Sturgeon has pleaded distraught and innocent as critics call for her to be suspended from the SNP

Former head of the Scottish Government Nicola Sturgeon, said she was “shocked and distraught” on Sunday night after being questioned for seven hours at a Glasgow police station. In a text published on Twitter, the current Scottish parliamentarian stated: “Innocence is not just a presumption given to me by law. I know without a doubt that I am innocent of any crime.”

Sturgeon would schedule a meeting with investigators Operation Branchform, which the regional police are developing to manage the finances of the Scottish National Party (SNP) and which she led for eight years until her unexpected resignation in February. After questioning, she was released without charges.

The regional police already made an arrest in April her husband, Peter Murrell, SNP chief executive before Sturgeon became leader of the independence movement, and Colin Beattie, party treasurer. Both were also released without charge. He also searched the home of Sturgeon and Murrell in Glasgow and the SNP headquarters in Edinburgh.

President of the association Conservative Party in Scotland asked the SNP to suspend Sturgeon. The same request was made by the SNP representative who advocates for a unilateral declaration of independence, and she was joined by the last candidate and the former representative who was expelled from the club due to an alleged fraud for which she was not convicted due to a deficiency. evidence.

The most inexplicable thing uncovered by the investigation so far is the presence of a luxury lorry-caravan in Dumferline Street – where Murrell’s mother lives – which would never be used. The media rated it at around 120,000 euros and no witness explained whether it was ever used for campaigning, the only reasonable explanation for its purchase.

The Police Scotland He states that he started the investigation two years ago, when he received a report of alleged financial crime. The leadership of the SNP was accused of diverting around 700,000 euros donated for the campaign in the future referendum on independence to other party purposes, such as the pre-election campaign, which was not what was promised to the donors.

Regional police, which acted under the leadership of the Scottish Executive, In recent months, he seems to have found clues to break the ruling party’s secrecy. After Sturgeon’s resignation, establishment The SNP refused to announce the number of members who have the right to vote for candidates it did not support. Also complaining were the managers who resigned because Murrell kept the financial reports to himself.

Basque model

Only nine days after the election of a new leader, Humza YousafThe police appeared to have enough evidence or strength to begin questioning the three signatories to the SNP account – the chief executive, treasurer and leader – on suspicion of a crime. The timing and moments of the investigation also offer an up-close flavor of the corruption inherent in regional government.

The case against Sturgeon and their relatives encourage the opposition parties in Scotland, but also in a very acute way the radical sector of the independence movement, with a blog Wings of Scotland, by Reverend Stuart Campbell for reference. His handling of the prosecution of his predecessor, Alex Salmond, who was acquitted of sexual harassment and rape, is another source of anger.

Polls show that the desire for independence It did not suffer a major blow, but the SNP has fewer supporters than in the past. Britain’s general election, expected in the next 18 months, will see Labor increase its number of seats in Scotland if Keir Starmer’s party goes to the polls with the prospect of ending a long conservative era. The call for a new referendum faded on the horizon.

IN Wings of Scotland, There has been outrage these days at Yousaf’s SNP’s willingness to strike a deal with Labor to give Scotland a level of autonomy similar to that of the Basque Country. They call it ‘max-dev’, maximum autonomy. Salmond wanted it as a third option in the 2014 referendum, but London forced a yes or no vote on independence, which he eventually won.