Here’s a roundup of today’s politics news, as the former chief executive of the Scottish National party Peter Murrell, who is Nicola Sturgeon’s husband, has been arrested in connection with a police investigation into party finance and funding.
Meanwhile the Home Office – whose head, Suella Braverman, faces a vote to get selected for a parliamentary seat tonight - has announced it will moor a barge to house 500 asylum-seeking men in Dorset.
Police Scotland arrested Peter Murrell, 58, on Wednesday morning in connection with an investigation into party funding. He is in police custody.
Officers have been seen at Murrell and Sturgeon’s home in Glasgow, including with a spade in her garden, and at the SNP headquarters in central Edinburgh.
Sturgeon was reportedly picked up at 8.10am before police arrived at 8.30am.
The new SNP leader and Scotland’s first minister, Humza Yousaf, said it was “clearly not great” and a “challenging day for the SNP”.
The Home Office has confirmed it has leased a boat to house 500 adult men who are asylum seekers off the coast of south Dorset, at Portland port.
It is the latest measure in the government’s strategy to tackle the small boats crisis, and deter people from trying to travel across the Channel in makeshift rafts.
The Home Office said the boat would be operational for about 18 months. It will have to be towed from Genoa, Italy where it is currently docked as it does not have an engine.
Amnesty International said the use of the barge was “ministerial cruelty”.
The government has suggested that further boats could be used and the pilot expanded to house more people, along with centres at inactive RAF bases.
The shadow home secretary, Yvette Cooper, has blamed Conservatives for failing to clear “the asylum backlog”.
Richard Drax, the Conservative MP for South Dorset, told GB News that the decision to house asylum seekers on a barge in Portland port in Dorset would lead to an “influx” of illegal immigrants to a “sensitive seaside town”.
Braverman, the home secretary, faces a selection contest for a new Fareham and Waterlooville seat on Wednesday evening.
She is standing against Flick Drummond. Both of them are MPs in Hampshire whose seats are being abolished by the boundary review.
The government’s pay offer to teachers in England is in tatters after the headteachers’ union announced its members had overwhelmingly rejected it.
The US president, Joe Biden, will visit Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland from 11 April to 14 April to “mark the tremendous progress since the signing of the Belfast/Good Friday agreement 25 years ago”, the White House has confirmed.
That’s it from me, Donna Ferguson, and for our rolling UK political coverage today. We’ll be back tomorrow morning.
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Portland port said it would be working with the government to maximise the business opportunities and said it welcomed the investment in the local economy.
Bill Reeves, chief executive of Portland port, said: “We welcome this investment in the port and local economy.
“We will be working closely with the Home Office to maximise the benefits and business opportunities while minimising any impact on public services.
“We understand local concerns and, as the port operator and a local business, have a vested interest of our own in the safe and secure use of the vessel.
“We are insisting that no economic migrants, criminals or under-18s are included in the population on board under a robust screening process.
“We are keen to ensure that only those people considered suitable and most deserving after passing strict checks are able to reside at Portland.
“There will be close cooperation with local agencies, including the health, welfare and emergency services during the preparations for the vessel’s arrival and its operation. We also hope to work closely with local community and voluntary groups.
“Although they won’t be able to work, we hope that some of the asylum seekers will be able to volunteer and make a contribution to the local area too.”
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Richard Drax, the Conservative MP for South Dorset, has been criticising his own government on GB News.
He voiced concern that the decision to house asylum seekers on a barge in Portland Port in Dorset would lead to an “influx” of illegal immigrants to a “sensitive seaside town”.
“There will be no control over where they go, what they do, in a very sensitive seaside town,” Drax told the news channel, according to Reuters.
“We haven’t even been consulted by anyone… on the consequences of this influx.”
The Observer recently reported that the government of Barbados is currently considering plans to make Drax the first individual to pay reparations for his ancestor’s pivotal role in slavery.
The Drax family pioneered the plantation system in the 17th century and played a major role in the development of sugar and slavery across the Caribbean and the US.
