◆ Fresh difficulties for Humza Yousaf as the Operation Branchform investigative team makes its latest move

The news dropped at 2.26pm precisely, setting up the most dramatic twist in Operation Branchform, the long-running investigation into SNP finances.

A press release from Police Scotland revealed simply that a 52-year-old woman had been arrested as a suspect in connection with the ongoing inquiry. That woman of course was Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s former and longestserving first minister.

It is impossible to over-estimate the seismic political ramifications which will follow from this development. It is the moment the SNP has been dreading.

For current party leader and FM Humza Yousaf, who has struggled to wrestle the news agenda away from the finance inquiry since entering Bute House in March, trying to distance himself from the scandal just became much harder.

Just hours earlier he had appeared in a showpiece interview on the BBC’S Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg show. During it, he revealed he had spoken to Ms Sturgeon recently and said she is “in a good place and doing well”.

He continued: “Why would I not want to get some advice from arguably one of the best politicians, the most impressive politicians, Europe has seen over the last couple of decades?”

He went on to discuss independence – admitting that it was not yet the settled will of the Scottish people – and the prospect of a deal with Labour after the next general election, warning that the SNP could

Former first minister Nicola Sturgeon was arrested and released. Top, First Minister Humza Yousaf; above, Police Scotland Chief Constable Sir Iain Livingstone. make life difficult for Sir Keir Starmer’s party.

These would all be headlines on another day, but were consigned to the cutting room floor a mere four hours later when the news agenda was once again taken out of Mr Yousaf ’s hands.

Operation Branchform began in 2021 looking into allegations that £600,000 raised for campaigning towards Scottish independence was diverted elsewhere. It did not, however, fully explode into public consciousness until April this year with the arrests of Ms Sturgeon’s husband – and former SNP chief executive – Peter Murrell, and then party treasurer Colin Beattie.

Both men were released without charge pending further investigation.

As well as the arrests, searches were carried out at a number of properties, including Mr Murrell and Ms Sturgeon’s home and SNP headquarters in Edinburgh.

A luxury camper van thought to be worth around £110,000 was also seized.

Some close to the party – including its former head of communications, Murray Foote, and ex-sturgeon aide Noel Dolan – viewed the actions of police as heavyhanded.

But speaking recently, Chief Constable Sir Iain Livingstone defended the inquiry.

He said: “Operation Branchform has been a long-going investigation.

“Police Scotland were asked to look at a number of assertions that were being made – we always do that, it is our duty – then we seek evidence to see if there is any substance in them.

“At an appropriate time we discuss that with independent prosecutors under the Crown

Office and Procurator Fiscal Service.”

He added: “When we carry out the search we will put processes in place that are proportionate and necessary to the action being carried out and to the inquiry and its terms, and I am satisfied that the steps we have taken are proportionate and necessary. Stating opinion or speculation without having the knowledge and information that exists is damaging … because it infringes the rights of individuals."

And he said: “Operation Branchform has integrity, it is expected to have rigour. If the operation had not been pursued I would rightly have been accused of neglect of duty.”

Asked specifically about the tent erected in the front garden of the former first minister, Sir Iain said: “I was aware of it and was supportive of it because I knew the circumstances and the rationale for utilising it, and part of it was to protect rights of individuals.”

The arrests in April came just after Ms Sturgeon stepped down as both first minister and SNP leader after more than eight years in the job. She insisted the investigation had no bearing on her decision, instead she had known in her “head and heart” that the time was right to go.

During her Bute House press conference, she was asked if sheexpectedtobeinterviewed in relation to the investigation. She said she did not.

She spoke then of the “brutality” of life as a politician, as she insisted the “time is now” to go.

Ms Sturgeon had made history as the first woman to become first minister, and was also the longest-serving incumbent – dealing with no fewer than five different Conservative prime ministers in her time in the job.

Ms Sturgeon, who joined the SNP at the age of 16, became first minister in November 2014 after Alex Salmond stood down in the aftermath of the independence referendum that year.

Such was her popularity that just after taking over as SNP leader she addressed a sell-out crowd at Glasgow’s Hydro – an achievement usually reserved for pop and rock stars.

SNP membership soared – at one point under her leadership the party was the second largest in the UK – and in the 2015 general election the party enjoyed record-breaking success, winning all but three of the 59 seats up for grabs north of the Border.

For Mr Yousaf, and the wider SNP, all that must seem very far away today.

The investigation into the SNP’S finances has been ongoing since July 2021 after Douglas Chapman MP, inset, resigned as party treasurer. Here is a timeline of events:

May 2021 – MP quits party finance role

Mr Chapman resigned from his role as treasurer, saying he had not been given enough information to do his job. Senior figures in the party later disputed his assessment.

July 2021 – Police open investigation

Police Scotland confirmed they were investigating after seven complaints were made around donations to the SNP.

This followed allegations that £600,000 raised for campaigning towards Scottish independence was diverted elsewhere.

Earlier, the police force said they were assessing a fraud allegation relating to £600,000 of funds “to determine if an investigation is required”.

August accounts ‘concern’

As the 2021 – Party acknowledge

party’s

annual accounts were published, treasurer Mr Beattie acknowledgedtherehadbeen “concern” about transparency over independence-related appeals that had raised more than £600,000.

In a section of the accounts, Mr Beattie discussed money raised by the referendumrelated appeals since 2017.

He said that £666,953 had been raised up to the end of 2021, with a total of £51,760 expenditure applied to this income.

The money was “earmarked” through internal processes, he said, though the accounts did not officially record a separate sum. December 2022 – Loan to SNP emerges In December, it emerged that Mr Murrell had loaned the party £100,000 in June 2021. The party said this was tohelpwitha“cashflow”issue after the election that year. February 2023 – Nicola Sturgeon resigns Nicola Sturgeon stunned the political world by suddenly announcing her resignation on February 15. She said this was not in relation to short-term pressures but because she knew in her “head and heart” that the time was right to go.

March 2023 – Peter Murrell resigns

Amid the SNP leadership contest to replace Ms Sturgeon, Mr Murrell announced he was stepping down from the role he had held for more than 20 years. It came during a row over the party’s membership numbers, which also led to media chief Murray Foote stepping down. April 2023 – Murrell arrested as police search home and party premises

Mr Murrell was arrested on the morning of Wednesday, April 5. There was a large police presence around his home in Glasgow as well as the SNP’S headquarters in Edinburgh. He was released without charge, pending further investigation, the same day. April 2023 – Camper van seized

On April 9, a luxury camper van was seized by police investigating the party’s finances, thought to be worth around £110,000. April 2023 – Treasurer arrested

On April 18, party treasurer Mr Beattie was arrested and interviewed by police. His role is to oversee the party’s finances.

June 2023 – Nicola Sturgeon arrested Nicola Sturgeon was and released yesterday.