The police investigation into the Scottish National Party’s finances could be the party’s biggest crisis in 50 years, a senior party figure has said.
Mike Russell, the ruling party’s president and former minister, told Scottish media that he did not think that independence from the UK could be secured “right now.”
Following former first minister Nicola Sturgeon’s shock resignation in February, the newly appointed party leader Humza Yousaf was sworn into the Scottish parliament last week.
But on Wednesday, police investigating the party’s spending of £600,000 searched Ms Sturgeon’s home for more than a day and arrested Peter Murrell, her husband. Mr Murrell, a former chief executive of the party, was released the same evening without charge.
The SNP’s auditors, accountants, Johnston Carmichael, have announced their resignation.
The probe is the latest in a string of political upheavals that have rocked Scotland’s ruling party, which sought independence in a 2014 referendum.
In an interview with Scottish newspaper The Herald, Mr Russell admitted that the probe had been “wearing” for everyone in the party. “In my 50-year association with the party this is the biggest and most challenging crisis we've ever faced, certainly while we've been in government,” he said.
“I don’t think independence can be secured right now. My main focus is how we can create a new 'Yes' movement that allows for different visions but is conducted in an atmosphere of mutual trust," he told the newspaper.
But he added that rebuilding that trust within the party was going to be “really tough, given where we currently are.”
Mr Russell backed Mr Yusaf’s pledges for a review of the party’s governance. “We need a thorough, intensive, accountable and open examination of governances inside the party,” he said, “That has to happen.”
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Children who witnessed blood bath want to help others
Aged just 11, Khulood Al Najjar’s daughter, Nora, bravely attempted to fight off Philip Spence. Her finger was injured when she put her hand in between the claw hammer and her mother’s head.
As a vital witness, she was forced to relive the ordeal by police who needed to identify the attacker and ensure he was found guilty.
Now aged 16, Nora has decided she wants to dedicate her career to helping other victims of crime.
“It was very horrible for her. She saw her mum, dying, just next to her eyes. But now she just wants to go forward,” said Khulood, speaking about how her eldest daughter was dealing with the trauma of the incident five years ago. “She is saying, 'mama, I want to be a lawyer, I want to help people achieve justice'.”
Khulood’s youngest daughter, Fatima, was seven at the time of the attack and attempted to help paramedics responding to the incident.
“Now she wants to be a maxillofacial doctor,” Khulood said. “She said to me ‘it is because a maxillofacial doctor returned your face, mama’. Now she wants to help people see themselves in the mirror again.”
Khulood’s son, Saeed, was nine in 2014 and slept through the attack. While he did not witness the trauma, this made it more difficult for him to understand what had happened. He has ambitions to become an engineer.
ARSENAL IN 1977
Feb 05 Arsenal 0-0 Sunderland
Feb 12 Manchester City 1-0 Arsenal
Feb 15 Middlesbrough 3-0 Arsenal
Feb 19 Arsenal 2-3 West Ham
Feb 26 Middlesbrough 4-1 Arsenal (FA Cup)
Mar 01 Everton 2-1 Arsenal
Mar 05 Arsenal 1-4 ipswich
March 08 Arsenal 1-2 West Brom
Mar 12 QPR 2-1 Arsenal
Mar 23 Stoke 1-1 Arsenal
Apr 02 Arsenal 3-0 Leicester
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1. Kylian Mbappe - to Real Madrid in 2017/18 - €180 million (Dh770.4m - if a deal goes through)
2. Paul Pogba - to Manchester United in 2016/17 - €105m
3. Gareth Bale - to Real Madrid in 2013/14 - €101m
4. Cristiano Ronaldo - to Real Madrid in 2009/10 - €94m
5. Gonzalo Higuain - to Juventus in 2016/17 - €90m
6. Neymar - to Barcelona in 2013/14 - €88.2m
7. Romelu Lukaku - to Manchester United in 2017/18 - €84.7m
8. Luis Suarez - to Barcelona in 2014/15 - €81.72m
9. Angel di Maria - to Manchester United in 2014/15 - €75m
10. James Rodriguez - to Real Madrid in 2014/15 - €75m
Paris Can Wait
Dir: Eleanor Coppola
Starring: Alec Baldwin, Diane Lane, Arnaud Viard
Two stars
The specs
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Transmission: CVT
Power: 170bhp
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MATCH INFO
CAF Champions League semi-finals first-leg fixtures
Tuesday:
Primeiro Agosto (ANG) v Esperance (TUN) (8pm UAE)
Al Ahly (EGY) v Entente Setif (ALG) (11PM)
Second legs:
October 23
The Baghdad Clock
Shahad Al Rawi, Oneworld
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
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