| By Richard Ahern — The events surrounding former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon have taken a dramatic turn. On Sunday, police arrested the ex-SNP leader as part of the ongoing investigation into the funding and finances of her party.
Here’s how it happened:
Scottish police confirmed that a 52-year-old woman — Ms. Sturgeon herself — was taken into custody and questioned. This action follows the April arrest and subsequent release of her husband, ex-SNP chief executive Peter Murrell.
Sturgeon’s arrest comes two months after she voluntarily resigned as leader of the Scottish National Party. Her resignation in March, however, did not extinguish the investigative flames that had been burning for two years.
At the center of the inquiry?
Over £600,000 ($750,000) of donations were given to the SNP by independence activists — groups that want to see Scotland break free from the United Kingdom to become a sovereign state. That money has mysteriously disappeared.
According to an SNP spokesperson, Sturgeon has willingly cooperated with the investigation and attended a police interview by arrangement on Sunday.
The SNP remains divided on Sturgeon…
Angus MacNeil, an MP for the party, echoes the voices of opposition groups by calling for Sturgeon’s suspension. In his words, the “soap-opera has gone far enough.”
The arrest of Sturgeon isn’t the first instance of police involvement in SNP affairs. Officers searched her home and the SNP’s headquarters in April, leading to her husband, Peter Murrell, being arrested.
As part of the investigation into the missing party funds, a luxury motorhome worth £110,000 was seized from Murrell’s mother’s residence in Dunfermline.
Then, just two weeks later, Colin Beattie — the SNP treasurer — found himself in police custody. Although Beattie was released without charges, he resigned as party treasurer shortly afterward. Interestingly, Beattie, Murrell, and Sturgeon were the three signatories on the SNP’s accounts.
But let’s not get too far ahead…
Police Scotland released Sturgeon without charges, pending further investigation. Upon her release, she issued a statement maintaining her innocence and expressing her shock.
“To find myself in the situation I did today when I am certain I have committed no offence is both a shock and deeply distressing. I know that this ongoing investigation is difficult for people, and I am grateful that so many continue to show faith in me and appreciate that I would never do anything to harm either the SNP or the country.”
Sturgeon, Murrell, and Beattie — all major figures in the SNP — have been arrested and released without charge. But, it is crucial to remember that release without charge does not mean innocence. The investigation continues.
And what’s next?
For the foreseeable future, Police Scotland will likely continue their inquiries into the SNP’s funding and finances. What this could mean for Sturgeon and the SNP remains to be seen, but she is planning “to be back in Parliament soon.”
One thing is for sure — the coming weeks promise to be a period of intense scrutiny for Nicola Sturgeon, her party, and the future of Scottish politics.
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