Police still investigating Sturgeon as her husband faces charges
Nicola Sturgeon remains under investigation by Police Scotland as part of the force’s inquiry into SNP finances.
The former First Minister’s husband, EX-SNP chief executive Peter Murrell, was charged on Thursday in connection with the alleged embezzlement of funds.
Murrell was originally arrested and released without charge last year as part of Operation Branchform, which is investigating the spending of more than £600,000 raised by supporters to be earmarked for Scottish independence.
Sturgeon and former SNP treasurer Colin Beattie were also arrested and released without charge at the time.
But Police Scotland has confirmed that they “remain under investigation”.
Meanwhile, according to James Mitchell, professor of public policy at Edinburgh University, recent events will erode public trust in the SNP and affect the party’s fundraising.
On the same day as Murrell’s arrest, the Snp-led Scottish Government ditched its flagship target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 75% by 2030, putting in jeopardy a coalition pact with the Greens.
Mitchell told the Sunday Post: “It has clearly been a very difficult past few days for the SNP with Peter Murrell being charged with embezzlement and the climbdown on climate targets.
“They must be thinking that the Gods are conspiring against them.
“The Murrell situation is a problem that just won’t go away for them anytime soon because a court of law is very different from the court of public opinion and has different standards.
“This latest development is eroding trust among voters and people will be asking why Murrell waited for so long to resign his SNP membership.”
The SNP is already facing a cash crisis, with official figures showing it received just one major donation from a living individual last year.
But Mitchell said: “Any trial is also likely to be just the start of further ongoing problems for the party, especially if it happens in the run up to the general election.
“Once it is over, all the questions will start over who knew what and when, and why all of this wasn’t dealt with internally. There is so much still to emerge and the fallout could go on for several years.
“The SNP’S poor record in office is also now coming under increased scrutiny by the public and this is hurting the party too.
There has been too much of a focus on messaging and setting targets but not enough on thinking them through or delivering. It doesn’t help either that they now also have a poor leader.
“The party will be facing a very difficult UK election and will now find it difficult to raise money until the Murrell business is all over. Things are looking bleak for them.
“Once a cycle like this starts, it is very difficult to reverse. There comes a point where it is in the interests of a party to lose so that they can regroup and have time to sort things out. However, it would mean a painful and protracted period with lots of blood-letting.”
First Minister Humza Yousaf attempted to rally Scottish independence supporters on a march in Glasgow yesterday.
He has previously claimed that a majority of Scottish seats in a general election would provide a mandate to begin negotiations for a referendum.
But Mitchell said a second referendum on independence was “off the table”. He added: “There is also an increasing sense among the public that Nicola Sturgeon was a poor First Minister.
“She is a superb communicator but behind all that there is not a lot.
“The reality is that she didn’t deliver on a number of major policies.
“I would imagine that the independence agenda is off the table for now too.
“It will always be there but is now not going to happen any time soon.”