Nicola Sturgeon ties the knot — but she won't be calling herself Mrs Murrell

SHE has one of the best-known names in Scottish politics — but marriage to SNP chief executive Peter Murrell begged the question of how health secretary Nicola Sturgeon would now like to be addressed.

Would she now go by Mrs Murrell? Or even Murrell-Sturgeon? These were among questions the Scottish political class wanted answers to after the couple tied the knot in a civil ceremony in Glasgow's west end yesterday.

However, an SNP spokesman set the record straight when he revealed the MSP would stick with her maiden name and not "become the artist formerly known as" — a reference to music legend Prince who famously changed his name for a time in the 1990s.

A spokesman for Ms Sturgeon said that he was "100 per cent certain" there would be no name change and that there was "no likelihood" of the minister taking Mr Murrell's name.

The couple wed during a ceremony at Oran Mor, a bar and restaurant complex, formerly Kelvinside Parish Church.

Ms Sturgeon, dressed in a full-length ivory halterneck dress from Dream Brides in her hometown of Irvine, Ayrshire, and Mr Murrell, wearing a grey, black and purple kilt, were met by a crowd of well-wishers outside the venue.

First Minister Alex Salmond was among the guests at an wedding reception, which was held at the same venue as the wedding ceremony. He congratulated his deputy Ms Sturgeon and the SNP chief executive on their marriage. Finance secretary John Swinney and education secretary Michael Russell were also at the evening event, which was attended by family, friends and party colleagues.

However, Labour Lothians MSP Lord Foulkes suggested that SNP ministers should think about changing their names, due to what he claimed was the government's unpopularity.

Lord Foulkes said: "If I was one of the Scottish Government's ministers I'd want to change my name because they are so unpopular. They might not get away with it though. But the Windscale power station did change its name to Sellafield because it was so unpopular."

The Deputy First Minister Ms Sturgeon, who turns 40 on Monday, and Mr Murrell, 45, have been together since 2003 and live together in Uddingston, Lanarkshire. They announced their engagement in January.

Their wedding cake was made by Scottish teacake producers Tunnock's.