Nicola Sturgeon was arrested as part of the police investigation into the SNP’s finances. The former First Minister is being held in custody while investigators question her.
The 52-year-old resigned as both SNP leader and first minister in March this year, and since then there have been several developments in the probe into her party’s spending.
A spokeswoman for Ms Sturgeon, MSP for Glasgow Southside, said this afternoon the former SNP leader voluntarily took part in an interview with Police Scotland and that she would cooperate with the investigation.
This comes after the arrest of her husband Peter Murrell – former SNP chief executive – in April, just before a two-day police search of the couple’s Glasgow home.
A blue forensic tent was set up in front of the property while officers were spotted searching the house and the back garden.
Colin Beattie, then treasurer of the SNP, was later arrested in April and subsequently resigned from his party post.
Police Scotland gave a fresh update to their investigation this afternoon, saying: “A 52-year-old woman was arrested today, Sunday 11 June 2023, as a suspect in connection with the ongoing inquiry into the funding and finances of the Scottish National Party .
“The woman is in custody and is being questioned by investigators from the Scottish Police.”
Former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has been arrested as part of the police investigation into the SNP’s finances
Scottish Police have announced the arrest of a 52-year-old woman while giving an update on their ongoing investigation
Ms Sturgeon’s arrest follows the arrest of her husband Peter Murrell – former SNP chief executive officer – in April
Colin Beattie, then treasurer of the SNP, was later arrested in April and subsequently resigned from his party post
Both Mr Murrell and Mr Beattie were released without charge pending further investigation.
The Scottish Police investigation, which began in July 2021 and is known as Operation Branchform, focuses on the spending of around £600,000 in donations earmarked for Scottish independence campaigns.
An SNP spokesman said: “These matters are subject to an ongoing police investigation.”
“The SNP has fully cooperated with this investigation and will continue to do so. However, it is inappropriate to raise any issues publicly while the investigation is ongoing.”
Scottish Labor Party Shadow Secretary Ian Murray said: “This is a deeply worrying development and the police investigation in Scotland must be allowed to continue without interference.”
“For far too long, a culture of secrecy and cover-up has taken root at the heart of the SNP.”
Alex Cole-Hamilton, leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats, said: “It is fair to say that today’s events will have a huge impact on both the SNP and the future of Scottish politics.”
This morning, before news broke of his predecessor’s arrest, Humza Yousaf, Ms Sturgeon’s successor, refused to comment on the ongoing police investigation into his party during a television interview.
But the First Minister and SNP chief said he spoke to Ms Sturgeon recently and said she was “in a good place and fine”.
“Why wouldn’t I want some advice from arguably one of the best politicians, the most impressive politicians that Europe has seen in decades?” Mr Yousaf said on the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme.
In April, police also spent two days searching the Glasgow home of Ms Sturgeon and her husband Mr Murrell
During their two-day search of the property, police were seen combing Ms Sturgeon and Mr Murrell’s garden
Last month Scotland’s chief constable Sir Iain Livingstone insisted the inquiry into the SNP’s finances was “proportionate” and being carried out with “integrity”.
In his first public comments on Operation Branchform, Sir Iain stressed that the investigation “is allowed to proceed without any political interference”.
“Police investigations must be able to proceed without any political interference,” he said.
“As part of Operation Branchform, a dedicated team of officers from Police Scotland’s Crime Unit are continuing their investigation into the funding and finances of the Scottish National Party.”
“A careful, thorough and proportionate criminal investigation will be conducted with integrity.”
Sir Iain warned against “uninformed speculation” that could jeopardize the work of his officials.
It had previously emerged that police had to wait two weeks before being given permission to search Ms Sturgeon and Mr Murrell’s home.
According to a request for information, an application for a search warrant was sent to the Crown Office on March 20 – in the midst of the SNP top election to choose Ms Sturgeon’s successor – but it was not given the green light and forwarded to a sheriff on April 3, one week after the end of the competition.
Both the Crown Office and Mr Yousaf – the eventual winner of the race to replace Ms Sturgeon – have stressed that prosecutors act free from political interference.