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Nicola Sturgeon was dramatically cleared by the police probe into the SNP’s finances today after nearly two years.
The former Scottish First Minister – who recently announced she will not run for re-election as an MSP next year – is no longer under investigation.
Former party treasurer Colin Beattie has also been ruled out of Operation Branchform, according to Police Scotland.
Both were arrested in 2023 but released pending further enquiries.
In a statement, Police Scotland said: ‘Following direction from the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, criminal inquiries into two people arrested as part of the investigation into the funding and finances of the Scottish National Party have now concluded.
‘The 73 year-old man arrested on April 18 2023, and the 54 year-old woman arrested on June 11 2023, have not been charged and are no longer under investigation.’
Former Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon has been cleared in a police investigation into the SNP ‘s finances
The cover of Nicola Sturgeon’s memoirs was revealed online earlier this week
The news emerged after Ms Sturgeon’s estranged husband and former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell appeared in court charged with embezzlement.
The ex-SNP leader announced she will be standing down as the MSP for Glasgow Southside at elections next spring.
Ms Sturgeon ruled Scottish politics for years before she walked away from Scotland’s top job in March 2023.
Her decision not to stand came despite reports last month that she had been given the green light by the party to be a candidate.
Ms Sturgeon is due to release a book about her life and political career this summer.
She revealed this week that the title will be ‘Frankly’.
Billed as a ‘unique blend of personal insight and captivating vignettes’, the blurb on online shopping site Amazon says it is ‘remarkable for its honesty and self-reflection’.
It also describes Ms Sturgeon as ‘Campaigner. Leader. Pioneer.’
But critics suggested that the former First Minister’s track record meant it would have to be stocked in the ‘fantasy section’ of bookshops, adding that she had a ‘brass neck’ to give it such a title.
Ms Sturgeon has been working on the book since at least 2023, when publisher Pan Macmillan picked up the UK rights in a hotly-contested auction.
The book, for which she received an advance of £300,000, promises to be a ‘personal and revealing memoir’ which charts Ms Sturgeon’s journey from ‘working-class’ Ayrshire to becoming Scotland’s First Minister.
The book will see Ms Sturgeon give her account of her relationship with predecessor Alex Salmond
