SNP in the news: Murrell pleads guilty to embezzling party funds; fallout for Nicola Sturgeon and John Swinney. Scottish nationalist party, social democratic.
The SNP has announced plans to cap prices of essential foods and bus fares if re-elected, aiming to address the cost-of-living crisis. The policy faces opposition from the UK government and retail groups, with debates over its feasibility and legal implications ongoing.
A Westchester couple’s century-old house, with a coffin door and an underground tunnel, has inspired novelist Pokwatka’s new horror novel Accumulation. Unusual phenomena include a haunted doll, music from walls, and moving objects, yet the family remains grounded, continuing to live in the home.
Labour has been facing mounting pressure as local and devolved elections open across England, Wales and Scotland. The party is seen as likely to suffer historically poor results amid policy U-turns and controversies, with Reform UK and Plaid Cymru making gains and Green support rising in several regions.
The local elections across England and the semiautonomous parliaments in Scotland and Wales are likely to yield a heavy setback for Keir Starmer’s Labour. Polls open early and results are expected by Friday afternoon, with Reform UK and the Greens poised to gain at Labour’s expense amid wider disillusionment with the government.
Local and devolved votes held 7–8 May have produced major gains for Nigel Farage’s Reform UK and for the Green Party while Labour has lost hundreds of council seats and control of key authorities. Scotland and Wales results are reshaping national parliaments; Keir Starmer has said he will stay in office and has taken responsibility for the losses.
The SNP has secured a fifth consecutive Holyrood term, while Labour ties for second with Reform UK. Greens win constituencies in Edinburgh Central and Glasgow, and Lib Dems win Orkney. The anti-independence vote is split, shaping a potentially new balance of power in Scotland as counting continues.
The government has signalled it is considering voluntary price caps on essential groceries and is offering incentives to supermarkets, including easing packaging rules and delaying healthy-food changes. The moves follow Labour-backed measures and CMA reforms, with ministers saying they want to keep costs down for families amid ongoing inflation and global supply pressures.
Kigali has expanded dedicated bus lanes and introduced a pilot airport shuttle to improve reliability and cut travel times. The reforms, delivered by Ecofleet Solutions, include fixed schedules, longer bus corridors, new routes and planned electric buses. Early data show higher ridership and shorter journeys, with ongoing route adjustments and a focus on preventing buses from leaving terminals until full.
Peter Murrell has pleaded guilty to embezzling more than 0,000 from the SNP, triggering remand in custody and a June sentencing date. The case centres on money raised for a Scottish independence campaign.
Nicola Sturgeon has said she feels she is “serving a sentence for a crime I did not commit” after her estranged husband Peter Murrell admitted embezzling more than £400,000 from the SNP. Murrell has pleaded guilty and is due to be sentenced next month. Sturgeon has stressed she is not responsible for his crimes and has condemned the betrayal and deceit that have surrounded the case.
Nicola Sturgeon has stressed she is not responsible for her estranged husband Peter Murrell’s embezzlement of SNP funds, arguing she has not knowledge of his crimes. Murrell has pleaded guilty to stealing more than £400,000 from the SNP as SNP chief executive, prompting questions about accountability and leadership within the party.
The High Court has heard that Peter Murrell, the SNP's former chief executive, drove a £124,550 motorhome four miles after purchasing it with embezzled party funds. He has pleaded guilty to embezzlement totaling more than £400,000, with numerous luxury items found in the vehicle. The case raises questions about scrutiny of Nicola Sturgeon and SNP finances.
Former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell has admitted embezzling funds from the party and faces sentencing after a detailed court case. Nicola Sturgeon has said she was deceived, while the couple’s divorce was announced last year. The case centres on a string of purchases from 2010 to 2022, including cars, watches and household items.
Aberdeen South by-election has become a focal point for energy policy and regional economic concerns as Conservative, Reform, and SNP candidates campaign around oil jobs, decarbonisation, and Holyrood Westminster power dynamics. Voters weigh support for drilling against environmental and economic questions.