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Nicola Sturgeon has expressed regret over her decision to retain Peter Murrell as the chief executive of the Scottish National Party (SNP) upon becoming party leader in 2014. Speaking at the Hay Festival in Wales while promoting her memoir *Frankly*, the former first minister acknowledged that with hindsight, she would have acted differently regarding Murrell’s position. She described Murrell, who is now her estranged husband, as a significant contributor to the party’s achievements during Alex Salmond’s leadership, having been appointed to the role in 2000 by Salmond himself.
Sturgeon clarified that Murrell’s criminal offenses, which began in 2010, occurred before she took on the role of party leader. She explained her reasoning at the festival, noting that the party’s national executive committee, rather than the leader, was responsible for overseeing the chief executive. She said, “My judgement was that it was not fair for him to lose his job, that he had done well, because I was taking on a new job.” Nonetheless, she admitted that if given the chance to turn back time, she would make a different choice. While she accepted accountability for keeping Murrell in place, Sturgeon insisted, “I still don’t think that makes me responsible for somebody committing a crime.”
The former first minister also addressed allegations related to the party’s finances, denying any suppression of questions concerning SNP accounts during her time in office. Sturgeon emphasized that there was no indication of Murrell’s involvement in embezzlement until 2023 and defended the integrity of the party’s audited accounts. According to her, claims suggesting that funds raised for a second independence referendum campaign were diverted to election purposes were unfair. She described the period following Murrell’s guilty plea as the worst week of her life and spoke candidly about feeling deceived and betrayed, saying, “I have been misled, I have been lied to and I have been betrayed, and I won’t be the last woman who has been betrayed by her husband.” Furthermore, Sturgeon revealed she will likely seek therapy, concluding, “this is a long-winded way of saying I am not OK.”
Peter Murrell, who served as SNP chief executive for over two decades before resigning in March 2023 amid controversy around party membership figures, was subsequently arrested as part of Operation Branchform. This ongoing police investigation, which began in 2021, centers on allegations of fundraising fraud within the SNP. Following a court hearing, Murrell was remanded in custody and is due to be sentenced on 23 June. A hearing to examine facts related to the case is scheduled for 2 June. Sturgeon mentioned that she had provided Police Scotland with a comprehensive written response during the inquiry but rejected the idea of a further party inquiry, considering the thoroughness of the police investigation. Critics, including former adviser Campbell Gunn, have suggested that much of the recent turmoil within the SNP could have been mitigated if advice about Murrell’s role from Salmond had been heeded by Sturgeon
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