Nicola Sturgeon: Life After Resignation and SNP Probe
Nicola Sturgeon resigned as Scotland’s First Minister in February 2023 after eight years in office—a decision she announced on 15 February 2023, saying she felt it was the right time to step down. Since then, she has faced arrest as part of the Operation Branchform investigation, been cleared by March 2025, published her memoir, and announced she will step down as an MSP at the 2026 Holyrood election.
Full name: Nicola Ferguson Sturgeon | Born: 19 July 1970, Irvine, Scotland | First Minister: 20 November 2014 – 28 March 2023 | Spouse: Peter Murrell (m. 2010) | Children: None | Political party: Scottish National Party (SNP)
What has happened to Nicola Sturgeon?
The short answer: since resigning in February 2023, Sturgeon has been arrested and questioned by police, cleared by March 2025, written a memoir, and continued serving as an MSP for Glasgow Southside. Her public role remains active, though her planned departure from Holyrood in 2026 marks a definitive endpoint to a political career spanning nearly three decades.
Why did Nicola Sturgeon resign?
Sturgeon announced on 15 February 2023 that she would resign as Scottish National Party leader and First Minister, stating she believed it was the right time to step down after more than eight years in office. She denied that the police inquiry influenced her resignation decision, a position she reiterated in March 2025 when she said Operation Branchform had not affected her decision to leave the Scottish Parliament at the 2026 election.
When did Nicola Sturgeon resign?
The resignation was announced on 15 February 2023, but she remained SNP leader and First Minister until her successor was chosen in March 2023.
What is the police investigation about?
Operation Branchform is the widely used name for Police Scotland’s inquiry into SNP finances, focusing on how more than £600,000 in donations given to the SNP for independence campaigning was spent. The investigation was launched after concerns about fundraising and possible misuse of funds earmarked for independence campaigning.
Timeline of Key Events
- 15 February 2023 — Sturgeon announces resignation as SNP leader and First Minister (BBC News).
- 11 June 2023 — Sturgeon is detained and later released without charge in connection with the SNP finances probe (BBC News).
- 12 March 2025 — Sturgeon announces she will step down as an MSP at the 2026 Holyrood election (BBC News).
Operation Branchform: Key Facts
- Investigation concerns how more than £600,000 in donations for independence campaigning was spent (BBC News).
- Sturgeon was told in March 2025 she was completely cleared, per her own statement outside her home (BBC News).
- Police Scotland said in May 2024 it had submitted a prosecution report relating to former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell to prosecutors (BBC News).
Post-Resignation Moves
- Sturgeon remains an MSP for Glasgow Southside, with plans to step down at the 2026 election (BBC News).
- Her memoir, Frankly, published in 2024, covers her life and political career.
- She has continued public speaking and writing since her resignation.
Personal Life Snapshot
- Sturgeon married Peter Murrell in 2010 (Wikipedia).
- They have no children.
- Sturgeon has stated publicly that not having children was a choice.
Is Peter Murrell still married to Nicola Sturgeon?
Yes — Nicola Sturgeon married Peter Murrell in 2010, and as of the latest public information, they remain married. Peter Murrell is the former chief executive of the SNP. He has not been charged, though a prosecution report relating to him was submitted to prosecutors in May 2024.
Has Nicola Sturgeon got a female partner?
No. This question is based on misinformation. Sturgeon has been married once, to Peter Murrell, and there is no evidence of any relationship with a female partner.
Who is Nicola Sturgeon’s spouse?
Peter Murrell, a political strategist who served as the SNP’s chief executive for more than two decades. He was arrested in April 2023 and again in June 2023, and a prosecution report was submitted to prosecutors in May 2024 (BBC News).
Who was Nicola Sturgeon’s first husband?
Nicola Sturgeon has only been married once, to Peter Murrell, whom she married in 2010. There has been no previous husband; this is a common misconception found in recent online queries about the former first minister.
What does Nicola Sturgeon do for a living now?
Sturgeon remains a Member of the Scottish Parliament for Glasgow Southside, a seat she has held since the parliament’s inception in 1999. She has also taken on speaking engagements and authored her memoir, Frankly: My Story, published in 2024.
Is Nicola Sturgeon still an MSP?
Yes — as of the latest reporting, she remains the MSP for Glasgow Southside, though she announced on 12 March 2025 that she will step down at the 2026 Holyrood election (BBC News).
What is her memoir about?
Frankly: My Story details Sturgeon’s life, political career, and the events surrounding her resignation. It does not cover the police investigation outcome, which occurred after the memoir’s publication.
Is Nicola Sturgeon wealthy?
The short answer: she is likely comfortable but not a millionaire by most estimates. Net worth figures vary, and Sturgeon has never publicly disclosed her finances.
What is Nicola Sturgeon’s net worth?
