John Swinney Denies SNP Financial Misconduct Cover-Up After Peter Murrell Embezzlement

First Minister John Swinney has countered accusations of attempting to obscure the financial scandal involving Peter Murrell, the former SNP chief executive. This denial comes after Murrell pleaded guilty to embezzling over £400,000 from party coffers.

Swinney faced significant criticism from opposition MSPs in the Scottish Parliament. Conservative MSP Rachael Hamilton questioned why Nicola Sturgeon, Murrell’s estranged wife, faced no further action despite a police investigation into SNP finances. Sturgeon has consistently denied any wrongdoing, stating she had “no knowledge or suspicion whatsoever that personal items had been purchased using SNP funds”.

Murrell, aged 61, admitted to embezzling £400,310.65 over a 12-year period concluding in 2022. He utilised party funds for hundreds of illicit purchases, ranging from minor items such as handcream and towels to significant acquisitions including a luxury motorhome and two cars. Sturgeon was arrested and subsequently released without charge during the police probe, with authorities later confirming she would not face further action.

Swinney Responds to Accusations

Addressing an urgent question in the Scottish Parliament, Swinney characterised Murrell’s actions as a “terrible breach of trust and an overwhelming betrayal.” He maintained that an “extensive police investigation” had occurred and that Murrell alone bore responsibility for the offending. Swinney dismissed the relevance of his 2001 appointment of Murrell as SNP chief executive during his initial tenure as party leader.

Hamilton accused Swinney of “desperately trying to sweep this scandal under the carpet” and demanded that Scotland’s top law officer, the lord advocate, publish the reasons for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service’s decision not to pursue charges against Sturgeon. Labour’s Jackie Baillie alleged Swinney was the “architect of a culture of secrecy and cover-up” within the SNP, while Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton described the case as, at best, a “catastrophic failure of financial oversight,” questioning public trust in the SNP’s handling of public finances.

Swinney rejected these claims, asserting that Hamilton was entering “incredibly inappropriate territory” and affirmed that the public should trust the integrity and impartiality of the police and courts, irrespective of an individual’s status.