Nicola Sturgeon still an asset to the SNP, Humza Yousaf says

Humza Yousaf has refused to suspend Nicola Sturgeon from the SNP

Nicola Sturgeon is still an asset to the SNP, First Minister Humza Yousaf has said following her arrest.

The SNP leader called his predecessor the "most impressive politician in Europe" as he called for a unified approach from his party.

Ms Sturgeon was released without charge on Sunday after being questioned by police as part of an investigation into SNP finances.

The former first minister has said she is "innocent of any wrongdoing".

Opposition politicians have called on Mr Yousaf to suspend his predecessor from the SNP, while some of his party's MSPs have said Ms Sturgeon should resign the whip temporarily while the police inquiry continues.

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Speaking to reporters ahead of an SNP group meeting at Holyrood, Mr Yousaf reiterated that he saw no reason to suspend a party member who had been released without charge.

He said there was "no pressure" on Ms Sturgeon to resign the whip and that he had not spoken to her since the arrest.

"I know why the opposition want rid of Nicola Sturgeon, because she's thrashed them in every single election," Mr Yousaf told reporters.

He added: "Nicola Sturgeon is the most impressive politician I think we've seen in Europe and she's an asset to our movement and to our party.

"It's obviously a difficult time – a very, very difficult time for her and a difficult time for our party and personally painful to many of us."

Nicola Sturgeon has been urged to resign the SNP whip

SNP MSPs Ash Regan and Michelle Thomson have said the former first minister should step back from the SNP while the police investigation continues, while SNP MP Angus MacNeil said there should be "political distance" between the SNP and its former leader.

Mr Yousaf denied he was too weak to suspend Ms Sturgeon, adding: "I think it's important that we have a unified voice in these matters.

"I'm not going to stop MSPs from expressing their view that is entirely their prerogative."

Following the SNP group meeting, Mr Yousaf said he had a "really constructive conversation" with MSPs.

Deputy leader Keith Brown said attendees agreed to send flowers to Ms Sturgeon following her arrest.

Former deputy first minister John Swinney said Mr Yousaf had set out the "correct position" on Ms Sturgeon.

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An SNP spokesperson has said the party is co-operating fully with the investigation.

The party also confirmed it was not paying for Ms Sturgeon's legal fees.

Her arrest follows that of her husband and former party chief executive, Peter Murrell, and the party's ex-treasurer Colin Beattie in April.

Both were also released without charge pending further investigations.

Police Scotland launched its investigation, named Operation Branchform, after complaints were made relating to more than £600,000 donated to the SNP by activists.

In a statement released on Twitter, Ms Sturgeon said she "would never do anything to harm either the SNP or the country".

SNP deputy leader Keith Brown has defended the first minister

Mr Yousaf's decision not to suspend the whip from Nicola Sturgeon has been supported by Mr Brown, who said it was in the interests of "natural justice" that she stays in the party.

The SNP deputy leader said other cases where the party's MSPs had been suspended while allegations around them were being investigated involved "different circumstances".

He told BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland: "The arrest I appreciate is a dramatic thing to have happened.

"It's perhaps not as well understood that arrest is just a way of making sure that the interview and information gathering by the police is put into formal footing."

Police Scotland said Ms Sturgeon had been arrested "as a suspect" in connection with Operation Branchform.

Scottish Conservative MSP Roz McCall accused Mr Yousaf of being too "weak" to suspend Ms Sturgeon and said sending her flowers was a "sycophantic gesture".

She added: "It would be laughable if this wasn't such a serious subject."