Police remained on the Glasgow residence of Scotland’s former first minister Nicola Sturgeon and her husband Peter Murrell after he was arrested throughout an investigation into the SNP’s funds.
Mr Murrell, 58, who not too long ago stood down because the occasion’s chief government, was in police custody for nearly 12 hours following his arrest on Wednesday, earlier than being launched with out cost.
Police vans, a big blue tent and a cordon remained in place of their entrance backyard on Thursday morning, as Ms Sturgeon cancelled a deliberate look at a local weather change occasion in Edinburgh.
Ms Sturgeon has mentioned she had “no prior data of Police Scotland’s motion or intentions” when her husband was arrested, however will “absolutely co-operate if required” with the police.
The arrest associated to a long-running police investigation into the spending of about £600,000 earmarked for Scottish independence campaigning.
Mr Murrell stepped down because the SNP’s chief government final month – simply weeks after Ms Sturgeon did so herself – following a controversy about deceptive data being given to journalists over the occasion’s falling membership numbers.
Mary Dejevsky: Scotland has been a one-party state in all however identify – so what now?
A meltdown, an implosion, a trainwreck: nonetheless you describe what has occurred in Scottish politics over the previous eight weeks, it’s arduous to envisage any fast return to pre-eminence for the SNP, writes Mary Dejevsky. It’s arduous, too, to really feel something apart from sympathy for Scottish Nationwide Celebration’s new chief, Humza Yousaf, who has been unceremoniously left with a shattered inheritance.
The daybreak raid by police on the home shared by the previous SNP chief, Nicola Sturgeon, and her husband, the occasion’s former chief government Peter Murrell, signified the newest nadir. A neighbour noticed the blue tent erected within the backyard and feared there had been a homicide.
There had not been a homicide – however a dying of a form there had been. The dream – for some Scots – of independence is over, in all probability for at the least a technology.The troubles of the SNP won’t finish the hunt for Scottish independence, believes Mary Dejevsky
Nicola Sturgeon’s husband arrest – all we all know as police search former SNP chief’s backyard and bins
Police stay exterior the house of Nicola Sturgeon and her husband Peter Murrell after he was arrested and launched with out cost in a probe into the SNP’s funds.
Former SNP chief government Mr Murrell’s arrest has raised questions on what his spouse, the previous SNP chief, knew in regards to the investigation earlier than her abrupt resignation final month.
Three police vans had been parked exterior the couple’s Glasgow residence on Thursday morning, with two uniformed officers stationed exterior.
My colleague Thomas Kingsley has extra:
Nicola Sturgeon husband arrest – all we all know as police search ex SNP chief’s backyard
Nicola Sturgeon’s husband Peter Murrell was launched with out cost pending additional investigation, however police are nonetheless at their residence in South Lanarkshire
‘No conspiracy over arrest timing’ says Yousaf – however questions develop for SNP
Claims that the SNP and police had been “in cahoots” over the timing of Peter Murrell’s arrest have been dismissed as a conspiracy principle by new occasion chief, Humza Yousaf.
Police detained Mr Murrell and searched the house he shares together with his spouse Nicola Sturgeon as a part of an investigation into how £600,000, earmarked for an independence marketing campaign, was spent.
Mr Murrell not too long ago stop as chief government of the occasion, whereas Ms Sturgeon stood down as chief and first minister of Scotland, citing the pressures of just about a decade within the job.
Learn our political correspondent Archie Mitchell’s rundown of right this moment’s developments:
‘No conspiracy over arrest timing’ says Yousaf as questions develop for SNP
Senior SNP determine Alex Neil mentioned it’s ‘arduous to consider’ a probe into occasion not a think about Sturgeon’s resignation
Flynn expresses ‘shock’ at seeing police tent exterior Sturgeon’s residence
The SNP’s Westminister chief has expressed “shock” at seeing a police tent arrange exterior Nicola Sturgeon’s residence following the arrest of her husband, Peter Murrell.
Chatting with the Information Brokers podcast, Stephen Flynn mentioned: “I’ll be trustworthy with you, it got here as a little bit little bit of a shock to me to see these pictures as a result of I believe all of us affiliate police tents with forensic actions and the like, however I don’t know what the police are doing.
“I don’t know what they’re in search of. I don’t know what they’ve discovered, if something. It’s all guesswork at this stage.”
He added: “I imply it’s arduous to get the imagery of that tent out of your thoughts, isn’t it? It’s sort of caught in my thoughts the final 24 hours or so, that’s for certain.
