Great Britain
Scotland: Sturgeon’s husband briefly arrested
Scotland’s former Prime Minister Nicola Sturgeon (l) and her husband Peter Murrell before a mass in London’s St. Paul’s Cathedral. photo
© Kirsty O’connor/PA Wire/dpa
Until recently, Peter Murrell was responsible for the finances of the ruling party – and is also married to the resigned prime minister. The incident gives rise to new speculation.
Shortly after Nicola Sturgeon resigned as Scottish Prime Minister, her husband was arrested. Scottish Police announced yesterday that Peter Murrell had been arrested in an investigation into the finances of the Scottish National Party (SNP) and is now being questioned by investigators. The 58-year-old was released in the evening without charge.
Until recently, Murrell was responsible for the finances of the ruling SNP, but ultimately had to resign from the important party office due to inconsistencies – including with regard to the number of members in the party. The party did not want to comment on the investigation, but announced that it would cooperate fully.
The arrest is also likely to fuel speculation about Sturgeon’s own reasons for stepping down. In February, she announced that she would be retiring from the leadership of the party and government for personal reasons after more than eight years. Her party colleague Humza Yousaf (37) has been the new head of government in the northernmost part of Britain since the beginning of the week. After a turbulent election campaign, he wants to unite the party behind him.
The Scottish National Party works in government with the Scottish Greens and represents liberal-progressive politics. The most important goal, however, is to lead Scotland as an independent state out of the UK and back into the EU.