Former Scottish first minister Lord Jack McConnell has described the scandal surrounding ex-SNP chief Peter Murrell as 'embarrassing internationally', warning it has damaged trust in politics. Speaking at the Scotland 2050 conference in Edinburgh, McConnell urged First Minister John Swinney to reconsider his rejection of a parliamentary inquiry into the affair.
Murrell, the estranged husband of former first minister Nicola Sturgeon, pleaded guilty last week to embezzling over £400,000 from the SNP, spending the money on personal items including a motorhome and robotic lawnmower. McConnell said the situation was 'not just hilarious tittle-tattle' but a serious blow to Scotland's global reputation.
McConnell called for a 'fast, parliamentary inquiry' involving both Holyrood and Westminster committees, rather than a full judge-led probe. 'This is embarrassing internationally for us now and we need to take it seriously,' he said, adding that the scandal demands a political response to address growing mistrust in politics.
The former first minister stressed the need for a joint inquiry to avoid accusations of a cover-up or hatchet job, and said it should examine party funding and governance. 'Parliamentarians have got a duty to try and ensure that politics and the reputation of politics and Government is better,' he concluded.
