Former Scottish National Party (SNP) chief executive Peter Murrell has been sentenced to five years in prison after admitting to embezzling more than £400,000 from the party. The 61-year-old used the stolen funds for hundreds of extravagant purchases, including a £124,550 motorhome, cars, jewellery, luxury homewares, and designer stationery.
Details of the Embezzlement
Murrell pleaded guilty last month to embezzling a total of £400,310.65 over a 12-year period between August 2010 and October 2022. He was held on remand and arrived at the High Court in Edinburgh in a prison van to be sentenced by judge Lord Young. The court also discussed proceedings for recovering the embezzled funds.
The court previously heard that Murrell’s role enabled him to make direct transfers of cash from the party’s main bank account, which held funds from “membership fees and donations paid by party members and other donors and legacies”. He also used multiple party “charge cards” and made false expense claims. To avoid suspicion, he gave his purchases “misleading descriptions and/or accounting codes” in the party’s finance system, to which he had direct access.
Cover-Up Attempts
Murrell falsified accounting records and created fake invoices to cover up his wrongdoing. For instance, a robotic lawnmower purchased for £3,070 was misdescribed as “legal fees” in the SNP’s accounting software, and a silver wine coaster worth £3,500 was listed as “leadership expenses”.
Investigation and Aftermath
Murrell’s offending came to light after police began receiving complaints about potential mismanagement of the SNP’s finances in March 2021, leading to an investigation known as Operation Branchform. Police uncovered evidence of Murrell’s embezzlement during this probe.
His guilty plea has led to intense scrutiny for his former wife, Nicola Sturgeon, who has denied knowing of his crimes, saying she was “deceived, misled and betrayed”. The former SNP leader stated she has been “completely exonerated” after a “two-year-long, very forensic police investigation” that saw police search the home she shared with Murrell. Sturgeon was arrested and questioned as part of Operation Branchform, but Police Scotland confirmed she would face no action.
Calls for Inquiries
The case has sparked widespread calls for inquiries into Murrell’s wrongdoing. Former first minister Lord Jack McConnell urged a joint inquiry by both Holyrood and Westminster committees. Shadow Scottish Secretary Andrew Bowie also called on Westminster’s Scottish Affairs Committee to initiate an inquiry.
The Scottish Government has resisted calls for a parliamentary inquiry, and a Labour motion for a probe was rejected earlier this month by a majority of MSPs. First Minister John Swinney previously said an inquiry was unnecessary given the detailed nature of the police investigation. The Scottish Affairs Committee in Westminster has considered launching its own probe and has written to authorities to determine how much “short money” – public cash given to opposition parties – was provided to the SNP during Murrell’s crimes, as well as the safeguards in place to prevent misuse.
