Scotland's former first minister Nicola Sturgeon has said she feels as though she is "serving a sentence for a crime I did not commit" following the admission by her estranged husband, Peter Murrell, that he embezzled more than £400,000 from the Scottish National Party (SNP).
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In an interview with the BBC's Laura Kuenssberg, Sturgeon rejected calls to apologise for the scandal, insisting she was not responsible for Murrell's actions and had no knowledge of the wrongdoing. Murrell admitted embezzling party funds between 2010 and 2022 and is due to be sentenced later this month.
Sturgeon, who led the SNP from 2014 until 2023 and served as Scotland's first minister for more than eight years, said she would accept responsibility for her own decisions but would not apologise for crimes committed by someone else.
She argued that holding her accountable for Murrell's actions risked reinforcing the idea that women should bear responsibility for the conduct of men in their lives. While acknowledging the impact the affair has had on her personally and politically, she maintained that Murrell had deceived both the party and its leadership.
Emotional Account of Betrayal
The former first minister became emotional while describing gifts she received from Murrell that were later found to have been purchased using SNP funds.
Among them was a pendant from a Shetland jeweller that she said she treasured and wore frequently. Sturgeon said she believed it had been a thoughtful gift from her husband and found it painful to discover it had been bought with party money.
She said learning that items presented as personal gifts had been funded in that way caused her lasting distress and left her struggling to come to terms with what had happened.
Sturgeon also addressed questions about a luxury motorhome purchased with party funds and stored at Murrell's mother's property. She said she had no clear recollection of seeing the vehicle and would not have had any reason to suspect it belonged to the SNP.
Questions Over Party Oversight
Murrell, who served as SNP chief executive for more than two decades, resigned in March 2023 amid controversy over party membership figures. He was arrested weeks later as part of the police investigation into SNP finances known as Operation Branchform.
Sturgeon was also arrested and questioned during the inquiry but was released without charge. She stressed that prosecutors and investigators had not found evidence linking her to the embezzlement.
Asked whether she should bear responsibility given her role overseeing the party, Sturgeon said there had been no warnings about the criminal behaviour to which Murrell later pleaded guilty. She added that if information in the accounts had pointed to wrongdoing, investigators might have reached a different conclusion about her involvement.
She also rejected suggestions that her personal assets should be used to repay money lost through the embezzlement, saying she was not guilty of the offence and should not be expected to contribute to any recovery process.
Calls for Further Scrutiny
Sturgeon's comments prompted criticism from some political opponents and former SNP figures.
Former SNP MP Joanna Cherry said concerns centred not on Murrell's criminal actions but on whether legitimate scrutiny of the party's finances had been obstructed. Meanwhile, UK government minister Pat McFadden backed calls for a parliamentary inquiry into the affair, arguing that questions remained about the SNP's culture and governance.
Conservative shadow home secretary Chris Philp also supported an inquiry, saying public trust in politics had been damaged by the scandal.
However, Scotland's First Minister John Swinney rejected demands for a Holyrood investigation, arguing that the police inquiry and resulting guilty plea had already established the facts of the case.
Murrell remains in custody after pleading guilty and is scheduled to be sentenced on 23 June.
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Adapted by ASEAN Now. Source 1 June 2026
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