Nicola Sturgeon has announced the end of her marriage to Peter Murrell, the former SNP chief executive charged with embezzling party funds. The former First Minister made the announcement on Instagram, but has not offered any apology for the scandal that has engulfed the SNP.
In a newspaper interview last week, Sturgeon also criticised her mentor Alex Salmond, claiming he was 'really rough on people' and that she 'intervened to stop him'. The remarks have been condemned as a 'cruel blow' to Salmond's widow, Moira, just six weeks after his memorial service.
Dorothy-Grace Elder, a former SNP MSP, has written a scathing account of Sturgeon's leadership style, describing a culture of bullying and cronyism within the party. Elder claims Sturgeon ran the SNP like a 'Trumpton Gestapo' and that even her 'backside had to be revered'.
Elder recounts an incident in 1999 when she refused to give up her seat for Sturgeon at a party conference, after which Sturgeon never spoke to her again. She also alleges that complaints about abusive behaviour by a male party member were met with threats of discipline against the complainant, not the accused.
The former MSP says Sturgeon's biggest flaw was 'squandering time on petty playground spites, cronyism and failed policies', contrasting her with Salmond, whom she describes as 'warm, witty and encouraging'. Sturgeon has not responded to the allegations.
