Nicola Sturgeon stated she should not bear responsibility for the actions of men after her estranged husband Peter Murrell pleaded guilty to embezzling hundreds of thousands of pounds from the SNP. Speaking at the Hay festival in Wales, the former Scottish first minister noted that her image appeared on more Scottish front pages than his that week, which she considered unfair. Murrell, aged 61, admitted at Edinburgh High Court to taking over £400,000 from the party between 2010 and 2022 during his time as chief executive. The funds covered luxury purchases such as vehicles, a motorhome, jewellery and cosmetics. He remains in custody. Sturgeon, 55, has denied any knowledge of the offences and faced no charges following a police probe. She described the criticism as an outdated assumption that a woman must have known about a man’s misconduct. Several women contacted her to express support after similar experiences with their partners. Sturgeon affirmed her intent to continue public life, insisting she had done nothing wrong and would not withdraw. She described the period as the most difficult of her life, surpassing previous challenges, and reflected on realising she had not known her former spouse as well as believed. In 2023 she was detained briefly during the funds inquiry but released without charge. Sturgeon also criticised elements of the progressive left for lacking clear principles and vision. She identified David Cameron as the British prime minister she liked most among those she worked with and expressed strong disapproval of Boris Johnson.