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More comments from Labour’s Yvette Cooper about the asylum backlog:
“Until the government takes serious action to clear the backlog, this problem is going to keep getting worse with more people in costly accommodation, not less. Their new legislation only makes the problem worse.
“Labour has set out a comprehensive plan to tackle small boat crossings, including fast-tracking decisions and returns for safe countries, to clear the Tory backlog and end hotel use, and a new cross-border police unit to target people smuggling gangs.
“Only Labour has a sensible, workable plan to get a grip on this crisis.”
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The shadow home secretary, Yvette Cooper, blames the Conservatives for failing to clear the asylum backlog
Cooper said the barge was the result of the Conservatives’ “total failure to clear the asylum backlog”, PA Media reports.
“This barge is in addition to hotels, not instead of them and is still more than twice as expensive as normal asylum accommodation. It will house just 0.3% of the current Tory backlog which has sky-rocketed and is continuing to grow under the Conservatives,” Cooper added.
It’s Donna Ferguson here taking over the blog from Harry Taylor for the rest of your evening.
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Summary
Here’s a roundup of today’s politics news, as the former chief executive of the Scottish National party Peter Murrell, who is Nicola Sturgeon’s husband, has been arrested in connection with a police investigation into party finance and funding.
Meanwhile the Home Office, whose head, Suella Braverman, faces a vote to get selected for a parliamentary seat tonight, has announced it will moor a barge to house 500 asylum-seeking men in Dorset.
Police Scotland arrested Peter Murrell, 58, on Wednesday morning in connection with an investigation into party funding. He is in police custody.
Officers have been seen at Murrell and Sturgeon’s home in Glasgow, including with a spade in her garden, and at the SNP headquarters in central Edinburgh.
Sturgeon was reportedly picked up at 8.10am before police arrived at 8.30am.
The new SNP leader and Scotland’s first minister, Humza Yousaf, said it was “clearly not great” and a “challenging day for the SNP”.
The Home Office has confirmed it has leased a boat to house 500 adult men who are asylum seekers off the coast of south Dorset, at Portland port.
It is the latest measure in the government’s strategy to tackle the small boats crisis, and deter people from trying to travel across the Channel in makeshift rafts.
The Home Office said the boat would be operational for about 18 months. It will have to be towed from Genoa, Italy where it is currently docked as it does not have an engine.
Amnesty International said the use of the barge was “ministerial cruelty”.
The government has suggested that further boats could be used and the pilot expanded to house more people, along with centres at inactive RAF bases.
Braverman, the home secretary, faces a selection contest for a new Fareham and Waterlooville seat on Wednesday evening.
She is standing against Flick Drummond. Both of them are MPs in Hampshire whose seats are being abolished by the boundary review.
The government’s pay offer to teachers in England is in tatters after the headteachers’ union announced its members had overwhelmingly rejected it.
The US president, Joe Biden, will visit Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland from 11 April to 14 April to “mark the tremendous progress since the signing of the Belfast/Good Friday agreement 25 years ago”, the White House has confirmed.
That’s all from me today, thank you for following along. My colleague Donna Ferguson will be taking over shortly and carrying you through into the evening.
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The British Red Cross warned that barges “do not offer the supportive environment” people fleeing their homes need and called for a more compassionate asylum system.
Christina Marriott, the charity’s executive director of strategy and communications, said: “People seeking asylum need stability, to be able to maintain contact with their loved ones and to feel safe.
“Docked barges, which are isolated from the wider community, do not offer the supportive environment that people coping with the trauma of having to flee their homes need.
“People are being housed in inappropriate accommodation because of the asylum backlog, with slow decision-making on cases leaving 160,000 stuck in the system and living in limbo.
“We need a more effective and compassionate asylum system, one that supports people to integrate into a community so they can find safety and live in dignity.”
Refugee Council 'deeply concerned' over headline-grabbing barge plan
Reaction continues to come in, another response here from a leading charity for refugees, the Refugee Council.
