Express columnist Nick Ferrari got into a heated conversation with an LBC caller on his news programme over the growing scrutiny Nicola Sturgeon is facing following her estranged husband’s £400,000 SNP embezzlement. On Friday (May 29), Ms Sturgeon said her ex-husband, Peter Murrell, put her in “considerable peril” by embezzling hundreds of thousands of pounds from SNP accounts.

The former Scottish first minister said she wouldn’t hide away from scrutiny as she made her second public appearance since Murrell’s guilty plea last week. On Monday (June 1), the LBC presenter discussed the politician’s defence as one caller jumped to her defence during his call-in show.

The pair discussed Sturgeon’s involvement in her ex-husband’s scandal, with passionate Scotsman Jim immediately jumping to her defence. Ferrari began: “Don’t you find it extraordinary that someone who is leading a country didn’t think to ask where all these gifts were coming from?

“She’s got handbags and all sorts of other jewellery. Her husband had a Jaguar car, there was also a Volkswagen, there was a motorhome, and there was a fully fitted library for which she was photographed for one of the television stations. But she doesn’t seem to ask where it’s all coming from!”

The caller replied: “No, no. That’s not her job. Her job is to run the country,” to which Ferrari interjected with: “Her job is to run the country and never to wonder where all this luxury is coming from.”

Jim insisted: “You’re not talking about public money here, you’re talking about SNP funds.” Ferarri countered with: “Well, you’re talking about funds which the country has donated to the SNP.”

Eventually, the caller conceded that public funds had been embezzled, but that did little to sway his opinion on Sturgeon’s involvement. The broadcaster pushed: “So you have no problem with this whatsoever?”

The listener defended: “Absolutely not, and the reason is that it just smears, and more smears and more smears.” After listening to his fierce defence, Ferrari agreed to disagree before moving on to the next caller.

He concluded: “Alright, if you call more than £400,000 worth of embezzled funds ‘mere smears’, I sense you and I will not be on the same page for today.” It didn’t take long for viewers to swarm to social media to share their thoughts online.

One user penned: “Nick Ferari just TORCHED Nicola Sturgeon’s ludicrous defence as a blind caller unbelievably rushes to her rescue. Some people will blindly defend anything no matter how ridiculous it is.”

Another agreed: “You are not on the same page as Jim, and neither am I. It’s clear he thinks embezzlement is okay [shocked emoji] and he nor I know that public money was not involved. He just believes the SNP at all costs [clown emoji].”

A third pointed out: “Seriously, how many women ask their husbands where they got the money from?” A fourth echoed: “People are so blinded by their cause that they can’t see anything wrong. Although their politics are very different, their cult-like devotion to their ideals is not dissimilar to MAGA supporters.”