SNP turmoil: Humza Yousaf to 'explore' whether SNP will pay Peter Murrell's legal fees

Humza Yousaf has said he is "exploring" whether the SNP will pay Peter Murrell's legal fees.

The new First Minister said the party may have "obligations", but stressed it was an issue he would have to "reflect on".

It comes after Mr Murrell, the former chief executive of the SNP and Nicola Sturgeon’s husband, was arrested and released without charge as part of a police investigation into the SNP’s funding and finances.

Police swooped on the home he shares with Ms Sturgeon in Glasgow and also searched the SNP’s headquarters in central Edinburgh.

Peter Murrell

Asked if the SNP would pay Mr Murrell's legal fees, Mr Yousaf, who was speaking to journalists in Bute House, said: "I would need to look at the detail of that. Of course, we have the party lawyer, as you'd imagine, for party staff, but I have to look at the detail around whether we are paying for Peter's legal fees or not."

He said Mr Murrell was not a staff member any longer, "but there may be obligations around that", adding: "But that's an issue that I am looking at and exploring."

Asked if he would personally be comfortable with the party paying Mr Murrell's legal fees, and if that would be appropriate, Mr Yousaf said: "It's a conversation that I have to reflect on and it also in some ways will depend on what further happens in terms of the police investigation."

Mr Murrell resigned as the SNP’s chief executive last month following a row over the SNP’s membership numbers.