Nicola Sturgeon has admitted she feels like a mug for being taken in by her estranged husband, Peter Murrell, during an Edinburgh Festival interview to promote her book. She claimed she had been living with someone she didn't really know, as Murrell had lied to her until the end, not even revealing his intention to plead guilty to embezzling hundreds of thousands of pounds of SNP money.
Sturgeon's Defence of Blind Naivety
In the months since Murrell was jailed, it has become increasingly clear that Sturgeon's only realistic defence against accusations of complicity is stupidity. If she didn't know what was going on, she was living in a state of blind naivety. As a wife, she may deserve some sympathy, but as party leader, she had a duty to ensure members' cash wasn't stolen on an industrial scale to fund a luxury lifestyle she benefited from.
By accepting she has been a mug, Sturgeon has come closest to admitting her own stupidity. However, many critics will never be convinced that something more sinister was at play. If she was indeed in the dark about the plea deal, it certainly worked in her favour, as much has been written about the women's items that disappeared from the indictment Murrell admitted in court.
Burning Bridges with Allies
While cutting ties with her ex-husband is understandable, it is less easy to fathom why Sturgeon seems intent on taking swipes at John Swinney and her former SNP colleagues. Swinney has backed Sturgeon to the hilt, refusing at considerable personal expense to throw her under the bus for the fraud that occurred on her watch.
There is something tragic about the demise of this once imperious politician. Her downfall is rooted in an inability to stop and reflect on failings, and if necessary, apologise and change course. Bridges are now being burned in both directions between even her closest allies because Sturgeon cannot find it in herself to utter a simple sorry.
