Nicola Sturgeon is still an asset to the Scottish National Party (SNP) and not an embarrassment, according to Deputy First Minister Jenny Gilruth. Gilruth’s comments come after Sturgeon’s updated memoir triggered internal party criticism and public mockery.
Author J.K. Rowling previously criticized Sturgeon, referring to her as "the blindest wife ever" for stating ignorance about her estranged husband Peter Murrell allegedly embezzling £400,000 from the party. Former SNP MP Joanna Cherry, KC, suggested the party might distance itself from Sturgeon, calling her an "embarrassment."
When asked about these claims ahead of releasing the Government Expenditure and Revenue Scotland report, Gilruth stated, "No, I don’t think she’s an embarrassment to the SNP. She’s an asset to the SNP." She highlighted Sturgeon’s historic role as the first female First Minister as significant and added, "more generally, of course Nicola’s an asset to the party."
However, Scottish Conservative MSP Meghan Gallacher described Gilruth’s remarks as "detached from reality," asserting that Scots are still grappling with Sturgeon's "toxic and divisive legacy." Gallacher commented that senior SNP figures appear to be in conflict due to Sturgeon, and suggested Gilruth's view was a miscalculation of its benefit to the party.
Sturgeon's memoir also contained criticisms of John Swinney's Holyrood election campaign, describing it as lacking "vision and big-picture thinking." Education Secretary Màiri McAllan dismissed these criticisms as "nonsense," while Justice Secretary Angela Constance publicly supported Swinney, calling him "the best first minister yet." Swinney himself defended his campaign as "strong" and successful, despite the SNP achieving its lowest vote count, vote share, and number of MSPs since 2007.