Scottish Court Convicts Peter Murrell of Embezzling £400,000 From SNP; Acquits Nicola Sturgeon

Peter Murrell, the former chief executive of the Scottish National Party, pleaded guilty on Monday to embezzling more than £400,000 from the party over a 12-year period. Murrell, who held the post from 2001 to 2023, admitted spending the funds on a motorhome, cars, jewellery and other luxury items. Some of the purchases were later given to his estranged wife.

Murrell is scheduled to be sentenced next month and faces a possible prison term. At the first First Minister's Questions after the recent election, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar urged John Swinney to support a parliamentary inquiry modelled on the earlier probe into the handling of sexual harassment complaints against Alex Salmond.

Swinney declined, stating that a five-year police investigation had already examined the case thoroughly. Findlay also called on the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service to explain its prosecution decisions and raised questions about whether any Electoral Commission grants had been misused.

Swinney rejected those suggestions, insisting that grants were released only after audited reports were submitted and that no public money had been taken.

The former first minister issued a statement through lawyers on Monday, saying she had no knowledge or suspicion that personal items had been bought with party funds. She added that she had been unaware of many purchases, including the motorhome, until police inquiries began.

Murrell's guilty plea has prompted renewed questions about internal party controls and the handling of SNP finances during his long tenure as chief executive.