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Ex-SNP chief appears in court as Sturgeon cleared of wrongdoing

(Photo by Henry Nicholls - WPA Pool/Getty Images)

Back to Scotland, where former chief executive of the SNP, Peter Murrell, has appeared in court charged with embezzlement. The ex-husband of Dear Leader Nicola Sturgeon was charged in connection with the ongoing police probe into the party’s funds and finances last April – and this morning appeared in Edinburgh Sheriff Court. And now, it transpires, Sturgeon and ex-treasurer Colin Beattie are no longer under investigation by Police Scotland. It’s the latest set of developments in the Operation Branchform investigation, which has limped on for a staggering four years.

Speaking outside her Glasgow home today, Sturgeon told reporters it was ‘a day of mixed emotions’, adding:

I am completely in the clear. That is the outcome I had always expected. As I have said to you many times, I have done nothing wrong so I was confident of reaching this point and getting to this outcome. Obviously it is a relief now to have that confirmed.

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Steerpike
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Steerpike

Steerpike is The Spectator's gossip columnist, serving up the latest tittle tattle from Westminster and beyond. Email tips to steerpike@spectator.co.uk or message @MrSteerpike

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