Ex-Scotland leader Nicola Sturgeon arrested, released without charges: What is the case

Sturgeon was the longest serving head of Scotland’s government before she stepped down from the post of First Minister in February this year.

What is the case?

Operation Branchform was launched in July 2021, after officials and leaders within the SNP flagged that they had no access to accounts of how the referendum funds were spent. While the inquiry moved slowly for some time, in April this year, the police arrested Peter Murrell, Sturgeon’s husband who was the SNP’s chief executive, and then party treasurer Colin Beattie.

Sturgeon’s home and the party’s headquarters in Edinburgh were searched.

Murrell and Beattie were kept in custody for a few hours, before being released without charges pending further inquiries.

About the name Operation Branchform, the BBC said that “the titles for Police Scotland investigations are picked at random and the name does not actually mean anything”.

Why did the referendum not take place?

The SNP is a pro-independence party, that is, it wants Scotland to be given complete autonomy over all its affairs, as opposed to the current ‘devolved’ government, where the United Kingdom retains some powers. Under the devolution agreement, while Scotland’s government has powers over most internal matters, such as health, education, local governance, policing and justice, etc., the UK decides matters of foreign policy, security, defence, immigration, among others.

In 2014, a referendum in Scotland to leave the United Kingdom was defeated by 55% to 45% of the votes. However, after Brexit, calls started growing for another referendum, for which SNP, the dominant nationalist party, began to raise funds. However, the UK government refused to allow the vote.

During the Covid pandemic, support for the referendum rose, but in 2022, the UK Supreme Court ruled that Scotland can’t hold the vote without London’s consent.

How have Sturgeon, SNP reacted?

On Sunday, Sturgeon released a statement on Twitter saying she was innocent. “…I do wish to say this, and to do so in the strongest possible terms. Innocence is not just a presumption I am entitled to in law. I know beyond doubt that I am in fact innocent of any wrongdoing,” she said.

STATEMENT pic.twitter.com/MlpWJGzwi0

— Nicola Sturgeon (@NicolaSturgeon) June 11, 2023

“To find myself in the situation I did today when I am certain I have committed no offence is both a shock and deeply distressing. I know that this ongoing investigation is difficult for people, and I am grateful that so many continue to show faith in me and appreciate that I would never do anything to harm either the SNP or the country,” she also said.

The SNP has said it will continue to cooperate with the investigation. While there have been some calls for Sturgeon’s suspension from the party, her successor as First Minister, Humza Yousaf, has said he will not do that. This is the same position Yousaf had taken about Murrell and Beattie, saying since they had not been charged, there was no reason to suspend them.

What is the significance of Sturgeon’s arrest?

Sturgeon has dominated Scotland’s politics for almost 10 years, and has won praise for her administration, including during Covid. She has increasingly become the face of the Scottish independence movement. In fact, when she stepped down in February, she had said a new SNP leader could shore up support for independence, as those opposed to it may find a new face and new voice more convincing.

It is rare for such a high-ranking politician to be arrested in Scotland. The tremors it causes in the SNP could affect not just the party, which has long enjoyed popular support, but also the larger movement of Scotland’s independence from the UK.