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COURIER OPINION: Can things get better or is SNP ship sinking?

The images of police tents outside the home of Peter Murrell and Nicola Sturgeon were beamed around the world.

Police outside home of Peter Murrell and Nicola Sturgeon. Image: Stuart Wallace/Shutterstock.
Police outside home of Peter Murrell and Nicola Sturgeon. Image: Stuart Wallace/Shutterstock.

Already rocked by the fractious leadership contest, events took an astonishing turn this week.

The images of police tents outside Nicola Sturgeon’s home were beamed around the world.

Her husband’s arrest and 11-hour questioning is connected to a financial probe of party finances.

Peter Murrell, the party’s former chief executive, was released without charge but investigations continue.

The party’s head office was raided too.

Nicola Sturgeon and Peter Murrell pictured in May 2016.

Mr Murrell had only just resigned in a damaging row over the accurate number of members.

It was 30,000 fewer than they had let on, leading to concerns about the leadership election process.

Why leave now?

Then yesterday it emerged the firm which audits the SNP’s accounts has resigned.

Johnston Carmichael, which has offices across Scotland, including Dundee and Perth, had been “reviewing its client portfolio”.

The question is why leave now?

First Minister Humza Yousaf has an unenviable job of keeping the Scottish Government running through this while his party is in disarray at the top.

First Minister Humza Yousaf.

For evidence of that, look no further than what MPs and MSPs are saying in his own party.

The Courier spoke to several on and off the record.

It is clear SNP veterans are spooked and appear to be pushing as much distance now between them and the party’s former power couple.

They have a Labour Party approaching in the rear-view mirror, a possible by-election in Rutherglen to contend with, a police investigation and a country to run.

In 1997, Labour famously said things can only get better.

For the SNP right now, that slogan does not ring true.

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