Its CEO, Enver Solomon, said: “We are deeply concerned by the government’s plans to accommodate an increasing number of people seeking asylum, the majority of whom will be granted permission to stay in the UK, in entirely unsuitable locations.
“A barge may make headlines, but it’s a completely inadequate housing option for vulnerable men who have come to our country in search of safety, having fled beatings and death threats in countries such as Afghanistan and Iran.
“They should have access to safe and appropriate accommodation including having proper physical and mental health support, access to education and community links. A floating barge does not provide what they need nor the respect, dignity and support they deserve.
“These muddled plans are a consequence of an asylum system that is beset with chronic delays and a record decision-making backlog, as is the significant increase in the use of hotels in recent years. There would be no need to use barges and former military bases if cases were dealt with in a timely and efficient manner.
“Instead of trying to purchase barges the government should focus on addressing the huge backlog in asylum claims and replacing the current approach with one that is orderly, humane and meets our moral and legal obligations to protect the rights and welfare of refugees.”
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Sunak says barge for asylum seekers is a 'fair approach' to small boats crisis
On a local elections campaign trip to Peterborough before the polls next month, Rishi Sunak has been asked about the announcement.
He said: “That’s a sensible approach to this problem, it’s the fair approach to this problem, I’m determined to stop the boats and will do everything I can to deliver on that.
“I think everybody knows one of my five priorities is to stop the boats, and as part of that, we’ve got to reduce the pressure on hotels in communities up and down the country.
“We are spending, as a country, £6m a day housing illegal asylum seekers in hotels – that can’t be right.
“I’ve committed to reducing that number, moving asylum seekers out of hotels and that means we need to find alternative sites, including barges like the one we’ve brought forward today.
“That’s going to save the taxpayer money, reduce pressure on hotels and it’s part of our broader plan to stop the boats.”
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Tory-run Dorset council has opposed the move and said it had “serious reservations” about Portland port’s suitability as a location for the barge.
In a statement, the council said: “We are aware of the home secretary’s announcement this afternoon, confirming that the Home Office wishes to proceed with its plans to house asylum seekers in floating accommodation at Portland port.
“Dorset council’s position has not changed. We still have serious reservations about the appropriateness of Portland port in this scenario and we remain opposed to the proposals.
“However, the council will continue to support and acknowledge the concerns of our residents and local businesses.
“There are a number of questions which the home secretary’s announcement does not address. We will continue to press the Home Office for answers and await further information.”
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Residents of Portland have highlighted that one of the prisons on Portland – the Verne – operated as an immigration removal centre between 2014 and 2017 – with problems over getting lawyers for those in the centre.
In 2015 a report from Nick Hardwick, the chief inspector of prisons, flagged up that its remoteness caused problems, ranging from long journeys to get there to difficulties getting legal representation.
It said: “The Verne remained too prison-like in character for an IRC, with too much inner fencing and razor wire, and with restrictions on detainee movement, including to the chapel.”
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Amnesty International: use of barge to house asylum seekers 'ministerial cruelty'
The Home Office’s policy to house 500 migrants in a barge off Portland in Dorset has been labelled “ministerial cruelty” by Amnesty International.
Steve Valdez-Symonds, the charity’s refugee and migrants’ rights director said: “Confining hundreds of people in isolation on a barge is just more of the political theatre that the government has created to obscure its gross mismanagement of the asylum system.
“Along with the disastrous Rwanda scheme, all talk of barges, cruise ships and former military barracks should be abandoned.
“Anyone seeking asylum in this country should be housed in decent accommodation with proper facilities and, crucially, their claims should be properly and consistently processed.
“Instead of more ministerial cruelty, we need sweeping asylum reforms, with an emphasis on deciding claims fairly and efficiently, acting on those decisions, eliminating wasteful repeat reconsiderations of decisions that people are entitled to asylum, and making a real effort to reduce huge backlogs and unreasonable Home Office workloads.”
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Home Office leases barge to house 500 asylum seekers
The Home Office has confirmed it has leased a barge which will be used to accommodate 500 asylum seekers.
