Scotland: Nicola Sturgeon's husband, Peter Murrell, resigns as SNP leader
Former Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and her husband Peter Murrell, the leader of the Scottish Nationalist Party. (Illustrative image) REUTERS/Russell Cheyne
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Members of the Scottish Nationalist Party continue to vote for their new leader, a month after the announcement of the resignation of First Minister Nicola Sturgeon. Her husband has also just resigned. Peter Murrell has been the SNP's director for over twenty years. He was forced to resign.
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With our correspondent in London, Emeline Vin
Two factors explain Peter Murrell's resignation.
First reason, official: the executive team of the Scottish Nationalist Party, the SNP, is accused of having lied to the press about its number of members. The communications director left office on Friday after denying official figures, while the party has actually recorded a decline of 30,000 members in two years. Peter Murrell admitted on Saturday his "responsibility" as director, even if he did not have "deceptive intent".
The second reason is a general climate of mistrust vis-à-vis the outgoing Prime Minister's husband. The three candidates to succeed Nicola Sturgeon question his role in this election, as director, and denounce a lack of transparency – two of them are clearly opposed to Sturgeon's record.
Peter Murrell is already the target of an investigation into the party's finances as director. Several figures, including the candidates, have nevertheless praised his role in the expansion of the party and his gain of influence over the last fifteen years.
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