Nicola Sturgeon and her husband Peter Murrell have decided to end their marriage.
The former first minister said “to all intents and purposes we have been separated for some time now”.
She wrote in a social media post: “With a heavy heart I am confirming that Peter and I have decided to end our marriage.
“To all intents and purposes we have been separated for some time now and feel it is time to bring others up to speed with where we are.
“It goes without saying that we still care deeply for each other, and always will.
“We will be making no further comment.”
Ms Sturgeon and Mr Murrell first became a couple in 2003.
By the time they announced their engagement in January 2010, Ms Sturgeon had become Scotland’s deputy first minister.
Alex Salmond, and other Scottish Government cabinet colleagues were there when the couple married at Oran Mor, a converted church in Glasgow’s west end in July 2010.
The couple have no children, though Ms Sturgeon revealed in 2016 she had suffered a miscarriage in 2011, shortly before the Holyrood election campaign.
Operation Branchform
Mr Murrell, 60, is a former chief executive of the SNP – a post he held for 23 years.
He was charged by police in April 2024 as part of Operation Branchform, a long-running investigation into SNP finances. Prosecutors from the Crown Office have yet to issue information over further action.
Ms Sturgeon was also questioned in June 2023, but was not charged.
Last month, Ms Sturgeon said she knows “nothing more” about the investigation than she did when arrested.
Speaking after being released by police in June 2023, Ms Sturgeon insisted “beyond doubt” she was “innocent of any wrongdoing”.
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