The boat will be moored in Portland port, south Dorset.
A Home Office statement said that the Bibby Stockholm, which has previously been used to house asylum seekers in the Netherlands, may be followed by other barges, with an extension of the plan being considered.
“[The] vessel will provide basic accommodation which is significantly cheaper than hotels,” the Home Office continued.
The ship will be used in addition to new centres on former military sites, as ministers look to stop housing asylum seekers in hotels, which the government says costs £6m a day.
The boat will be used to house men while their claims are being processed. It will include “basic and functional accommodation”, healthcare provision and catering.
A spokesperson said: “Migrants are due to be moved onto the Bibby Stockholm in the coming months. The Home Office is in discussions with other ports and further vessels will be announced in due course.”
The plan has been criticised by South Dorset MP, Richard Drax, who said it would exacerbate existing problems “tenfold”. The mayor of Portland, Peter Roper, told the Times he opposed the move because the government had not consulted residents or provided any support for the area.
The Bibby Stockholm is currently in Genoa, southern Italy, and will need to be towed to Dorset because it does not have an engine, the Times has reported.
The immigration minister Robert Jenrick said: “We will not elevate the interests of illegal migrants over the British people we are elected to serve.
“We have to use alternative accommodation options, as our European neighbours are doing – including the use of barges and ferries to save the British taxpayer money and to prevent the UK becoming a magnet for asylum shoppers in Europe.
“All accommodation will meet our legal obligations and we will work closely with the local community to address their concerns, including through financial support.”
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More problems for Britain’s waterways as Environment Agency workers have voted to carry out a four-day strike later this month in a dispute about pay.
The workers, who are members of Unison, said that “government inaction [is] putting communities, waters and wildlife at risk”.
Staff who work in areas including coastal sea defences, flood prevention, water pollution, waste fires and fly-tipping will strike from 7pm on Friday 14 April to 7am on 17 April.
“Endemic low pay and uncompetitive wage rates mean the Environment Agency is struggling to hold on to experienced staff and recruit new employees,” a statement added.
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The selection meeting that Braverman will face tonight is fairly straightforward in its format.
Both she and backbencher Flick Drummond will give a speech to members in the proposed new Fareham and Waterlooville constituency, before taking questions. A paper ballot will then be held.
It’s tricky to definitively predict the outcome, but Braverman is the favourite. The most recent Conservative Home poll found Braverman was the fourth most popular member of the cabinet with respondents to the website’s survey, behind Ben Wallace, Kemi Badenoch and James Cleverly.
However local feeling should not be overlooked.
One councillor on Winchester city council, which falls in Meon Valley, Caroline Brook, told Times Radio’s Matt Chorley on Wednesday lunchtime that she would struggle to support or campaign for Braverman – and that the home secretary had not spoken to her as part of a campaign to win selection for the seat.
You may think that Braverman’s overall popularity might carry her over the line, but political party members resent it when their support is perceived as being taken for granted.
Historically, on a national level, part of the reason for Margaret Thatcher’s downfall in 1990 was the failure of her campaign team to work parliament’s tea rooms, thinking support among MPs was assured. She won the vote, the result coming while she was away in Paris, but not by a large enough margin to win the contest. Days later, she resigned.
Brook told Chorley if Braverman was selected her position might shift, however she added: “I’m sure in time I would get to know her and she would actually pick up the phone and speak to me, which she hasn’t through the whole process.
“I’d struggle [to campaign for her]. I disagree fundamentally with her on her some of her views.
“The boat policy for example. I struggle with the way that is being implemented. I absolutely agree that we need to stop the small boats and I think that is fundamental to what we are achieving as a government. I’m not convinced that doing something that is borderline anti-looking after international people, I fundamentally don’t think we should order that.”
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Braverman’s selection vote is due to a number of constituency changes that have been proposed across the UK as part of the 2023 boundary review.
The review started in January 2021, and its final recommendations are due to be presented by 1 July this year, with changes expected before the next election.
The Boundary Commission for England has closed its “final consultation” and is considering the feedback received.
