Yousaf: will not suspend Sturgeon

Rebel MSPS Regan & Thomson lead quit calls. Humza won't pressurise her to stand down

- PAUL HUTCHEON and CHRIS MCCALL

CIVIL war broke out in the SNP yesterday over calls for Nicola Sturgeon to quit the party after she was arrested.

First Minister Humza Yousaf refused to bow to demands after Nationalist MSPs Ash Regan and Michelle Thomson said the former leader should resign.

Sturgeon was questioned, and released without charge, on Sunday during a police investigation into how £600,000 of IndyRef2 donations were spent.

Former party treasurer Colin Beattie and Sturgeon's husband, Peter Murrell, who used to be the SNP's CEO, were also arrested, and released without charge, in April.

During a visit to Inverness, Yousaf declared he saw "no reason" to suspend his predecessor, saying: "I'll not suspend Nicola's membership. I'll treat her in the same way I've treated, for example, Colin Beattie.

"Those that have been released without charge I see no reason to suspend their membership."

Asked if Sturgeon should resign the whip, Yousaf added: "There's no pressure on her to do so from the party or from me as leader of the SNP.

"She has been released without charge and I think it is so important that presumption of innocence is upheld."

Yousaf also spoke about how the arrest had impacted him by saying it was "personally quite painful".