If there was ever an immutable truth in Scottish politics, it is that Nicola Sturgeon never misses an opportunity to talk about the joys of independence. So it’s curious, then, that after being presented with the perfect chance to do exactly that, the Dear Leader has suddenly pulled out. What could have changed her mind?
To mark the 25th anniversary of devolution next week, Sturgeon was due to give evidence to the Scottish Affairs Committee in Westminster. But the former First Minister has now cancelled the session, following the arrest of her husband Peter Murrell four days ago. In typical Sturgeon style, she kept the public in the dark about the decision, with Douglas Ross, the Scottish Conservatives’ leader, being the first to reveal that Sturgeon had cancelled ‘late last week.’ He told the Committee yesterday afternoon that Sturgeon had changed her plans and would no longer be attending the evidence session next Monday.
Diehard nationalist Pete Wishart was quick to spring to Sturgeon’s defence and chastise the Scottish Tory for his revelation. Wishart – the thinking man’s James Dornan – scolded Ross for exposing details of a ‘private session’ before assuring the Committee that Sturgeon would give evidence at a later date. ‘That wasn’t confidential and it certainly would have been made public next Monday when there was an empty chair,’ an unimpressed Ross retorted.
The latest twist comes just three days after Murrell was charged with embezzlement of party funds. And over the weekend it emerged that SNP figures are anticipating more charges as Operation Branchform picks up pace. Even Jim Taggart would struggle to unpick this one…
While the police probe into the SNP’s finances continues to cast a cloud over Humza Yousaf’s premiership, the events of the last 12 months seem to now be getting in the way of Sturgeon’s day job too. The Queen of the Nats told reporters on Friday that it was an ‘incredibly difficult’ time — and her working record shows it.
For not only is she now in the habit of cancelling committee meeting appearances, it was recently revealed that the former voice of the party has spoken in Holyrood only, er, four times over the last 12 months. Talk about part-time politics.
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