Nicola Sturgeon Addresses Peter Murrell's Embezzlement of £400,000 from SNP Funds

Former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has offered her perspective on the embezzlement of £400,000 from the Scottish National Party (SNP) by her estranged husband, Peter Murrell. Murrell, who served as the SNP's chief executive for over two decades, is alleged to have spent party funds on more than 1,000 items, including a luxury motorhome.

Murrell's Purchases and Sturgeon's Finances

Sturgeon stated that given their high salaries and lack of extensive social life due to her job, she did not question Murrell's spending habits. Murrell's reported salary as SNP chief executive fluctuated, from £104,492 in 2011 to £79,750 in 2021. Sturgeon's gross income for 2021-22 was £140,496, with substantial pension contributions over her 27 years as an MSP.

Sturgeon's tax details, published between 2014 and 2022, show significant pension contributions, including over £450,000 during her nine years as First Minister. She publicly released her tax returns in 2016 following the Panama Papers revelations and in February 2023 urged other party leaders to follow suit. She also addressed Murrell's £107,000 loan to the SNP in 2021 for "cash flow," stating she could not recall when she first learned of it and that his use of personal funds was "a matter for him."

The £124,000 Campervan

Sturgeon claimed she learned of the £124,550 Niesmann and Bischoff Smove 7.4e motorhome in early 2023. She stated Murrell explained it was bought for the 2021 election campaign. The vehicle, along with a £168 steering wheel lock and wheel clamp, was purchased from a Stafford dealership in late 2020. It was reportedly parked 40 miles from the couple's Glasgow home, outside Murrell's mother's residence in Dunfermline, for two years before being impounded by police. Humza Yousaf, Sturgeon's successor, stated he only discovered the motorhome's existence when it appeared on a police warrant.

Party Account Scrutiny

Sturgeon denied any awareness of embezzlement, stating, "There was nothing ever in the accounts. If qualified auditors weren't able to see that when they approved the accounts I'm not sure how I or the national treasurer should have been able to see that." Douglas Chapman, then MP for Dunfermline and West Fife, resigned as SNP national treasurer in May 2021, citing insufficient information to perform his duties. The SNP's 2021 accounts showed an income of £4,510,460 and expenditure of £5,262,032. Johnston Carmichael, the SNP's auditors for over a decade, resigned before Murrell's arrest, citing a "review of clients."

Proceeds of Crime Act and Asset Seizure

Sturgeon asserted her innocence regarding the embezzlement, stating, "I am not guilty of that embezzlement so nothing that belongs to me should be part of that." The Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 allows for the freezing, seizure, and confiscation of assets derived from illegal activities. A future court hearing will determine the recovery of the embezzled funds. Items such as a pendant, valued at over £400, could be considered "tainted gifts" and seized. The £124,000 campervan was seized in April 2023. In June 2024, after Murrell was charged, a legal restriction was reportedly placed on him selling any property, including his and Sturgeon's Glasgow home, valued in excess of £380,000.