Tory MSP branded 'fantasist' for suggesting Nicola Sturgeon divorce 'connected' to Operation Branchform

dailyrecord.co.uk:

The leader of the Scottish Conservatives has been branded a "fantasist" after he suggested Nicola Sturgeon's decision to announce her divorce may be "connected" to an ongoing police investigation into SNP finances.Russell Findlay told reporters today the former first minister "doesn’t do very much at all without a reason".

Sturgeon announced her split from Peter Murrell, the ex-SNP chief executive, in a social media post on Monday. The couple have been under investigation as part of a long-running police probe examining how more than £600,000 of donations to the SNP were ultimately spent.Sturgeon, who was questioned by detectives in 2023 before being released without charge, has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.

Murrell was arrested and charged with embezzlement last year. Prosecutors have yet to announce whether he will face trial.Speaking to journalists following a speech in Edinburgh, Findlay was asked for his comments on the divorce. "You know, it's obviously a private matter," he said.He added: “I've got a calculator on the phone that's perhaps less calculating than the former first minister.

She doesn’t do very much at all without a reason. I guess it may well be connected to ongoing issues that are happening elsewhere.