Nicola Sturgeon stripped of £600k VIP police security amid ‘row’ over spending

NICOLA Sturgeon is being stripped of her £600,000-a-year VIP police security amid a behind-the-scenes “row” over the spending

Cop chiefs and the Scottish Government agreed to axe the 24/7 cover – still in place after she quit as First Minister in March.

But a source said there had been “pushback”, though not from Ms Sturgeon, following threats to her in recent years.

The ex-First Minister’s close protection detail was extended after she left office at the end of March amid fears she needed the security, sources revealed.

But after debate behind the scenes on the appropriate level of cover and justifiable costs to the public, insiders said Police Scotland and the Scottish Government are pulling the plug.

Former Chief Constable Sir Iain Livingstone, who retired this month, and the Scottish Government’s top official, Permanent Secretary John-Paul Marks, signed off the changes.

It comes as it emerged yesterday Ms Sturgeon’s cop team remained in place as she was arrested, named as a suspect and later released without charge on June 11 as part of the long-running police fraud probe into SNP finances.

Scottish Tory MSP and Shadow Justice Secretary Russell Findlay said:

“With the SNP cutting Police Scotland’s budget by hundreds of millions of pounds, the force has to make some incredibly tough spending decisions to keep the people of Scotland safe.

“However, the decision to axe Nicola Sturgeon’s £600,000-a-year protection will have been taken following rigorous and scrupulous assessment of all potential risk.

"For a politician under 24/7 police protection to have been arrested by other Police Scotland detectives must surely have been a first.”

She quit as First Minister on March 28, the week before husband

Peter Murrell was arrested and their home raided as part of the probe into the fate of some £600,000 of donations to the SNP for a second independence referendum bid.

But sources said her police team — said to be around six officers on rotation, plus vehicles — was kept in place.

It is understood some officials had been increasingly worried the spending and use of resources was not justified.

There have now been claims there was some “pushback” and a “row” behind the scenes over a decision to fully end the security, after threats to the ex-First Minister in recent years.

But SNP officials insist Ms Sturgeon and the party did not fight the decision — and that she will be glad to return to normality.

Last week, her successor Humza Yousaf told an Edinburgh Fringe audience Ms Sturgeon had become sick of being under police watch.

He said she once told him: “You’ve got no idea what it’s like. I can’t even go for a coffee with a friend without police officers at the table next to me.”

Sources revealed her security has been scaled back and is due to be wound down completely this month.

One insider said: “While it didn’t come directly from Sturgeon, there was pushback against the decision — a bit of a row behind the scenes.”

Another said there had been debate over the change, while a third said it was “unusual” for ex-ministers to keep cover for as long as Ms Sturgeon had.

Former First Ministers Alex Salmond and Jack McConnell didn’t have police security after leaving office, it is said.

However, Ms Sturgeon has received multiple threats over the years, several ending in criminal proceedings.

Police Scotland, the Scottish Government, the SNP and Ms Sturgeon all declined to comment yesterday.

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