Nicola Sturgeon's husband in the spotlight after arrest over SNP finance probe

05 April 2023 , 11:29

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Nicola Sturgeon and her husband Peter Murrell were once Scotland's top political power couple (Image: AFP/Getty Images)

They were once Scotland's premier political power couple.

But Nicola Sturgeon and her husband Peter Murrell have been plunged into political turmoil in the weeks following Ms Sturgeon's shock resignation in February.

Mr Murrell, the SNP's former chief executive, 58, was arrested on Wednesday by Police Scotland "in connection with the ongoing investigation into the funding and finances of the Scottish National Party".

He stood down from the role during the recent SNP leadership campaign, which saw Humza Yousaf installed to replace Ms Sturgeon as First Minister.

Mr Murrell had been at the helm of the party since 1999, when he took over from the first holder of the role, Michael Russell.

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The party official had previously worked in the Banff and Buchan constituency office of the former SNP leader, Alex Salmond.

Former SNP Chief Executive Peter Murrell (Getty Images)

The couple met through their work with the SNP in the late 1980s, and were first announced to be in a relationship in early 2003.

They married in 2010 in Glasgow, while Ms Sturgeon was deputy leader of the party and serving as the Scottish Government's Health Secretary.

During Mr Murrell's 20-year stint at SNP chief executive, Ms Sturgeon - who is six years his junior - rose through the ranks after first being elected to the Scottish Parliament in 1999.

She unsuccessfully stood for leader in 2004, before agreeing to a joint ticket with Mr Salmond, standing as his deputy.

The SNP won power as a minority government in 2007, often attributed to Mr Murrell's organisational skills, and made huge electoral gains in the 2011 election.

After Mr Salmond's resignation in 2014 following the result of the independence referendum, Ms Sturgeon was elected unopposed as successor.

Nicola Sturgeon with her husband Peter Murrell following their wedding service at the Oran Mor in Glasgow (PA)

Nicola Sturgeon and her husband Peter Murrell arrive at a polling station in Glasgow (PA)

Questions were raised at the time about the close working and personal relationship between husband and wife, but they insisted there was a strict division of power within the party's governance.

After eight years in the top job, Ms Sturgeon announced her intention to stand down as first minister in February, with Mr Murrell following suit as the race to choose the next Scottish premier ensued.

When she stood down, Ms Sturgeon insisted the row surrounding transgender rights was not the "final straw" but said it was "time for someone else" to lead the party.

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"This decision comes from a deeper and longer-term assessment," she said.

Police Scotland have, meanwhile, been investigating the spending of about £600,000 which was earmarked for Scottish independence campaigning.

David Lynch