John Swinney has been accused of attempting to evade scrutiny after again rejecting calls for a Holyrood inquiry into the crimes of former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell. Murrell, the estranged husband of Nicola Sturgeon, pleaded guilty this week to embezzling over £400,000 from the party.
At First Minister's Questions, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar alleged that Swinney, who appointed Murrell during his first stint as SNP leader, had helped foster a culture that enabled the crime. Swinney dismissed this as 'victim blaming' and said Sarwar should be 'ashamed of himself'.
Sarwar insisted a parliamentary inquiry was necessary, arguing that 'secrecy and cover-up go far beyond one individual' and that an inquiry would examine the culture and decision-making processes. However, Swinney countered that a five-year police investigation had already identified criminality and resulted in a successful prosecution, adding that a parliamentary inquiry would add nothing.
Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay accused Swinney of 'trying to shut down scrutiny' and condemned his 'desperate deflection'. Findlay also questioned whether the SNP would seek compensation from Murrell, to which Swinney noted that prosecutors had made a verbal motion for confiscation under proceeds of crime legislation.
Swinney also addressed claims that taxpayers' money had been stolen, stating that the only potential issue related to a policy development grant from the Electoral Commission. The commission confirmed it had seen no evidence of misuse of such funds, but said it would take action if evidence emerged.
