Scotland: Ex-Prime Minister Sturgeon's Husband Arrested

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Facts

  • On Wednesday, Peter Murrell, the 58-year-old husband of former Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon, was taken into custody in connection with an investigation into the funding and finances of the pro-independence Scottish National Party (SNP).1
  • According to reports, detectives are questioning the former Chief Executive Officer of the SNP about the £600K (~$794K) raised by Scottish Independence campaigners in 2017 that allegedly disappeared from the party's accounts. The police are also investigating Murrell for failing to declare a personal loan of more than £100K (~$125K) he gave to the party after the last election.2
  • Police Scotland said officers were carrying out searches at several addresses linked to the investigation, including Sturgeon and Murrell's home in Glasgow and the SNP's headquarters close to the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh.3
  • Deputy Scottish Labor Party leader Jackie Baillie said Murrell's arrest was 'deeply concerning' and called on Sturgeon and her successor, Humza Yousaf, to 'urgently state what they knew and when.'4
  • Murrell resigned last month — after serving as the SNP's top executive for more than two decades — over misleading the public about the party's declining membership and running a leadership contest to find a successor to Sturgeon.5
  • Sturgeon, who led Scotland since 2014 when Scots voted to remain part of the UK, abruptly resigned as the prime minister in February, saying she had become too divisive to lead the nation to independence.6

Sources: 1BBC News, 2Al Jazeera, 3Guardian, 4Los angeles times, 5Euronews and 6South china morning post.

Narratives

  • Narrative A, as provided by Guardian. The SNP is deeply riven by ideological and political disputes. Its membership has fallen by 30% over the last year. Peter Murrell's arrest is likely to have a far-reaching effect on the party. These may include denting Sturgeon's successor's attempts to rebuild the party's support base, rebuilding finances, and facing stiff competition from Labour — who are now winning support from pro-UK and pro-independence voters.
  • Narrative B, as provided by Think scotland. The SNP's finances were the reason for Sturgeon's resignation — not the 'physical and mental impact' of dealing with COVID. It is clear Murrell's impending arrest would’ve been awkward for her if she were still in office. Whether or not she was involved in the mishandling of funds is yet to be known, but the power couple has much to explain.

Predictions