Rishi Sunak faces police complaint in Scotland over cracking a joke on Nicola Sturgeon

Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Rishi Sunak has been accused of a ‘possible’ contempt of court for his joke on former Scotland PM Nicola Sturgeon, a complaint filed with Scotland police has alleged. Sunak made the joke in his speech to Tory party members at the annual conference in Manchester on Wednesday. The complaint has been filed by the general secretary of the Alba Party, Chris McEleny. In his complaint, McEleny has reportedly requested an investigation into whether Sunak had committed contempt of court by referencing Scotland’s former first minister, who is the subject of an ongoing police investigation. Sturgeon, who resigned as first minister in February, was arrested and questioned in June as part of a Police Scotland inquiry into the SNP’s finances, but she was eventually released without charge. She has out rightly denied the charges. According to McEleny’s complaint, “the prime minister is commenting on, and making an assumption about, a live Police Scotland investigation.” “Operation Branchform is looking into serious issues that are very important to the people of Scotland.” “It is far too important a matter to allow the prime minister to interfere in this act of contempt while many people await the findings of Police Scotland’s investigation.” “Operation Branchform should be free to pursue its investigation fearlessly without interference from Rishi Sunak.” Police Scotland started Operation Branchform to look into the whereabouts of £600,000 in cash set aside for a second independence referendum. It is understood that there have been allegations that the ring-fenced funds have been misused by being spent elsewhere. Sturgeon’s arrest followed the detentions of party treasurer Colin Beattie and former party chief executive Peter Murrell, both of whom were later freed without charge. As part of the probe, police earlier investigated the SNP offices and the homes of Ms Sturgeon and Mr Murrell. Scotland police is yet to respond to the complaint.