As First Minister, she earned a salary of around £160,000 per year. She and Peter Murrell own property in Glasgow. An editors’ note in The Guardian estimated that a £60,000 book advance from her publisher was likely paid for the memoir Frankly — a figure reported via agency coverage, though exact terms remain private.
The question of her wealth surfaced repeatedly during Operation Branchform, but police in March 2025 said she was no longer a suspect — the clearest public signal that whatever was being scrutinized, investigators did not consider Sturgeon’s personal finances part of the problem.
The money issue that kept surfacing: how campaign donations were accounted for.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Donations under investigation | More than £600,000 for independence campaigning |
| Investigation name | Operation Branchform |
| Sturgeon status | Cleared — no longer a suspect as of March 2025 |
| Murrell status | Prosecution report submitted to prosecutors, May 2024 |
| Sturgeon annual salary as First Minister | Approximately £160,000 |
Has Peter Murrell got children?
No. Nicola Sturgeon and Peter Murrell do not have any children. Peter Murrell has no children from any previous relationship. Sturgeon has spoken publicly about not having children by choice, discussing the decision in interviews and in her memoir.
Timeline: Key Dates in Sturgeon’s Career
- 19 July 1970: Born in Irvine, Scotland.
- 6 May 1999: Elected to the Scottish Parliament for Glasgow.
- 14 November 2014: Becomes leader of the SNP.
- 20 November 2014: Becomes First Minister of Scotland.
- 2010: Marries Peter Murrell.
- 15 February 2023: Resigns as First Minister and SNP leader, citing need for new leadership.
- 11 June 2023: Arrested and questioned by police; released without charge.
- 12 March 2025: Announces she will step down as MSP at the 2026 election.
- March 2025: Told by police she has been completely cleared in the Operation Branchform investigation.
What this means: the March 2025 call from police effectively ended the two-year arc of legal uncertainty that followed Sturgeon’s resignation. It does not reverse the reputational damage — questions had circulated for two years. But it does reset the public record: she was detained, questioned, and then cleared.
Nicola Sturgeon: The Way Forward
Sturgeon remains a sitting MSP, author, and public figure. Her planned exit from Holyrood in 2026 gives her roughly a year and a half more in official politics. In the meantime, she has made no announcements about creating a foundation, joining a corporate board, or taking a professorship.
I am certain I have done nothing wrong.
— Nicola Sturgeon, speaking about the police inquiry, June 2023
Sturgeon was told in March 2025 that she had been completely cleared.
— Police Scotland statement, as reported by BBC News
The Bigger Question: What Does Nicola Sturgeon Do Next?
Sturgeon has said the investigation did not influence her decision to leave Holyrood. She has not said whether she will endorse a candidate in the SNP leadership race — and no timeline has been given for when that leadership race will be announced. Her political future beyond 2026 remains undetermined.
Arthur’s Seat Walk Guide — a useful index of Edinburgh, the city where Sturgeon governed.
King George VI: Biography, Facts, Cause of Death, and Legacy — a similar biographical profile of a UK public figure.
bbc.co.uk, theguardian.com, scotsman.com, bbc.co.uk, bbc.com, theguardian.com, time.com, thinkscotland.org, bbc.com
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Nicola Sturgeon’s political party?
Sturgeon is a member of the Scottish National Party, which she led from 14 November 2014 until March 2023.
How many years was Nicola Sturgeon First Minister?
She served from 20 November 2014 to 28 March 2023, a total of eight years and four months — the longest tenure of any First Minister of Scotland.
What was Nicola Sturgeon’s early career before politics?
Sturgeon joined the SNP as a teenager. Before entering parliament, she worked as a litigation solicitor at a Glasgow law firm.
What are the key achievements of her time as First Minister?
She led Scotland through the pandemic, introduced controversial gender recognition reforms (later blocked by the UK government), and helped position Scotland as a more confident name in global activism — while independence was never delivered under her tenure.
What is the ‘Frankly’ memoir about?
The memoir covers Sturgeon’s life, the challenges of office, the pandemic, the gender reform fight, and her decision to resign. It does not cover the outcome of the police investigation, which came after publication.
Is Nicola Sturgeon still a Member of the Scottish Parliament?
Yes — she is the MSP for Glasgow Southside, but she announced she will step down at the 2026 Holyrood election.
What is the controversy over the SNP’s finances?
The controversy concerns how more than £600,000 in donations for independence campaigning was handled. Sturgeon was cleared in March 2025; her husband, former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell, has had a prosecution report submitted to prosecutors.
How does Nicola Sturgeon’s resignation affect Scottish independence movement?
Her resignation created a leadership vacuum in the SNP, but the independence movement itself remains active, with John Swinney taking over as First Minister and SNP leader in May 2024. The movement’s long-term trajectory is now tied less to Sturgeon’s personal leadership and more to electoral outcomes.
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