Former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and her husband, Peter Murrell, who previously served as the chief executive of the Scottish National Party (SNP), have made the decision to dissolve their marriage.
In a heartfelt message shared on social media, Sturgeon revealed that they had been living apart for an extended period. This announcement comes in the wake of significant legal troubles surrounding Murrell, who was charged with misappropriating funds from the SNP in April 2023 amid an ongoing police investigation into party finances. Sturgeon herself faced arrest in June 2023 but was released without any charges; she maintains her innocence regarding any wrongdoing.
Sturgeon expressed that ending their marriage was a difficult choice and emphasized their enduring care for one another despite this change. In her Instagram post, she stated: “To all intents and purposes we have been separated for some time now and feel it is time to bring others up to speed with where we are.” She also mentioned that they would refrain from further comments on this matter.
A Look Back at Their Union
The couple celebrated nearly 15 years of marriage together. A photograph from their wedding day captures them standing before a wooden door—Sturgeon adorned in a white gown while Murrell sported a dark jacket paired with a purple tie.
Investigative Spotlight: Operation Branchform
For over two years, Police Scotland has been investigating the fate of £660,000 donated by independence supporters to the SNP. In April 2023, law enforcement officials conducted searches at both Sturgeon’s and Murrell’s residence in Glasgow as well as at SNP headquarters located in Edinburgh. They even seized a luxury motorhome parked outside Murrell’s mother’s home in Fife.
In September of last year, it became known that investigators had submitted findings to prosecutors through an “advice and guidance report,” seeking formal direction on how to proceed next regarding potential charges against both Sturgeon and former SNP treasurer Colin Beattie—both individuals remain under scrutiny after being arrested but not charged earlier this year.
As per statements from Police Scotland, they are currently awaiting instructions from the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) concerning subsequent actions related to these investigations.
The Political Power Couple
For nearly ten years, Nicola Sturgeon and Peter Murrell were viewed as Scotland’s political power duo. While Sturgeon led the Scottish government as First Minister, her husband managed operations within the party she directed—the SNP itself. Former First Minister Alex Salmond once privately cautioned them against consolidating too much influence within one household back in 2014—a warning echoed by other party members over recent years amidst growing concerns about governance dynamics within the SNP.
Recently quoted by Financial Times reporters about her work-life balance arrangements during this tumultuous period of scrutiny surrounding party finances—Sturgeon described those arrangements as having become “all-consuming” over time.
As investigations continue into financial irregularities linked with their political lives together—and regardless of how these matters unfold—it is evident that both individuals are now charting separate paths forward away from each other’s personal lives.