SNP chief executive Peter Murrell resigns

SNP chief executive Peter Murrell has resigned in the face of a no confidence vote.

Peter Murrell, who is married to outgoing party leader and First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, had been accused of undermining the current leadership contest, following a damaging secrecy row.

On Friday, the SNP's head of communications quit after it emerged he inadvertently provided bogus membership numbers to a journalist.

Murray Foote was told to deny reports the party had lost 30,000 members branding them "inaccurate" and "drivel".

In the face of claims the integrity of the leadership process was being undermined by a refusal to issue membership data and demands by the candidates themselves, the party was forced to confirm the significant fall in paid-up support.

Enrolment as of 15 February this year was 72,186, having dropped from 103,884 in 2021.

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Ahead of Mr Murrell's announcement, a senior member of the SNP's governing body told Sky News: "The buck stops with Peter... he shouldn't have thrown a junior member of staff under the bus".

It is understood the party's national executive committee had given Mr Murrell an ultimatum over his exit strategy.

He had already faced accusations of a "conflict of interest" over his involvement in the contest to choose his wife's successor.

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Ash Regan, Kate Forbes and Humza Yousaf are currently in the running to replace Ms Sturgeon as SNP leader and first minister.