On Wednesday morning, Humza Yousaf admitted that the situation with Peter Murrell was “not great” for the SNP.

That could be the understatement of 2023.

It’s the latest in a long line of ‘not great’ days for his party. They've suffered the bruising leadership election, falling poll numbers and a likely by-election in the offing which Labour will be throwing everything at to win. 

Police had around 12 hours to question the party's former chief and used just about all of them. 

He was arrested at 7:45am and released from custody at 6:57pm, "without charge pending further investigation."

Which means it is not all over for Mr Murrell, though we can't say for sure what happens next. 

What we can say is that yesterday's search looked thorough.

Reportedly, the police arrived at Ms Sturgeon’s home at around 7.35am. According to neighbours, she was whisked off at 8.10am.

Press photographers captured officers looking through storage units and lifting the tarpaulin covering the BBQ in the back garden.

There were fingertip searches over the fence, and officers coming in and out of the house. 

One officer was snapped lugging an Amazon box, another walked about with an open Macbook, others held evidence bags.

They were all followed by an official police snapper, documenting everything.

Police tape marked out a cordon around the house, while a forensic tent was erected on the front lawn.

At one point it looked as though they might even be digging up the garden. 

The force was keeping tight-lipped yesterday, not sharing any details about what they were looking for. 

All they’d say was that a 58-year-old man had been arrested “as a suspect in connection with the ongoing investigation into the funding and finances of the Scottish National Party.”

They said officers were also carrying out searches “at a number of addresses as part of the investigation.”

We know that the SNP’s HQ in Edinburgh’s Jackson’s Entry was one of those other locations.

In Edinburgh, there were four police vans outside the party HQ, just off the Royal Mile, a few minutes walk away from the Scottish Parliament, and close to the BBC’s Edinburgh studios.

They left at about 2.30, taking equipment and boxes.

The timing of the arrest also raises questions over the timing of Ms Sturgeon’s resignation.

On February 12, the Herald on Sunday reported that senior SNP figures had been contacted by the police as detectives stepped up their investigation.

Three days later, Ms Sturgeon stunned her party and Holyrood’s press pack when she hastily organised a press conference and announced she was quitting as SNP leader and First Minister.

During her emotional farewell, she was asked by journalists if she expected to be interviewed by police.

“I’m not going to discuss an ongoing police investigation,” she replied. “I wouldn’t do that on any issue and I’m not going to do it now.”

The former first minister was not about today, but she is due to host an event at the Edinburgh Science Festival on Thursday night. 

The topic to be discussed: ‘a climate of change.’