Under its plans, Meon Valley and Fareham constituencies would be removed, and the two MPs are competing for a newly proposed constituency. The contest has been dubbed “the Battle of Waterlooville” by commentators.
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PA reports that the government has launched a consultation on whether tankers should be allowed to carry more fuel during disruption to supplies.
Most fuel tankers operate with spare tank capacity due to the existing 44 tonne weight limit.
The potential to allow tankers to operate to their full design weight could increase the efficiency of the fuel supply chain by approximately 6%, according to the Department for Transport.
Headteachers' union rejects government pay offer
The government’s pay offer to teachers in England is in tatters after a third union announced today that its members had overwhelmingly rejected it.
The National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) said 90% of its members voted to reject the Department for Education’s offer, which included a £1,000 one-off payment for this year and an average 4.5% pay rise from September.
Nearly two-thirds of the NAHT’s 34,000 members in England took part in the consultation, with most saying the offer was “unaffordable” for school budgets. A total of 78% said they would also vote for strike action if a ballot was held.
The result follows similar responses by National Education Union (NEU) members, where 98% rejected the offer, and the Association of School and College Leaders, with 87% voting to reject.
Gillian Keegan, the education secretary, has said there will be no further negotiations for the time being, despite the NEU scheduling five further school strike days for next term.
Paul Whiteman, the NAHT’s general secretary, said the union executive would meet this month to discuss balloting on industrial action. An earlier ballot failed to reach the legal threshold of 50% of members voting required to authorise strikes.
Whiteman said: “What school leaders are saying is that they are prepared to take action because they can’t find any more solutions, they’re completely out of solutions to make their budget go any further. They can’t recruit people who don’t want to come into the profession because there’s not enough money in it and it’s too much work.
“And if they say that loud and clear, to the extent that they are going to take tangible action, then the government really has to listen.”
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The “final piece of the Brexit jigsaw”, required physical checks on imports of chilled and fresh from the EU member states, is to be put in place at the end of January, the government has announced.
It follows four delays to the physical checks that were due to be put in place for plant and animal produce ranging from salad to leather and wood when Brexit came into force on 1 January 2021.
The import controls were repeatedly put back amid fears of lack of infrastructure at ports such as Dover or knowhow among EU suppliers.
A new Target Operating Model will apply to imports from all countries, not just EU states, under the government proposals and will guard against disease threats ranging from African swine fever to Xylella fastidiosa, a dangerous bacteria threatening hundreds of species of plants in the UK after its identification as the cause of the death of olive trees in Italy.
The government is putting the plans out to consultation for six weeks but the proposals to highly digitise the process have been welcomed by trade groups.
William Bain, the head of trade and policy at the British Chambers of Commerce, said: “This in a way is the final part of the Brexit jigsaw being put into place. Outbound controls have been in place from day one but have been repeatedly deferred in inbound trade.”
The government proposals will see the digital and physical checks introduced from later this year and it is hoped they will be fully operational by 2027.
Bain added: “Providing certainty for business is crucial and the focus must now be on delivering to the timescales set out. This will need a concerted effort to get the physical and digital infrastructure in place.”
The burden will fall on EU suppliers as UK exporters to the EU have been obliged to provide full health certification, safety and security paperwork and customers declarations for the past two years.
The former Brexit minister Jacob Rees-Mogg, who delayed the controls again one year ago, was criticised by the National Farmers’ Union last year for giving EU produce a competitive advantage over UK rivals who had to be Brexit compliant from day one.
Lady Neville-Rolfe, a minister of state at the Cabinet Office, said: “The publication of our draft Border Target Operating Model is a huge step forward for the safety, security and efficiency of our borders. Our proposals strike a balance between giving consumers and businesses confidence while reducing the costs and friction for businesses, which in turn will help to grow the economy.”
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Braverman faces selection vote for parliamentary seat
The home secretary, Suella Braverman, will face her Tory colleague Flick Drummond at a selection meeting on Wednesday night, as she aims to secure a seat for the next election.
