Does anyone believe Nicola Sturgeon?

[OverlyFragrant]

As per title, does anyone actually believe NS with her claims she had no idea her husband stole £400k, didn't notice the MANY luxury items just appearing around her home, and is a victim in his deceit?

I don't believe her for a minute.
She is on camera vehemently shutting down repeated concerns about the SNP accounts. Someone justify that?
People seem happy to ignore the fact that the SNP was run by her, her husband and Swinney. All too close.
SNP MSP McGarry served time for stealing from a Woman's Independence group, her mother is SNP to her ears and her Aunt was the Presiding Officer in Holyrood and head of NHS Fife Trust. They tried and failed to get her conviction quashed.
I can't understand why people accept this crap.

I don’t like her but I do believe her.

It should also be remembered the £400k is only what a convicted thief has admitted to….

Exactly knowing his salary wouldn’t any self respecting partner even casually ask how he could afford an £81k SUV Jag plus all the other stuff.
My ex DH also liked to spend money like water and didn’t earn a whole lot more he would take me away of eye wateringly expensive weekends, buy Cuban cigars, and God knows what else in the beginning I used to question how he could afford it, (we had separate finances) not because I wanted to be unpleasant or be angry about it but because I was worried about him getting into debt and so worried how he was funding this extravagant life style. Towards the end of our marriage I stoped asking and now realised he was and still is living way beyond his means. I just think any caring partner would ask.

Believe her on what?

Yes

There was a real lack of any acknowledgement for the people whose money had been stolen in the Kuessenberg interview, wasn't there?
And quite aggressive re the 'are you paying any of it back' Qu.
And Swinney was around at that time too.
Bunch of crooks the lot of them.

Then there is Farage...

Talking of Covid, Murrell bought 108 toilet rolls hours before Sturgeon announcement about not panic buying…

If the people continue to give money to the SNP after all this then more fool them. It seems that they will though !
I just hope that someone says sorry to those who did contribute and reassure them it won’t happen again , but I bet they don’t. I’d be so annoyed if I had donated and found it went on cars and fancy pepper grinders.

The money stolen included from short funding - that is taxpayers money.

Taxpayers money as well then!

But it is funny how people are making a virtue of donating to the SNP just after the election when they were begging for campaign funds.

@AgnesMcDoo
"telling us she fully cooperated with the police when she gave no comment"

I agree except for the "no comment" Apparently she did this at the first interview as advised by her solicitor as she was shocked and shaken when the story broke. I was spoken to by a policeman seconds after I rear ended a stopped car many many years ago. It was one of those bad situations. Technically my fault but it was a hot summers day and the asphalt patch on the road was like glass and I just slid into the car....anyway he was quite brusque with me and I honestly would not have known what I was saying...in fact I just kept saying "I don't know, I don't know" She says she did give a full written statement later which the police accepted. It is anybody's right, and generally advised, to decline to comment in situations such as that where its very easy to say what you did not mean or to say things that can be misinterpreted.

To be clear I have no view about her politics or other behaviour and yes, as I have said have been a bystander at a similar incident where the husbands were embezzling and at least one of the wives genuinely did not know.

I don't believe her. Expensive stuff kept appearing. The party's accounts weren't right. She's an intelligent woman. All three taken together demonstrates theft.

Even if she wasn't intelligent everyone knows Jags and motorhomes are expensive. Where did she think they came from?

A no comment interview might be wise to avoid being charged with a crime but it cannot in any way be considered fully cooperating with the police. Neither can a letter carefully written by a solicitor.

I’m not sure.

im not particularly a fan of her politics but I have always felt she is one politician who is in it for the right reasons, believes in her policies and does her best. She is utterly devoted to the cause and I don’t think lining her pockets really comes into it for her.

Regarding did she know about the money her husband took - I’m on the fence. I could believe it either way.

I’m sad, angry and frustrated that she’s allowed it to happen, whether knowingly or not, as I had a lot of respect for her during Covid, in comparison to BoJo et al.

But as leader of the SNP she should have opened up the accounts when there were questions

Was that before you heard about her demanding elderly patients be discharged untested to care homes? Or hiding the Nike conference? Or her suggestion of cutting half an inch off school doors? Or partying during restrictions?

Only read the first page. A couple of things.

We have similar household income - in no way would we be spending £3k on a coffee machine, never mind a cruet set. Our car was £35k and that was only agreed after extensive discussions. We will never be able to afford a £100k motorhome. The idea that a £200k (ish) dual income means endless luxury goods no price too high is hilarious. Especially with Scottish income tax rates. And especially with the kind of house they lived in. Why would live in a house that was only worth about twice as much as your camper van? Surely you would invest in a better property?

The other thing is that I feel people are missing is that she was leader of the SNP and he was its CEO. The amount of financial controllership training (SOX etc), audits, paperwork, processes, approval matrices, record keeping that an entry level marketing executive with a £10k budget at any private company has to go through and somehow Nicola Sturgeon missed this? You are legally responsible as a even the most junior employee to do due diligence on company spending.

So no, either she was complicit or incompetent to a legally liable degree.

I cannot believe the naivety on here. Of course she knew. She’s now engaged in damage limitation. The problem is that she tried to head off any concerns about the accounts. Why would she do that if she didn’t know? Come on.

She ignored the auditors issues, and they resigned.
She wasn't some SAHM who didn't see her husbands payslips and thought the new car was a massive bonus FFS. She was in charge, she new there were issues with the accounts, auditors don't resign on a whim. Now she's literally crying on TV and running to London.

I believe her mostly. If the police can't find anything, and I imagine they looked pretty hard, then there's likely to not be anything much to be found.

She probably had an idea something was going on, but not exactly what, or the full extent of it. I don't think she was complicit.

Murrell should never have remained as CEO when she became leader. That was a clear conflict of interest.

The advice, apparently, is wise in any case.

Whilst I can believe that she didn't notice certain things turning up in their home (due to her work schedule and having delegated the household running to Murrell) the fact remains that the finger has been pointed at the SNP finances being dodgy for many years now.The treasurer was replaced in 2023, but the replacement resigned after only 5 months because he couldn't gain access to the books. Did she really think that was all fine and above board? Really really?

So no - I don't believe she knew nothing.

So long as you are not a politician who claims to be fully cooperating with the police as that would be misleading the public/parliament.