Sturgeon tells BBC: I'm being punished for a crime I didn't commit

Scotland's former first minister Nicola Sturgeon gave an interview to the BBC in which she discussed the SNP funding scandal and claimed she is being punished for a crime she did not commit. During the interview, she struggled with tears.

Scotland's former first minister Nicola Sturgeon gave an interview to the BBC in which she discussed the Scottish National Party (SNP) funding scandal that has dogged her and her husband Alex Murrell for some time. Sturgeon said she feels as though she has been convicted, despite having committed no crime.

During the interview, the former first minister had to fight back tears several times when asked about the details of the embezzlement scandal that hit the SNP. Sturgeon confirmed that she was unaware of the alleged breaches and rejected all allegations of her personal involvement.

The SNP funding scandal came to public attention in 2023, when it emerged that the party's accounts were missing a million pounds sterling that was supposed to have been raised in support of Scottish independence. Sturgeon's husband and SNP former chief executive Peter Murrell was arrested during the investigation, casting a shadow over Sturgeon herself.

Sturgeon stepped down from the SNP leadership in February 2023, citing personal reasons, but many political observers link her departure to the scandal, which has severely damaged the reputation of Scotland's largest independence movement party. The former leader stressed in the interview that the scandal has fundamentally changed her life and career.