The Scottish National party has been accused of “embezzling” voters after opposition leaders highlighted the crisis over Peter Murrell’s misuse of £400,000 from party funds. The scandal overshadowed a Holyrood motion tabled by First Minister John Swinney to call for a second independence referendum.
Fulfilling a promise made during the Holyrood election campaign, Swinney used the first full day of parliamentary business on Tuesday to stage a symbolic vote calling for the power to hold a fresh referendum. He offered no new legal or constitutional arguments but challenged pro-UK parties to agree that Scotland has a right to decide its own future.
Anas Sarwar, the Scottish Labour leader, said Swinney’s attempt to revisit the issue immediately after the election, amid global insecurity and a cost of living crisis, was evidence of the SNP’s selfishness. Referring to Murrell’s guilty plea to embezzling £400,310.65, Sarwar said the crimes provided “really stark” evidence that the SNP puts its own ambitions first.
Russell Findlay, the Scottish Conservative leader, called the timing of Swinney’s debate “comical” given the political agenda was dominated by Murrell’s embezzlement. He accused Swinney of helping to quash “valid concerns” about party finances before the police investigation, echoing warnings from Nicola Sturgeon to “stay quiet”.
Ross Greer, the Scottish Green party’s co-leader, backed Swinney’s efforts, arguing that the SNP’s 58 seats and the Greens’ 15 seats produced Holyrood’s “biggest ever” pro-independence majority. However, Craig Hoy, the Scottish Tories’ finance spokesperson, countered that pro-UK parties won 59% of Scotland’s regional votes on 7 May.
