FORMER SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon was arrested and released without charge on Sunday as the police probe into the party’s finances continues.
But how did we get here? The former first minister is the third senior SNP figure to be arrested, after her husband Peter Murrell, former chief executive of the party, and Colin Beattie, the party’s ex-treasurer, were both taken into custody earlier this year. All three were released without charge.
The investigation into the party’s finances has been rumbling on since July 2021.
The National have pulled together what we know so far for a quick recap.
May 2021 - MP quits party finance role
Douglas Chapman, SNP MP for Dunfermline and West Fife (pictured below), resigned from his role as treasurer, saying he had not been given enough information to do his job.
Senior figures in the party, including Sturgeon, later disputed his assessment.
Joanna Cherry, a vocal internal critic of the party’s leadership, also resigned from her role on the National Executive Committee (NEC).
July 2021 - Police Scotland open investigation
Police confirmed they were investigating after seven complaints were made around donations to the SNP, sparked by an initial complaint by pro-independence activist Sean Clerkin.
This followed allegations that £600,000 raised for campaigning towards Scottish independence was diverted elsewhere.
Earlier, the police force said they were assessing a fraud allegation relating to £600,000 of funds “to determine if an investigation is required”.
The party said that “all sums raised for independence campaigning will be spent on independence campaigning”.
August 2021 – Party accounts acknowledge ‘concern’
As the party’s annual accounts were published, treasurer Beattie acknowledged there had been “concern” about transparency over independence-related appeals that had raised more than £600,000.
In a section of the accounts, Beattie discussed money raised by the referendum-related appeals since 2017.
He said that £666,953 had been raised up to the end of 2021, with a total of £51,760 expenditure applied to this income.
The money was “earmarked” through internal processes, he said, though the accounts did not officially record a separate sum.
December 2022 – Loan to SNP emerges
In December, it emerged that Murrell had loaned the party £100,000 in June 2021.
The party said this was to help with a “cash flow” issue after the election that year.
Sturgeon said: “The resources that he lent the party were resources that belonged to him.”
February 2023 – Nicola Sturgeon resigns as Scotland’s first minister
Nicola Sturgeon stunned the political world by suddenly announcing her resignation on February 15.
She said this was not in relation to short-term pressures but because she knew in her “head and heart” that the time was right to go.
During her Bute House press conference, she was asked if she expected to be interviewed in relation to the investigation. She said she did not.
March 2023 – Peter Murrell resigns
Amid the SNP leadership contest to replace Sturgeon, Murrell announced he was stepping down from the role he had held for more than 20 years.
It came during a row over the party’s membership numbers, which also led to media chief Murray Foote quitting.
Membership numbers had dropped by about 30,000 in the last year, something the party previously denied.
April 2023 – Murrell arrested as police search premises
Murrell was arrested on the morning of Wednesday April 5.
There was a large police presence around his home near Uddingston in South Lanarkshire, as well as the SNP’s headquarters in Edinburgh.
He was released without charge, pending further investigation, the same day.
April 2023 – Camper van seized
On April 9, a luxury camper van was seized by police investigating the party’s finances, thought to be worth around £110,000.
April 2023 – Treasurer arrested
On April 18, party treasurer Beattie was arrested and interviewed by police.
His role is to oversee the party’s finances. He was later released without charge.
April 2023 – SNP appoints new treasurer
Stuart McDonald MP was appointed as the SNP’s new treasurer on April 22 after Beattie stood down with “immediate effect” following his arrest.
The 44-year-old, who represents Cumbernauld, Kirkintilloch and Kilsyth, admitted it would be a “difficult and challenging time” for the party.
May 2023 – SNP appoints new auditors
The party appointed the AMS Accountant Group on May 3 2023, after their previous auditors Johnston Carmichael stood down in September 2022.
The party was subsequently able to file accounts prior to a crucial deadline which may have seen the Westminster group miss out on £1.2 million worth of public funding.
June 2023 – Nicola Sturgeon arrested
Former first minister and SNP leader Sturgeon was arrested on June 11.
She “voluntarily” arranged with Police Scotland to be questioned as part of the investigation into the party’s finances, a spokesperson said.
The 52-year-old spent seven hours in police custody before being released without charge.
In a statement published after she was released, Sturgeon insisted she was innocent “beyond doubt”.