Braverman’s current seat of Fareham is being wound up and included in a new constituency of Fareham and Waterlooville.
Drummond represents Meon Valley, also in Hampshire, which is being scrapped under the new parliamentary boundaries.
A result is expected on Wednesday night.
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Another snippet from the questions that Humza Yousaf has been taking from reporters this morning.
He said that he does not believe the continuing police investigation into party finances was part of the reason why his predecessor Nicola Sturgeon quit as party leader.
He told LBC: “No, I don’t believe so. I believe Nicola Sturgeon absolutely quit for the reasons that she gave.
“I think anybody that watched Nicola over the course of the pandemic could quite understand just how exhausted she is. I take the reasons she quit absolutely at face value.”
He is asked if his first week as FM could have been any more difficult - and says he believes Nicola Sturgeon resigned for reasons she gave. pic.twitter.com/XvwIH5Hrkb
— @GinaDavidson (@ginadavidsonlbc) April 5, 2023
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Yousaf: Murrell arrest 'clearly not great' and 'challenging'
The newly elected first minister and Scottish National party leader, Humza Yousaf, has spoken for the first time since the party’s former chief executive Peter Murrell was arrested.
Speaking to the media he repeated the party’s broader statement about being unable to comment on a live police matter, and that the SNP had been fully cooperative.
He said the development was “clearly … not great”. He had earlier told the BBC that it was “challenging and it’s difficult [news]”. The first minister has also said to Sky News it is a difficult day for the SNP.
“The sooner we can get to the conclusion of this police investigation the better. Really it is up to the police to, of course, investigate in due course, in the best way they see fit and appropriate,” he added.
Yousaf said he had had no involvement in party finances and wanted to bring “new leadership” as the recently elected first minister.
In response to a question about when he was made aware of Murrell’s arrest, he said: “This morning, after the event. I think that’s really important for me to stress.
“So, of course I am following it, as much as anybody else is. But as I keep saying, the party will fully cooperate. As has already been reported for example, we know that police are at party headquarters and they will not be impeded in any way, shape or form in terms of their investigation.”
NEW: Reaction from First Minister @HumzaYousaf to the arrest of Peter Murrell this morning pic.twitter.com/qRR1R2ykwt
— Alan Smith (@Political_AlanS) April 5, 2023
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US president to visit Northern Ireland
President Joe Biden will visit Northern Ireland and the Republic from 11 April to 14 April to “mark the tremendous progress since the signing of the Belfast/Good Friday agreement 25 years ago”, the White House has confirmed.
In a statement, the White House press secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre, said: “President Joseph R Biden, Jr will travel to the United Kingdom and Ireland from April 11-14.
“President Biden will first travel to Belfast, Northern Ireland, from April 11-12 to mark the tremendous progress since the signing of the Belfast/Good Friday agreement 25 years ago and to underscore the readiness of the United States to support Northern Ireland’s vast economic potential to the benefit of all communities.”
He will then make a return visit to the Republic of Ireland on 12 April. He previously visited as vice-president in 2016.
The taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, has said that it will be a “privilege” to host Biden.
The US statement continued: “The president will then travel to Ireland from April 12-14.
“He will discuss our close cooperation on the full range of shared global challenges.
“He will also hold various engagements, including in Dublin, County Louth and County Mayo, where he will deliver an address to celebrate the deep, historic ties that link our countries and people.”
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SNP releases statement
The Scottish National party has released a statement which repeats that it will be reviewing its governance procedures, a decision made on Saturday before Peter Murrell’s arrest.
It said: “Clearly it would not be appropriate to comment on any live police investigation but the SNP have been co-operating fully with this investigation and will continue to do so.
“At its meeting on Saturday, the governing body of the SNP, the NEC, agreed to a review of governance and transparency – that will be taken forward in the coming weeks.”
Scottish Labour’s deputy leader, Jackie Baillie, has said it is “deeply concerning and the investigation must be allowed to proceed without interference”.
“We need Humza Yousaf and Nicola Sturgeon to urgently state what they knew and when,” she said.
