Swinney Speaks Out on Murrell's Embezzlement
John Swinney has described the £400,000 embezzlement carried out by his childhood friend and former SNP colleague Peter Murrell as “agony”. Speaking to reporters at the Scottish Parliament, the First Minister said the case had been “distressing” and “hurtful”.
No Plans to Visit Murrell in Prison
Swinney confirmed he has no plans to visit Nicola Sturgeon's estranged husband in prison. Murrell, 61, was sentenced to five years and three months in jail after pleading guilty to embezzlement. The former SNP chief executive stole cash from his employers over 12 years, using it for extravagant purchases including a motorhome, cars, Montblanc pens, and a £3,000 lawnmower.
Historical Ties
Murrell was appointed SNP CEO in 2001 by Swinney during his first spell as party leader, when the SNP was still in opposition at Holyrood. The pair knew each other growing up in Edinburgh and were members of the same Boys' Brigade company.
Questions of Guilt
Asked if he felt guilt about not doing more to stop Murrell's offending, Swinney said: “Nothing would have given me the sense that this was a likely course of action to take, or a likely circumstance to face. You would never have got me speculating that this is something I should have been concerned about, because of my knowledge of Peter Murrell and the commitment we all bring to the work of the SNP and the cause of independence.”
He added: “I wasn't a serving office bearer in the SNP from 2004 to 2024 so I had no operational responsibility to look at these questions, or operational right to look at these things. Is it distressing, is it hurtful, is it agony, yeah it's all of those things. But part of my responsibility as leader of the SNP today is to make it operate with clear and effective governance.”
Forgiveness and Party Trust
Swinney also said he is a “forgiving” person, pointing to his Christian faith, but refused to say if he had or would forgive Murrell. On whether SNP members can have faith in how party donations are spent, he said: “I think the standards and transparency that I have insisted upon, and that I have presided over, have provided that reassurance to members.”
Regarding how Murrell could steal for so long, Swinney said: “When you believe there are financial controls in place, I think it's reasonable assumption they are going to be exercised, particularly when there is a heavy reliance on subs. It's not surprising, as we're all supposed to be in the SNP, working towards the endeavour. You don't naturally think someone in the midst will embezzle £400,000 over a 12-year period.”
