First Minister John Swinney has described the Peter Murrell saga as “agony” following the former SNP chief executive’s sentencing to five years and three months in prison for embezzling more than £400,000 from the party’s funds. Speaking to journalists at Holyrood on Tuesday, Swinney reflected on the betrayal of trust and the impact on the Scottish National Party.
Swinney’s response to the sentencing
Swinney, who has known Murrell for decades, said he is a “forgiving” person due to his Christian faith but declined to state whether he has or will forgive Murrell. “Nothing would have given me the sense that this was a likely course of action to take, a likely circumstance to face,” Swinney said. “You would never have got me speculating that this is something I should have been concerned about.”
He added: “I was not a serving office bearer in the Scottish National Party from 2004 to 2024, so I had no operational right to look at these things. But is it distressing? Is it hurtful? Is it agony? Yes, all of those things.” Swinney emphasised his responsibility as party leader to ensure “clear and effective governance” that protects the party’s interests.
Details of the crime and sentence
Murrell was sentenced by Lord Young at the High Court in Edinburgh on Tuesday. The sentence “recognises the severity and seriousness of the offenses that have been committed against the Scottish National Party,” Swinney said. He welcomed the sentence and expressed hope it would provide “some answers and some closure for members of the party who will feel deeply let down by the betrayal of trust.”
The embezzlement spanned over a decade, during which Murrell used party funds for personal expenses, including a motorhome. Swinney clarified: “Let me just make it clear – the SNP has no use for a motorhome. But it is part of the £400,000 embezzlement, and that’s what we are trying to secure by the pursuit of the compensation order, which follows the confiscation order of the Crown.”
Political reactions and calls for inquiry
Scottish Labour deputy leader Dame Jackie Baillie said “serious questions” remain unanswered. “It is right that Peter Murrell is punished for his crimes, which saw him spend hundreds of thousands of pounds to fund a lavish lifestyle using money donated in good faith by members of the public. However, there are still serious questions which remain unanswered about this appalling scandal, such as why Murrell was able to get away with stealing vast sums of money for over a decade and why no-one within the SNP had any curiosity about the state of the party’s finances.” She criticised Swinney for refusing a parliamentary inquiry, stating: “If they have nothing to hide, they have nothing to fear from an inquiry.”
Scottish Tory leader Russell Findlay criticised “weak SNP sentencing guidelines” that would allow Murrell to apply for parole after serving half his sentence. Scottish Lib Dem leader Alex Cole-Hamilton called the saga “hugely embarrassing” for the SNP, describing Swinney’s refusal to hold an inquiry as “nakedly self-serving”.
Swinney defends governance and Sturgeon’s role
Swinney insisted he had implemented “the strongest and highest standards of governance” within the SNP. He also addressed scrutiny on former first minister Nicola Sturgeon, Murrell’s estranged wife, stating he accepted she did not know of her husband’s dealings. Regarding the motorhome purchase, senior SNP sources had earlier claimed it was for use during the 2021 election under Covid restrictions, but Swinney said: “I couldn’t see how that would have a role to play in our campaign efforts.”
An SNP spokesperson said the sentence would “offer significant closure” to donors. The party has not announced an internal inquiry.
