Once considered the power couple of Scottish politics, ex-First Minister and SNP MSP Nicola Sturgeon and former SNP Chief Executive Peter Murrell recently announced their split in an Instagram story posted to Sturgeon’s account. This isn’t the only incident they have made headlines for since Sturgeon stepped down as First Minister in 2023, however: the two were arrested (although not charged) in 2023, as part of an ongoing police investigation into fraud and embezzlement allegations involving over £600,000 in donations to the SNP.
In April 2024, Murrell was officially charged with embezzlement, fuelling speculation that the couple had separated. Sturgeon confirmed this – sort of – in her statement, saying they “have been separated for some time now.” The ambiguity of it all has invited public scepticism: was the announcement strategically timed to distance Sturgeon from Murrell as she maintains a seat in the Scottish Parliament?
Strategic or not, news of the split has broadcasted Sturgeon’s personal life to the feeds of social media users in a far more visible manner than when the scandal was merely political. One of the top comments on a Reddit thread discussing the split points out that “Anybody who follows her on Instagram has seen this coming. Out with the girls, hitting the gym, trying new hobbies. It’s a tale as old as time.” Another top comment states, “She’s back on the market, yasssss. Roll on valentine’s day.”
The scrutiny and ridicule is almost to be expected. Sturgeon was initially met with public respect for being both the first female and the longest-serving First Minister – but, as most female leaders do, she dealt with gendered narratives in public and media discourse, which often hold female politicians to a different standard of performance than their male counterparts.
In the lead-up to her resignation, though, Sturgeon’s term was mostly characterised by the internal division and shortcomings of the SNP. Commenters on the aforementioned Reddit thread discussed her marriage and political failings as one – namely, her lack of progress towards the SNP’s ultimate priority of Scottish sovereignty (“She got her independence!“) and her involvement in the fraud scandal (“She’s got 660,000 problems, but marriage ain’t one.“). In our deeply interconnected political climate, it’s unsurprising that the populace expects a degree of personal familiarity with their political leaders, but it’s especially telling that the personal has become associated with the fragmented SNP that Sturgeon left behind.
“Nicola Sturgeon” by goforchris is licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0.