Peter Murrell, the former chief executive of the Scottish National Party (SNP), has pleaded guilty to embezzling more than £400,000 from the party to fund a lavish lifestyle. The admission was made at the High Court in Edinburgh on Monday, following a deal with prosecutors that avoided a lengthy trial.
Murrell, who was married to former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon at the time of the thefts, used the stolen money between 2010 and 2022 to purchase items including a luxury motor home, a Jaguar SUV, a VW Golf, boutique cosmetics, iPads, and a Lalique Feuilles salt and pepper set worth £2,618. He now faces a lengthy prison sentence, with sentencing scheduled for 23 June.
Lord Young, the presiding judge, described Murrell's actions as a “gross breach of trust”. Murrell was remanded in custody and led away in handcuffs. Nicola Sturgeon issued a statement denying any knowledge of her former husband's crimes, saying: “I am utterly appalled that he did so and cannot begin to understand why. These are not my crimes. I was misled just as others were.”
John Swinney, the current SNP leader, expressed his personal horror and betrayal, saying he was “gutted” by the revelation. He acknowledged that ordinary SNP members had donated money in good faith, only for it to be stolen. Swinney also noted that financial controls within the party have since been significantly tightened.
Political opponents, including Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay and Scottish Labour deputy leader Jackie Baillie, questioned the credibility of denials from Sturgeon and Swinney that they had any suspicions of the fraud. Baillie called on Swinney to provide compensation to those who donated to the SNP.
Murrell, who served as SNP chief executive for 22 years, played a key role in the party's electoral successes, including the 2007 Holyrood victory and the 2011 landslide that led to the Scottish independence referendum. The indictment against him included a 119-page list of items purchased with embezzled funds.
