Calls for SNP leadership race re-run in wake of Peter Murrell arrest

Police continue the search of Nicola Sturgeon and Peter Murrell's house

The SNP is facing calls to rerun its recent leadership election, following the arrest of Nicola Sturgeon’s husband, Peter Murrell. Supporters of runner-up Kate Forbes have questioned the legitimacy of the ballot. Ms Forbes narrowly lost the vote to Humza Yousaf, who became First Minister of Scotland last week. 

Yesterday, Mr Yousaf – who is close with Ms Sturgeon – was forced to deny speculation that he was in “cahoots” with Police Scotland over the timing of the arrest of Mr Murrell.

While he dismissed the claims as “conspiracy theories”, there were growing calls last night for the leadership race to be rerun.

A source close to Ms Forbes told the Telegraph: “My personal view is of course it should be re-run.

“There has been a material change in circumstances. For people to argue it should not be re-run means the party establishment had no knowledge about this, but that is quite unbelievable.

“People [within the SNP] will want to avoid a re-run because Kate Forbes would win, but Humza is going to be left holding this particularly ugly baby.”

The source said that Ms Forbes – who faced criticism for admitting her views on homosexuality – had built her campaign on honesty, something which SNP members were now “desperately looking for”.

Veteran SNP MP Angus MacNeil agreed that there is a mounting case for the leadership race to be re-run.

He said: “One of the candidates [Humza Yousaf] was billed as the continuity candidate. Are we sure that the membership are now happy with their choice?”

He claimed some members had privately told him they regretted how they voted.

Mr MacNeil continued: “It is being more and more successfully argued that it should be re-run. Does the SNP and the leadership not want to make sure there’s not a question mark hanging over them?”

Mr Murrell was arrested on Wednesday as part of an investigation into the funding and finances of the Scottish National Party.

The SNP is currently subject to a police investigation into whether £600,000 earmarked for independence campaigning was diverted elsewhere in 2021.

The Scottish Police released a statement confirming Mr Murrell has been released without charge at 6.57pm, after having been arrested at 7.45am.

They added: “A 58-year-old man who was arrested as a suspect earlier today, Wednesday, 5 April 2023, in connection with the ongoing investigation into the funding and finances of the Scottish National Party, has been released without charge pending further investigation.”

“The matter remains active for the purposes of the Contempt of Court Act 1981 and the public is therefore advised to exercise caution if discussing it on social media.

“As the investigation is ongoing we are unable to comment further.”

There was has been a heavy police presence outside the home Ms Sturgeon shares with her husband this week, as well as a major police presence at the SNP’s headquarters in Edinburgh.

Film footage also showed Scottish Police arriving at the house today, with Sky News reporting more than 20 officers are currently present for a second day of investigations.

Yesterday, Scottish police were filmed in the house’s garden, having erected a giant gazebo.

Police officers, pictured with spades, were thought to be digging up her garden

Police also raided SNP headquarters, removing boxes of documents.

Ms Sturgeon resigned in February and was replaced by SNP politician Humza Yousaf.

Mr Murrell – who had been chief executive since 2000 – also stepped down earlier this year for unrelated reasons.

He said he had planned to step down after the SNP leadership contest had concluded but was doing so earlier than planned because his “future has become a distraction from the campaign”.

In the weeks leading up to her resignation, Ms Sturgeon faced questions over a £107,000 loan from her husband to the SNP.

Scottish Labour deputy leader Jackie Baillie said: “We need Humza Yousaf and Nicola Sturgeon to urgently state what they knew and when.”

Mr Yousaf yesterday said: “To me that sounds like a conspiracy theory, that we were in cahoots with Police Scotland about the timing.

“The timing of any investigation is absolutely for Police Scotland – it’s not determined by anybody else.”

But he added: “There’s no getting away from the fact that our members will feel bruised, not just given what was a challenging election contest, as these internal contests tend to be, but given the events of the last 24 hours as well.”

Yesterday, Ms Sturgeon pulled out of a planned appearance at a climate change event, at which she was meant to speak. 

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