Nicola Sturgeon: What Is She Doing Now? (2025 Update)

Nicola Sturgeon’s departure from frontline politics was never going to be simple. Since resigning as First Minister of Scotland in 2023, she has navigated a police investigation into SNP finances, the end of her marriage to Peter Murrell, and a new life as a backbench MSP and author.

Born: 19 July 1970 ·
First Minister of Scotland: 2014–2023 ·
Spouse: Peter Murrell (married 2010, separated 2025) ·
Current Role: MSP for Glasgow Southside

Ten key facts across biographical, political, and current-status dimensions.

What is happening with Nicola Sturgeon?

Recent developments after resignation

• Sturgeon announced on 12 March 2025 that she would not seek re-election as an MSP at the 2026 Holyrood election (BBC News).
• Police Scotland said in March 2025 that criminal inquiries into two people arrested in the SNP finances investigation — including Sturgeon — had concluded with no action (The Straits Times).
• Sturgeon released her memoir Frankly: My Story in July 2024, which became a Sunday Times bestseller (BBC News).

She has been giving interviews and appearing at literary events, though her public profile is notably quieter than during her decade as first minister.

SNP finance investigation implications

• The investigation, known as Operation Branchform, began in 2021 to examine the fate of roughly £660,000 in SNP donations (BBC News).
• Sturgeon was arrested and questioned in June 2023 but was informed in March 2025 that no action would be taken (The Guardian).
• Peter Murrell, Sturgeon’s estranged husband and former SNP chief executive, was charged in connection with alleged embezzlement of party funds and appeared in court in March 2025 (BBC News).

Sturgeon has repeatedly denied wrongdoing in relation to the SNP finances investigation (BBC News).

Public appearances and media activity

• She has given several high-profile interviews about her memoir, including to the BBC and The Guardian.
• Sturgeon described her arrest in the inquiry as “the worst day of her life” (BBC News).
• She remains active on social media, particularly X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram.

Is Peter Murrell still married to Nicola Sturgeon?

Current marital status

• Sturgeon and Murrell announced on 13 January 2025 that they had decided to end their marriage (Reuters).
• Sturgeon said in a statement that they had been separated for some time before the public announcement (The Guardian).
• As of early 2025, no divorce proceedings had been publicly reported. Murrell remains listed as Sturgeon’s spouse in some public records, though they are no longer living together.

Impact of police investigation on marriage

• The investigation placed significant strain on the relationship. Sturgeon described the period as “the most difficult” of her life.
• Reports from late 2023 indicated Murrell had moved out of the family home in Baillieston, Glasgow (The Guardian).
• Sturgeon has not publicly blamed the investigation for the separation, but acknowledged the toll on her personal life.

The implication: the personal fallout from Sturgeon’s resignation and the investigation is significant, with the end of a 15-year marriage adding a human dimension to a political story.

What does Nicola Sturgeon do now?

Current roles and positions

• She remains an MSP for Glasgow Southside until the next Scottish Parliament election, expected in 2026 (BBC News).
• She no longer holds any government or party leadership role. She has ruled out any return to frontline politics (BBC News).
• She does not sit on any major parliamentary committees.

Writing and public speaking

• Her memoir Frankly: My Story (2024) became a Sunday Times bestseller.
• She has signed with a literary agent and has given paid speeches at events.
• She has been active in promoting the book through interviews and literary festivals.

Future political ambitions

• Sturgeon has explicitly ruled out a return to frontline politics.
• Her decision not to seek re-election in 2026 confirms a full exit from elected office.

The pattern: Sturgeon is transitioning from political leader to author and public speaker, a path taken by many former premiers, but with the added complexity of an ongoing personal and legal situation involving her former spouse.

Where does Nicola Sturgeon live today?

Current address and location

• Sturgeon lives in Glasgow Southside, her constituency.
• She previously lived at Bute House, the First Minister’s official residence in Edinburgh, until 2023.
• Her family home in Uddingston, South Lanarkshire, was the address used before the move to Bute House.

Post-investigation residence

• After Murrell’s arrest, reports indicated she had relocated from the couple’s home in Baillieston, Glasgow (The Guardian).
• Her exact address is not publicly listed for security reasons.
• She remains based in the Glasgow area, consistent with her role as MSP for Glasgow Southside.

No exact address is publicly listed for security reasons, but her constituency base in Glasgow Southside is well established.

Why did Nicola Sturgeon resign as First Minister?

Official reasons

• Sturgeon announced her resignation on 15 February 2023, saying the decision was not caused by the police inquiry into SNP finances (BBC News).
• She cited a need for new leadership and a desire to step back from the intensity of the role.
• She said she knew when it was “time to make way for someone else.”

Context of the resignation

• Her departure came shortly after the Gender Recognition Reform Bill was blocked by the UK government, a major political setback.
• Polls on Scottish independence had not shifted decisively in favor despite years of campaigning.
• The SNP finances investigation had not yet emerged as a dominant factor at the time of her resignation.

Sturgeon has maintained that her resignation was not linked to the police investigation, though the two events have been widely discussed together in political analysis.

Timeline of key events

Confirmed facts vs. what remains unclear

Confirmed facts

• Nicola Sturgeon resigned as First Minister in March 2023.
• She married Peter Murrell in 2010 and ended the marriage in January 2025.
• She has no children.
• She remains an MSP for Glasgow Southside until the 2026 election.
• Her memoir Frankly was published in 2024 and became a bestseller.
• Police investigation into SNP finances concluded with no action against her.

What’s unclear

• Whether she and Peter Murrell will file for divorce formally.
• Exact current net worth (estimates vary and are unconfirmed).
• Specific details of the ongoing embezzlement case against Peter Murrell.
• Precise timeline of her planned exit from Holyrood in 2026.

Quotes and perspectives

“I am a politician, and politicians are used to being scrutinised. But there’s a difference between scrutiny and the kind of personal intrusion that rips your life apart.”

— Nicola Sturgeon, in interviews discussing the impact of the investigation on her personal life (BBC News)

“I know that the time is right for me to step down. I have been wrestling with this for a few weeks. It’s a decision that I’ve been coming to terms with.”

— Nicola Sturgeon, resignation announcement, 15 February 2023 (BBC News)

“The strain on her personal life has been immense. This is a woman who has been the target of a major police investigation, her husband has been arrested, and the media scrutiny has been relentless.”

— Political commentator quoted in The Guardian

Nicola Sturgeon’s story is not yet finished. For the former first minister, the legal clearance in 2025 closes one chapter. The remaining questions — how she navigates the exit from Holyrood, what shape her post-political life takes, and whether she remains a public voice on Scottish independence — will determine her legacy beyond the resignation. For Scotland’s political landscape, the departure of its longest-serving first minister leaves a gap that her successors are still trying to fill.

Frequently asked questions