Claims that Peter Murrell did not have control over the funds of pro-independence group Yes Scotland have been dismissed as “weasel words” by campaigners pushing for a police investigation.
Lawyer's Statement Rejected
Lawyer Aamer Anwar released a statement on Tuesday on behalf of former Yes Scotland boss Blair Jenkins, asserting that Murrell – recently jailed for five years for embezzling more than £400,000 from the SNP – never had access to the campaign’s funds. The statement also claimed that £1.5 million described by some as “missing” from the campaign’s accounts had actually been spent on running costs.
Speaking to journalists outside Fettes police station in Edinburgh after a meeting with detectives, campaigners David Henry and Sean Clerkin rejected Anwar’s claims. “That’s weasel words,” said Henry, a failed SNP candidate who left the party in 2021. “Access doesn’t mean he wasn’t in control or acting as a shadow director, right? Peter Murrell may not have had access to the Yes Scotland Limited account, if that’s what he’s referring to.”
Allegations of Shadow Control
Henry further claimed that former SNP lawyer Scott Martin was “in charge of the Yes Scotland bank account”. Clerkin added: “And who was his boss? His boss was Peter Murrell. Peter Murrell had very close control over all the donations that were coming into Yes Scotland.” The pair suggested there could be “more than one person involved”, with Clerkin alleging a “potential criminal cabal inside the SNP”.
The campaigners said police are assessing information they provided before deciding whether to launch an investigation. A Police Scotland spokesperson stated: “Information has been received and it is being assessed.”
Anwar's Defense of Yes Scotland Accounts
In Anwar’s earlier statement, he said: “All of the income received by Yes Scotland is fully accounted for and it is grossly defamatory to say otherwise. There appears to have been a desperate attempt to link Peter Murrell’s criminal conduct in the SNP to the financial affairs of Yes Scotland. To make it perfectly clear, Mr Murrell never at any time had access to Yes Scotland’s accounts.”
According to the statement, Yes Scotland received donations totalling £2,403,976 in 2013, identified in the accounts as “other income”. The group had a year-end surplus of £878,978, after operating costs of £1,535,855. These operating costs included staff salaries, the cost of the group’s Glasgow headquarters, and campaign events and publications.
Anwar added: “A balance sheet surplus of £878,978 and income of £2,403,976 doesn’t mean that over £1.5 million had gone missing or been stolen, rather that Yes Scotland’s operating costs were about £1.5 million in 2012-13. To be clear, there is no ‘missing’ £1.5 million, but what is missing is any explanation as to why it did not occur to those making the allegations that the £1.5 million represents spending by the campaign.”
SNP Response
An SNP spokesperson said: “The criminal actions of Peter Murrell was uncovered by a complex and extensive police investigation which found the SNP was the victim of embezzlement. Yes Scotland Ltd is and was an entirely separate entity to the SNP. Throughout the referendum campaign Yes Scotland was run by an independent board of directors. As everyone knows, the SNP was a major partner in Yes Scotland and campaigned with Yes Scotland during the referendum.”
