#ms-sturgeon

#ms-sturgeon

Former first minister Nicola Sturgeon insisted beyond doubt she was innocent of any wrongdoing following her arrest in connection with an ongoing probe into the SNP's finances on Sunday.Ms Sturgeon was questioned for around seven hours on Sunday before she was released at about 5.25pm as part of the police investigation which began in July 2021.

Nicola Sturgeon has been released without charge pending further investigation after she was arrested as part of a probe into the SNP's finances.The former SNP leader and first minister was arrested on Sunday by arrangement with Police Scotland and spent almost seven hours in custody.The force said she was arrested at 10.09am and was released from custody at 5.24pm.

Nicola Sturgeon has said the probe into the SNP's finances which resulted in the arrest of her husband has been unexpected and unwelcome.In April, Peter Murrell the former party chief executive was taken into custody and the home he shared with his wife Ms Sturgeon was searched in relation to the investigation.

A former Scottish Government minister who resigned after his texts to a 16-year-old were exposed has said: I just want to get on my life.Derek Mackay served as finance secretary under Nicola Sturgeon before the messages revealed by the Scottish Sun led to him standing down hours before he was due to deliver the budget in February 2020.

Nicola Sturgeon has said her husband Peter Murrell was right to announce his immediate resignation as chief executive of the party she leads.Mr Murrell said on Saturday he was stepping down from his role with immediate effect, following suggestions the party's ruling National Executive Committee was considering a vote of no confidence in him.

Nicola Sturgeon said she has never doubted her decision to step down as SNP leader and Scottish First Minister despite conceding that her decision to go had put her party in a very difficult position.The outgoing First Minister spoke out after a dramatic weekend saw first the SNP's media chief Murray Foote quit, followed by Ms Sturgeon's husband, Peter Murrell, who stepped down as chief executive on Saturday.

Humza Yousaf has made history after being the first person from a minority ethnic background to become the First Minister of Scotland.The 37-year-old is also the youngest person to hold the post, after being voted in at the Scottish Parliament.He will be officially sworn in at the Court of Session in Edinburgh on Wednesday.

Running a country is a big job and Scotland's new first minister will come into the post with an in-tray that is already bulging.Top of their to-do list will be reuniting a party which has been rocked by a leadership election that even Nicola Sturgeon has described as being somewhat fractious.The candidates have clashed repeatedly throughout the campaign, but now need to find a way to work together.

Nicola Sturgeon is in the early stages of learning to drive as she prepares to stand aside as Scottish First Minister.The outgoing SNP leader described the move as being part and parcel of the next phase of life.It comes as she prepares to leave office after more than eight years at the helm of the Scottish Government.

Nicola Sturgeon has carried out her final official engagement as Scotland's First Minister, opening a 33 million treatment centre for orthopaedic surgery.The National Treatment Centre at the Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy, Fife, is intended to address the backlog of planned care exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Humza Yousaf has said he would drop his legal challenge of the blocking of gender reforms if Scotland's top law official said the government would lose.Mr Yousaf has previously been steadfast in his support for fighting the UK Government in court over the Section 35 order issued in January to block the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill.

Ireland may have to consider introducing policies similar to those in Scotland around where to house trans women in prisons, Irish premier Leo Varadkar has said.It follows a prominent case that preceded Nicola Sturgeon's resignation as First Minister, as the SNP leader sought to push through a series of gender reforms.

Nicola Sturgeon has said she is hoping to have some more fun in life as she prepares to step down as both SNP leader and Scottish First Minister.Ms Sturgeon said it was only now at the age of almost 53, standing down from a lifetime in frontline politics that she was able to do this.Her comments came as she enters her final week as Scotland's First Minister a job she has had for more than eight years.

Watch live as Nicola Sturgeon delivers a speech at London's RSA House during her final public event as Scotland's first minister.Ms Sturgeon announced on 15 February that she was resigning from the role as leader of the Scottish National Party after more than eight years.While she is remaining in office until her successor was elected, she said last month she knew in my head and in my heart that it was the right time to step down.

The SNP is in a tremendous mess amid staff resignations and a row over membership numbers, the party's interim chief has admitted.SNP president Mike Russell, who has stepped in temporarily to replace outgoing Peter Murrell, said the party needs to start off in an entirely reset position once a new leader is voted in.

Decisions in the SNP are being taken by too few people, Kate Forbes said after the party was rocked by the resignation of its longstanding chief executive.Peter Murrell, who is Nicola Sturgeon's husband, quit with immediate effect on Saturday following a row over the party's membership numbers.His departure came shortly after that of media chief Murray Foote, who said there had been a serious impediment to his role.

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails All three candidates to replace Nicola Sturgeon have indicated their support for a Conservative Bill aimed at tackling drug deaths.Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross proposed the Right to Recovery Bill ahead of the 2021 Holyrood election as a way to stem the tide of deaths from drugs in Scotland.

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Nicola Sturgeon has said her grief over suffering a miscarriage will stay with her forever.The outgoing First Minister spoke of her personal experience of baby loss as she announced details of a new Memorial Book, in which parents can record details of infants lost prior to 24 weeks in pregnancy.

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails The SNP has been engulfed by poisonous divisions in the contest to replace Nicola Sturgeon as Scottish first minister, Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey has said.

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Nicola Sturgeon leaves no clear strategy for independence as she stands down as Scotland's First Minister, her predecessor Alex Salmond said.Her one-time mentor turned political enemy said he feels for the SNP leader as she announced her resignation from the post on Wednesday.

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email The race to replace Nicola Sturgeon as SNP leader and Scottish first minister will be a contested election, the SNP's president has said as the party grinds into action to hold a leadership contest.

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Nicola Sturgeon has announced that she will be stepping down as Scotland's first minister and leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP) as soon as a successor is chosen.Ms Sturgeon, the first woman to lead her nation, announced her resignation after eight years in power at a press conference on Wednesday, in which she revealed that attending the funeral of a friend had caused her to make up her mind on the matter.

Nicola Sturgeon announced her resignation with support for Scottish independence at 46%, a poll has suggested.The poll, conducted just before Ms Sturgeon gave her resignation speech at Bute House, also found 48% said things are going in the wrong direction for Scotland.This represented an increase from 39% who said things are going in the wrong direction when the same poll was conducted in November.

Nicola Sturgeon says she has enormous confidence' the SNP will choose someone of ability to replace her as SNP leader.She spoke just minutes after Kate Forbes entered the SNP leadership contest, joining Humza Yousaf and Ash Regan.The First Minister spoke highly of the three declared candidates and said she wanted a thoroughly positive debate.