What's happened
Murray Foote, the former head of communications for the SNP, returns to the party as its chief executive amidst an ongoing police investigation into the party's finances.
Why it matters
This event is significant as it marks the return of a key figure to the SNP amidst an ongoing police investigation into the party's finances, and it comes at a time when the party's poll numbers are slipping as Labour recovers in Scotland.
What the papers say
The Independent reports on the return of Murray Foote to the SNP as its chief executive, highlighting his previous resignation due to being misled over membership figures. The Times provides a detailed account of the ongoing police investigation into the SNP's finances and the criticism it has faced from senior figures in the party. BBC News also covers the appointment of Murray Foote as the SNP's new chief executive, focusing on his background in journalism and the party's positive reception of his appointment.
How we got here
Murray Foote previously resigned from his role as the SNP's head of communications after being given false information by his predecessor Peter Murrell to provide to the media, suggesting the party's membership was more than 100,000, when it was really around 72,000. Peter Murrell, the husband of former first minister Nicola Sturgeon, also resigned in response to the scandal, before being arrested in relation to the probe into the party's finances and released without charge pending further investigation.
More on these topics
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Peter Tierney Murrell is the Chief Executive Officer of the Scottish National Party. He is married to Nicola Sturgeon, the party's leader and First Minister of Scotland.
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The Scottish National Party is a Scottish nationalist and social-democratic political party in Scotland. The SNP supports and campaigns for Scottish independence within the European Union, with a platform based on civic nationalism.
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Nicola Ferguson Sturgeon is a Scottish politician serving as the fifth First Minister of Scotland and the Leader of the Scottish National Party since November 2014. She is the first woman to hold either position.