Nicola Sturgeon spent over £6,000 on clothes and styling during memoir promo, Holyrood register shows
The former first minister declared costs tied to a book launch and tour, with travel expenses covered by Pan Macmillan; she previously signed a £300,000 deal for the memoir Frankly.
Nicola Sturgeon spent more than £6,000 on new clothes and styling during the promotion of her memoir, according to an update to the Holyrood register of interests. The former First Minister declared £6,213 for 'the provision by a third party of clothing, styling and personal items' linked to her book launch and tour, with the costs reportedly met by her company.
Travel and accommodation costs related to promoting the book were estimated between £5,001 and £10,000 and were paid by publisher Pan Macmillan. The publisher has previously agreed to pay Sturgeon £300,000 for the memoir, Frankly. Sturgeon set up her company in 2023 to handle earnings from outside Holyrood. Since the start of August, the Glasgow Southside MSP has been on a tour of TV studios, concert halls and book festivals to publicize the memoir.
Reaction from opponents followed the disclosure. Tory MSP Annie Wells criticized the expenditure context, saying it comes amid scrutiny of the former leader’s tax arrangements and arguing she should have spent more time addressing her constituents rather than touring the country to defend her legacy. "This, of course, comes against a backdrop of the former First Minister not having to pay the same high taxes she imposed on the rest of us as a result of setting up this company. She should have spent more time focusing on the issues facing her constituents, rather than touring the country trying to defend her legacy." Sturgeon’s spokesman pushed back, saying: "While the increasingly irrelevant Tories continue to obsess over Nicola, she will continue to speak her mind and use her voice to stand up for what she believes in."