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.
The embezzlement took place between 2010 and 2022, during which Murrell used the stolen funds 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, the former SNP leader and first minister, 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 a sense of betrayal, fighting back tears during a press conference. 'I'm gutted by this today,' he said, acknowledging the hurt felt by ordinary party members who had donated money.
Political opponents have questioned the credibility of Sturgeon and Swinney's denials. Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay and Scottish Labour deputy leader Jackie Baillie suggested it was implausible that such large-scale fraud went unnoticed. Baillie called on Swinney to provide compensation to donors. Sturgeon's lawyer stated she had no knowledge 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. However, the indictment revealed that for much of this period, he was systematically stealing party funds.
