Nicola Sturgeon Discusses Husband's Guilty Plea at Hay Festival

Nicola Sturgeon said the past week has surpassed other difficult periods in her personal and professional life. She spoke at the Hay Festival in Wales after being introduced by journalist Francine Stock. Sturgeon described events following Peter Murrell's guilty plea to embezzling £400,000 from Scottish National Party funds as a deeply painful personal matter.

She told the audience she is only beginning to come to terms with realizing she did not know her former husband as well as she thought.

Sturgeon said she was cleared and exonerated after a two-year Police Scotland investigation into the SNP's missing finances. She noted a recent increase in public suspicion directed at her despite the clearance. She stated that she learned of some items Murrell was suspected of purchasing with party funds only after the full list was released.

Sturgeon said items she was aware of did not raise concerns because the couple earned high salaries and had no children.

Sturgeon said she will continue public appearances and answer questions because she has done nothing wrong. She described the discussions as similar to therapy sessions and said she intends to address the matter openly in coming weeks. Sturgeon also discussed constitutional issues, citing Brexit as an example where Scottish regions voted to remain in the European Union but were outvoted by results in England and Wales.