Nicola Sturgeon's ex-adviser 'bewildered' by former First Minister's attack on John Swinney

By MICHAEL BLACKLEY, SCOTTISH DAILY MAIL POLITICAL EDITOR Published: 20:48, 13 August 2026 | Updated: 20:48, 13 August 2026 Nicola Sturgeon has been criticised by another former aide for her latest book tour and decision to attack John Swinney’s election strategy. Kate Higgins, who served as a special adviser (SPAD) under the former First Minister, added her voice to the list of people within the SNP who have condemned her recent interventions in the paperback edition of her autobiography and on a speaking tour. She also said that Ms Sturgeon, former Nationalist MP Joanna Cherry and Harry Potter author JK Rowling, who have been having a ferocious war of words, should ‘do one’ and observe a period of silence. It follows concerns raised by Ms Sturgeon’s former chief of staff, Liz Lloyd, who said her criticism of Mr Swinney’s election strategy was not well thought through and claimed that while the SNP ‘respects’ Ms Sturgeon it ‘loves’ the current First Minister. Ms Higgins, who has recently stepped down after 11 years as a SPAD following her appointment by Ms Sturgeon in 2015, criticised the foul-mouthed attack made on Ms Cherry at the weekend. Referring to her continuing on-stage discussions about her estranged husband Peter Murrell’s embezzlement case, Ms Higgins said: ‘I cannot begin to imagine the pain you feel at Peter’s personal betrayal of you as his wife, and professionally, as the chief executive of the party you have given much of your adult life to. Nicola Sturgeon recently criticised John Swinney's election strategy ‘But all of us in the SNP - especially the longstanding members - feel some of that pain too. To have you play it out publicly just makes it harder for the party to put this shameful episode in our long history behind us.  'It makes it more difficult for us to encourage activists to come out and help win back support that has drifted away, or to come to meetings to keep the party functioning at local level. 'Why you think that the SNP’s fortunes and trust in an SNP government might be enhanced by you attacking John Swinney and the party’s most recent election campaign is bewildering. Especially when we both know that if he had not come forward - at some significant personal sacrifice - to lead and serve his party, we faced electoral defeat.  'How would that have helped the SNP to continue to deliver for the people of Scotland and build on your strong legacy and track record as First Minister, not least in widening access to education and eradicating child poverty?’ At the weekend, Ms Sturgeon responded to a question from broadcaster Iain Dale about whether she had read Ms Cherry’s book, which claims there was a plot among her allies to destroy Alex Salmond, by saying: ‘Why on earth would I spend time reading one that’s s***?’ Kate Higgins, a former special adviser to Ms Sturgeon She also accused Ms Rowling, a staunch critic of her gender reforms, of being ‘obsessed’ with her. Ms Cherry then used her own appearance at the Edinburgh Fringe to criticise the foul-mouthed attack and accuse Ms Sturgeon of not being open about her sexuality. Referring to the war of words in her online blog, Ms Higgins said they should ‘all just do one’.  She said: ‘Oh I appreciate that there are books to be sold, bums to be put on seats at festivals, followers to be generated and headlines to be had, but the ongoing tit for tat is tedious.’ She said she did not care about Ms Sturgeon’s sexuality and told Ms Cherry that ‘a majority of the party’s members rejected you and all that you claimed in favour of Nicola’.  She went on: ‘Beating your chest constantly, in such a public, and dare I say it, male, way serves no one, but the SNP’s opponents and those who would keep us from ever reaching the destination of independence.’ Responding to the comments, Ms Cherry said: ‘Ms Higgins displays the sort of casual attitude towards the facts that we have come to expect from SNP SPADs appointed in recent years not because of their ability but because of their blind loyalty. ‘At no time did I stand for the leadership of the SNP against Nicola Sturgeon nor indeed against anyone else nor did I ever wish to do so.  'However, I remain proud that I questioned the misgovernance and ineptitude which typified her approach to running the party and running the country. ‘Perhaps if more people had had the courage to do so, her husband wouldn’t have been able to steal members donations and Scotland might be a little closer to independence.’