate Diversity Initiatives
Copyright Issues Emerge as AI-Generated Studio Ghibli Images Gain Popularity
This is what we refer to as CREATIVITY.
Removing the Political Opponent Means Dismissing the Remnants of Turkey's Economy.
Malaysia Strengthens Semiconductor Regulations in Response to U.S. Pressure to Restrict AI NVIDIA Chip Exports to China.
OpenAI Launches New Image Generation Tool for ChatGPT
Ex-FIFA President and French Football Icon Acquitted of Corruption Allegations
National Security Advisor Mike Waltz Under Investigation After Journalist Added to Secret Military Chat
Ex-Business Partner of Hunter Biden Discusses Possible Pardon from President Trump
U.S. Attorney General Announces Task Force to Prosecute Government Fraud
American Brands Face Consumer Boycott in Europe Amid Escalating Trade and Political Tensions
×