SNP latest news: Humza Yousaf hits out at ‘conspiracy theory’ on Peter Murrell’s arrest
Scotland’s new First Minister on Thursday dismissed suggestions that police delayed arresting Nicola Sturgeon’s husband until after the SNP leadership election as a “conspiracy theory”.
Mr Murrell, the SNP’s former chief executive, was arrested the previous day in connection to a long-running Police Scotland investigation into the spending of about £600,000 which was earmarked for independence campaigning. He was released without charge just before 7pm on Wednesday night, pending further investigation.
Speaking to journalists in a press conference at his Bute House residence, Humza Yousaf was questioned about the timing of the dramatic raid on the home Peter Murrell shares with his predecessor.
“To me that sounds like a conspiracy theory, that we were in cahoots with Police Scotland about the timing,” Mr Yousaf said.
“The timing of any investigation is absolutely for Police Scotland, it’s not determined by anybody else.”
He added it was “very, very clear” the governance of the SNP had to be improved, but insisted he had faith in Colin Beattie as party treasurer.
Senior SNP figures had appeared to call into question the decision to hold the raids on Wednesday, and in the same week that Mr Yousaf, with the backing of the party establishment, narrowly won the leadership race over Kate Forbes.
It came as Ms Sturgeon pulled out of an event she was due to speak at on Thursday evening.
The former first minister had been due to take part in a conversation with Mexican diplomat Patricia Espinosa, former chair of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, at Edinburgh Science Festival, only for the festival to later confirm she would no longer be taking part.
Anas Sarwar, the Scottish Labour leader, claimed the SNP was “out of control” amid a police investigation into the party’s finances.
“This is now a political party that is mired in scandal, mired in division, getting more and more out of touch by the day, focused on itself, talking to itself, about itself at a time when our country is in massive crisis, whether that is the NHS crisis or the economic crisis,” he told TalkTV.