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Police are also at the Scottish National party’s head quarters in central Edinburgh.
The tweet below shows police parked in a lane behind the offices.
Police have also raided the SNP head office in Edinburgh. pic.twitter.com/v1ZJtSCyNQ
— Chris McCall (@Dennynews) April 5, 2023
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Peter Murrell, Nicola Sturgeon’s husband, has been arrested by Scottish police in an investigation into the Scottish National party’s fundraising and finances.
Police Scotland said a 58-year-old man had been “arrested as a suspect” on Wednesday and added that its officers were carrying out searches at a number of addresses linked to the investigation.
The investigation was launched after complaints about the SNP’s handling of £600,000 in donations raised by the party ostensibly to campaign for and hold a second independence referendum.
It is alleged the money instead was used to help with the party’s day-to-day running costs.
Rishi Sunak and his immigration minister have been scolded by the UK statistics watchdog for using inaccurate figures to back up spurious claims about asylum seekers.
In a statement to the House of Commons in December, the prime minister claimed that the asylum backlog – 132,000 cases at the time – was half the size of the backlog left by the departing Labour government in 2010. This implied the backlog in 2010 would have been about 260,000.
In the same month, the immigration minister, Robert Jenrick, and the safeguarding minister, Sarah Dines, told MPs that 450,000 and 500,000 legacy cases had been left by the Labour government.
However, the UK Statistics Authority found the statements “do not reflect the position shown by the Home Office’s statistics”.
Sir Robert Chote, the UKSA chairman, said the asylum backlog in 2010 was 19,000, meaning the number of outstanding claims had in fact risen almost ninefold to 166,000.
A police tent has been set up outside Peter Murrell and Nicola Sturgeon’s home, according to this footage by ITV’s Scotland reporter Louise Scott.
BREAKING: 58 year old man arrested at former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon’s house in connection with the ongoing investigation into the funding and finances of the SNP. @itvnews pic.twitter.com/vtEUtlgKun
— Louise Scott (@LouiseScottITV) April 5, 2023
Police Scotland arrest former SNP chief executive in connection with funding and finance investigation
Police Scotland have arrested former SNP chief executive and the husband of the former first minister Nicola Sturgeon, Peter Murrell, in connection with an investigation into the funding and finances of the Scottish National party.
The 58-year-old is in custody and being questioned by Police Scotland, the nationwide force for Scotland, PA Media reports.
Officers are carrying out searches at a number of addresses, a spokesperson added.
Murrell became chief executive of the SNP in 2000, and stood down in March in a row over inflated party membership figures. He and Sturgeon married in 2010.
Elswhere today, Rishi Sunak is expected to confirm the mooring of a ship in Portland, Dorset, to house asylum seekers.
The move has been touted for weeks as part of the latest group of measures for Sunak as he attempts to stop people arriving in small boats from northern France, an issue that has risen to prominence in the Conservative party in the last 18 months.
Last night the Telegraph reported that councils where the barges are to be based will be paid £3,500 per migrant to cover the cost of extra services.
The boat is expected to be the Bibby Stockholm, which houses 500 people and has previously been used to accommodate asylum seekers in the Netherlands about 20 years ago.
Tory backbencher Richard Drax, who represents South Dorset where the ship will be moored, has said the plan is “totally and utterly out of the question”, and would exacerbate existing problems “tenfold”.
Meanwhile, Labour will continue to bang the crime and antisocial behaviour drum ahead of May’s local elections. Shadow justice secretary Steve Reed will visit fly-tipping hotspots in Brighton later today, which is exactly the sort of getaway everyone wants to do a few days before the Easter weekend.
Speaking of a jolly boys outing, Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey is off to Hull and back, where he will speak about the need for more energy support for businesses amid fears that rising costs will send a number of firms under.
I’m sitting in for Andrew Sparrow this week, and you can get in touch with any comments or tips, either by emailing harry.taylor@guardian.co.uk or my DMs are open on Twitter where you can find me @HarryTaylr.
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