The Scottish National Party (SNP) is facing renewed calls for an independent investigation into its financial practices after its former chief executive, Peter Murrell, admitted to embezzling over £400,000. Alex Neil, a former Scottish Government cabinet secretary, said the party “absolutely” needs to act, proposing a senior lawyer to scrutinise its governance and financial handling.
Joanna Cherry KC, a former SNP Westminster frontbencher, has also insisted on an “independent investigation into what occurred”, highlighting a “wider public interest here that goes beyond the SNP”. The calls follow Murrell’s court appearance on Monday, where he admitted embezzling £400,310.65 from the party between August 2010 and October 2022.
Murrell, who is Nicola Sturgeon’s estranged husband, used the funds for personal acquisitions including a motorhome, two cars, and various luxury goods such as designer kitchenware, multiple pairs of shoes, expensive pens, and a £1,200 space telescope. Sturgeon, who was SNP leader and Scottish first minister for most of that period, has stated she had “no knowledge or suspicion whatsoever” of the embezzlement.
Cherry has accused Sturgeon of a “remarkable lack of curiosity” over SNP finances, alleging that those who asked questions were shut down by the leadership. Neil insisted that an independent inquiry is necessary because Sturgeon told party members that “the SNP finances were fine” while “her husband was dipping into the till to a huge extent”.
Neil said: “If we want to raise the kind of money we want to raise in the future, both for the party and for the independence cause, then potential donors have to be persuaded any money they give will be properly managed.” His comments came after SNP leader and First Minister John Swinney insisted the party’s finances are “strong”, citing “strong and effective governance” arrangements put in place after he became leader two years ago.
