A defiant Nicola Sturgeon insisted she had ‘done nothing wrong’ today as she faced the cameras for the first time since being arrested in a police probe into the SNP‘s finances.
The former Scottish first minister spoke in the sun outside her Glasgow home a week after being grilled for seven hours by Police Scotland detectives.
And in a potentially awkward move for her successor Humza Yousaf, she confirmed that she would return to Holyrood next week.
Mr Yousaf has been facing heavy pressure to suspend her as an MSP following her arrest, which followed that of her husband, Peter Murrell, the former SNP chief executive.
Ms Sturgeon told reporters: ‘I can’t say very much just now, what I will say is reiterate the statement I issued last Sunday, I’m certain that I have done nothing wrong.
The former Scottish first minister spoke in the sun outside her Glasgow home a week after being grilled for seven hours by Police Scotland detectives.
In a potentially awkward move for her success Humza Yousaf, she confirmed that she would return to Holyrood next week
Mr Yousaf (right) has been facing heavy pressure to suspend her as an MSP following her arrest, which followed that of her husband, Peter Murrell, the former SNP chief executive
‘I intend to be back in Parliament in the early part of the week, I’ll make myself available for questions then.
‘For now I intend to go home and catch up with some family.’
Asked whether she had considered stepping back from the SNP, she said: ‘I’ve done nothing wrong and that is the only thing I’m going to assert today.’
She continued: ‘I know I’m a public figure, I accept what comes with that, but I’m also a human being that’s entitled to a bit of privacy and my neighbours are also entitled to a bit of that as well.’
Asked whether conditions have been placed on her arrest, she told media: ‘No and I’m not going to get into anything other than that.’
When asked whether Nicola Sturgeon would have suspended Nicola Sturgeon, she said: ‘Look I’ve done nothing wrong, it’s for others to comment as they see fit but that’s my position.’
It comes as a new poll suggests SNP voters are abandoning the party amid upheaval caused by the investigation.
A Panelbase survey for the Sunday Times projects that Scottish Labour would win 26 seats at Westminster, up from one currently if a general election was held today.
A Panelbase survey for the Sunday Times projects that Scottish Labour would win 26 seats at Westminster, up from one currently.
This would put the party ahead of the SNP, which is predicted to take 21, down from 45 currently.
It would be the first time since 2010 that Sir Keri Starmer’s party was the largest Scottish group at Westminster and would be a major boost to his hoes of taking power in Westminster.
The poll was carried out after Ms Sturgeon was held for seven hours last Sunday by detectives investigation the whereabouts of more than £600,000 in donation.
She was later released without charge pending further investigation, and denies any wrongdoing.
The research also found that support for the SNP has dropped, with 34 per cent saying they would vote for the party at the next general election, down five points compared with Panelbase’s last poll in March.
This puts it on a level with Labour, up three points over the same period, while the Conservatives would take 18 per cent and the Liberal Democrats and Others 7 per cent each, the poll suggests.
Meanwhile Ms Sturgeon has seen her popularity fall by 38 points since research in February to minus 18.
First Minister Humza Yousaf has a rating of minus 12, while Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar scored minus 2 and Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross minus 34.
The poll also found that 44 per cent of those questioned said Scotland should be an independent country, half said it should not, and the remainder did not know.
Anas Sarwar said that while he thinks the Scottish Labour Party has momentum, ‘we’ve still got a hell of a lot of work to do’.
Anas Sarwar said that while he thinks the Scottish Labour Party has momentum, ‘we’ve still got a hell of a lot of work to do’.
He told the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg show: ‘Of course it’s good news, it’s positive news, but we are not complacent, we’ve still got a hell of a lot of work to do to persuade people across Scotland and across the country that the Labour Party is ready to serve and ready to deliver a transformative Labour government.’
Asked whether securing 26 seats was a realistic prospect, he said: ‘Two years ago when I became the leader we were 32 points behind the SNP and if you’d told me then that two years on we’d be neck and neck with the SNP in the opinion polls I wouldn’t have believed you, I would have believed we’d be close to them, I wouldn’t have believed we’d be neck and neck.
‘I think something different is happening in Scotland, I think there is momentum with the Scottish Labour Party, I think there is a mood for change, but as I say I’m not complacent.’
The poll also found Ms Sturgeon has seen her popularity fall by 38 points since research in February to minus 18.
First Minister Humza Yousaf has a rating of minus 12 while Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar scored minus 2 and Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross minus 34.
The poll also found 44 per cent of those questioned said Scotland should be an independent country, half said it should not, and the remainder did not know.
