Peter Murrell, the former chief executive of the Scottish National Party (SNP) and ex-husband of Nicola Sturgeon, has pleaded guilty to embezzling more than £400,000 from the party. The admission came at the High Court in Edinburgh on Monday, where Murrell struck a deal with prosecutors to avoid a lengthy trial. He now faces a long prison sentence, with sentencing scheduled for 23 June.
Murrell used the stolen funds, taken between 2010 and 2022, to finance a lavish lifestyle. Purchases included a luxury motor home, a Jaguar SUV, a VW Golf, boutique cosmetics, iPads, and a Lalique Feuilles salt and pepper set worth £2,618. Lord Young, presiding over the case, described Murrell's actions as a “gross breach of trust”. Murrell was remanded in custody and led away in handcuffs.
Nicola Sturgeon, who was first minister and SNP leader during much of the embezzlement period, issued a statement denying any knowledge of the thefts. “I am utterly appalled that he did so and cannot begin to understand why,” she said. “These are not my crimes. I was misled just as others were.” Current SNP leader John Swinney also expressed deep betrayal, fighting back tears during a press conference. “I’m gutted by this today,” he said, acknowledging the hurt caused to ordinary party members who donated money.
Political opponents questioned the credibility of Sturgeon and Swinney's denials. Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay and Scottish Labour deputy leader Jackie Baillie said it was implausible that such a large-scale fraud went unnoticed. Baillie called on Swinney to compensate those who lost money. Sturgeon's lawyer stated she was unaware of Murrell's purchases, including a camper van and luxury watches, and noted they had separate bank accounts.
Murrell served as SNP chief executive for 22 years, playing a key role in the party's electoral successes, including the 2007 Holyrood victory and the 2011 landslide that led to the independence referendum. Despite his pivotal role, the indictment revealed a 119-page list of items bought with party funds, exposing a long-running pattern of theft.