“However once more, I don’t know what it’s the police are literally doing or in search of so it’s arduous to place any of that collectively.”
Photographs seize cops carrying bins stuffed with what seems to be teabags, milk and different kitchen provides from the home of Peter Murrell in Glasgow.
The previous chief government of the Scottish Nationwide Celebration (SNP) was “launched with out cost pending additional investigation” after he was arrested on Wednesday as a part of a probe into the occasion’s funds.
A second picture exhibits a sequence of dated bins stacked inside Mr Murrell’s storage.
First Minister dismisses SNP management election ‘conspiracy principle’
Claims that the SNP and police had been “in cahoots” over the timing of Peter Murrell’s arrest have been dismissed as a conspiracy principle by the primary minister.
Chatting with journalists in Bute Home on Thursday, Mr Yousaf mentioned it was “very, very clear that the governance of the occasion was not correctly”.
However Scottish Tory structure spokesman Donald Cameron mentioned Mr Yousaf had not beforehand raised points about governance of the occasion publicly, accusing him of attempting to “distance himself” from Peter Murrell.
“These belated requires transparency and about how the SNP ought to be run, merely won’t wash,” Mr Cameron added.
Requested if the management election, which concluded final week with a win for Mr Yousaf, would have been impacted by Mr Murrell’s arrest had it occurred whereas it was going down, Mr Yousaf mentioned: “To me, that feels like a little bit of a conspiracy principle that in some way we’re in cahoots with Police Scotland.
“The timing of an investigation is totally for Police Scotland, that’s not decided by anyone else.”
Officers stay exterior residence of former Scottish first minister
Police are nonetheless lining the road exterior the house of former Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon and her husband Peter Murrell.
Yesterday, police arrested and later launched Mr Murrell, the previous chief government for the Scottish Nationwide Celebration, as a part of an investigation into the occasion’s funds.
Listed here are some photographs from the scene taken at 5pm:
‘Bruising’ interval for SNP presents ‘alternative’ for subsequent technology of politicians, says Yousaf
Listed here are extra particulars from Humza Yousaf’s feedback to reporters this afternoon.
Chatting with journalists in Edinburgh’s Bute Home on Thursday, Scotland’s first minister mentioned it was “very, very clear that the governance of the occasion was not correctly”.
Requested if the management election, which concluded final week with a win for Mr Yousaf, would have been impacted by Mr Murrell’s arrest had it occurred earlier, Mr Yousaf mentioned: “To me, that feels like a little bit of a conspiracy principle that in some way we’re in cahoots with Police Scotland.
“The timing of an investigation is totally for Police Scotland, that’s not decided by anyone else.”
He added: “There’s little question the previous few weeks and the occasions of yesterday have been tough and bruising for the occasion,” he mentioned.
“However there’s additionally a chance – with a brand new chief in place and a brand new chief government in place, typically a subsequent technology coming by means of. You’ve seen that with my cupboard, you’ve seen, in fact, the Westminster management by way of Stephen Flynn and Mhairi Black.
“There’s an enormous alternative for us to re-energise, to refresh, and to ensure we’re being as daring and as bold as we presumably may be for the individuals of Scotland.”
Full report: Nicola Sturgeon ‘possible’ influenced by probe when she selected to stop, ex-SNP minister claims
A police probe into Nicola Sturgeon’s husband was “possible” a think about her resolution to stop, an ex-SNP minister has claimed.
Scotland’s former well being secretary Alex Neil mentioned it’s “arduous to consider” the investigation, which noticed her husband arrested yesterday morning, was not a think about Ms Sturgeon’s resignation.
And, chatting with The Unbiased, he mentioned the management election which noticed Humza Yousaf take over as SNP chief and first minister was a “complete sew up”.
Our political correspondent Archie Mitchell has the complete report:
Nicola Sturgeon resolution to stop ‘possible’ influenced by police probe, ex-SNP minister
Senior SNP determine Alex Neil mentioned it’s ‘arduous to consider’ a probe into occasion not a think about Sturgeon’s resignation
Police stay exterior Nicola Sturgeon and Peter Murrell’s residence
Police have dismantled one of many screens exterior the Glasgow residence of Nicola Sturgeon and Peter Murrell, however a number of uniformed officers remained exterior the home on Thursday afternoon.
Officers might be seen carrying what appeared like toolboxes and rolls of cable from the property.