Nicola Sturgeon says her divorce from SNP boss Peter Murrell is about greater than his embezzlement cost
Nicola Sturgeon has revealed her divorce from ex-SNP chief executive Peter Murrell is about ‘more than’ just his embezzlement charge.
The former First Minister announced she and Murrell had ‘decided to end’ their 14 year marriage in January last year, months after he was charged with embezzling party funds.
Murrell is accused of embezzling £459,000 between 2010 and 2023 – while chief executive of the SNP – and allegedly used the funds to buy items including luxury goods, jewellery and a motorhome.
He was first arrested in April 2023 as part of the police investigation into the SNP’s finances. He was charged in April 2024.
Since ending their relationship, Ms Sturgeon has refused to speculate about her future love life, but admitted she could fall for a man or a woman and is ‘not sticking any labels’ on her sexual orientation.
In an interview on ITV‘s The Assembly programme, Ms Sturgeon shared further details about her separation from Mr Murrell, insisting his arrest was not the only factor in the decision.
‘There’s been a lot of public coverage of my husband being accused of crime and stuff,’ she said.
‘That’s what everybody thinks it will be, and I’m not saying that’s not a factor – because when you’re faced with something like that, it kind of, completely blows your entire your world. But if I’m being honest, it was probably more than that.’
Nicola Sturgeon (left) has revealed her divorce from ex-SNP chief executive Peter Murrell (right) is about ‘more than’ just his embezzlement charge.
Ms Sturgeon was in a relationship with Mr Murrell from 2003 to 2025, marrying in 2010 at Òran Mór in Glasgow
The Assembly features inquisitive interviewers who are autistic, neurodivergent and/or learning disabled – and putting their questions to popular celebrities.
Later in the episode, Ms Sturgeon went on to explain she was going through a ‘really hard’ change after deciding to step away from politics after almost 30 years.
She told the : ‘I’ve been this career-focused politician all my life and I’m going into a phase of life where I want to find out a bit more about who I am as a person, not just as a politician.
‘Although the change is really hard, you will be happier because of that change.’
Ms Sturgeon is preparing to step down as an MSP at next May’s Holyrood elections, bringing to an end a 27-year spell in the Scottish Parliament.
In an interview last year, the former first minister hinted she my leave Scotland ‘for a wee while’ as she could no longer ‘breathe freely’ in her home country.
Ms Sturgeon said being ‘so focused’ on her political career meant she had to ‘forego certain things’ such as living outside Scotland.
But she also described her home country as ‘goldfish bowl’ where her every act is scrutinised.
Former First Minister of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon, is among the new group of celebrities set for an intense grilling on The Assembly series two
Ms Sturgeon even hinted she could move south of the border to London after spending a lot of her recent time in the UK’s capital.
Ms Sturgeon was in a relationship with Mr Murrell from 2003 to 2025, having met in 1988 at a SNP youth event and marrying in 2010 at Òran Mór in Glasgow.
In January of last year the former politician announced on social media that she and the former Chief Executive Officer of the SNP had split.
The Assembly season two premieres at 10pm on Friday April 10 on STV and STV Player.
