Nicola Sturgeon, the former First Minister of Scotland and a prominent voice in the campaign for Scottish independence, has been arrested as part of an investigation into the finances of the Scottish National Party (SNP). The arrest follows a probe launched after allegations that £600,000 ($754,000) in donations to the party may have been used for other purposes. Sturgeon, who stepped down from her position as leader of the SNP and head of Scotland’s semi-autonomous government in February, was released on Sunday without charge.
The arrest of the former First Minister could have far-reaching consequences. The SNP has dominated Scottish politics for over a decade, but recent opinion polls show that the opposition Labour Party is gaining support. With a general election expected next year, Labour is looking to tap into the turmoil within the SNP and the UK’s governing Conservatives to take power.
Sturgeon has been a popular figure in British politics in recent years, and has been a vocal critic of Conservative UK prime ministers on issues ranging from austerity measures to the handling of Brexit and the COVID-19 pandemic. However, her attempt to force the government to permit another referendum on independence was unsuccessful. She resigned as party leader in the aftermath of her defeat.
The investigation into the SNP's finances has already seen Sturgeon’s husband, Peter Murrell, who was the party’s chief executive, and the party’s former treasurer arrested. Sturgeon’s arrest was widely anticipated and leaves her successor, Humza Yousaf, facing challenges in navigating the party through its current difficulties.
Despite the turmoil within the SNP, some experts caution against writing off the party entirely. The SNP won 48 of Scotland’s 59 districts in the last general election, and still enjoys a significant poll lead in the country. However, with the investigation into the party's finances ongoing, and Nicola Sturgeon’s arrest, the political landscape in Scotland and the UK as a whole looks set for a period of significant upheaval.