Scotland’s former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon firmly denied any responsibility Sunday for her estranged husband’s theft of political party funds, stating she would not offer apologies for his criminal actions.
During a BBC interview, Sturgeon expressed feeling betrayed by Peter Murrell’s conduct after he admitted guilt last week to embezzling more than 400,000 pounds ($540,000) from Scottish National Party coffers while serving as the organization’s chief executive. The stolen money reportedly supported an extravagant lifestyle. Sturgeon maintained she had no awareness of his illegal activities.
“I am not responsible for the crimes that my former husband committed,” she told the BBC. “I’m not going to apologize for somebody else’s crimes.”
The former leader’s remarks addressed mounting skepticism regarding her earlier claims of ignorance about Murrell’s criminal behavior. This situation has amplified worries about political accountability across the United Kingdom following multiple scandals that have damaged public confidence in governmental institutions.
Critics have questioned the decision to keep Murrell in his executive role after Sturgeon assumed party leadership in 2014. She admitted this choice was an error.
“Of course, with hindsight, I wish that I could go back and take a different decision,” she said.
Murrell’s guilty plea concluded a five-year law enforcement investigation into the SNP, the party that has controlled Scotland’s semiautonomous government for nearly twenty years while advocating for independence from the United Kingdom.
Internal party chaos erupted in 2023 amid growing questions about financial management and declining membership rolls.
Sturgeon headed the Scottish government for nearly ten years before suddenly stepping down as first minister in February 2023. Her explanation at the time puzzled political observers when she stated she knew in her “head and in my heart” that departure was appropriate.
The next month, Murrell resigned from his two-decade tenure as SNP chief executive, accepting responsibility for providing false information to media outlets about membership losses. Police took him into custody at the couple’s Glasgow residence in April.
Authorities arrested Sturgeon in June 2023 but later cleared her of wrongdoing.
