First Minister John Swinney has declined to confirm whether he will cooperate with a Westminster inquiry into the Peter Murrell corruption scandal. When asked if he would participate in a probe by the Scottish Affairs Committee (SAC), Swinney replied, “We’ll see what happens.”
Murrell, the former SNP chief executive and estranged husband of Nicola Sturgeon, pleaded guilty to embezzling over £400,000 from the party and is expected to be jailed this month. Calls for a parliamentary investigation have intensified, but a bid for a Holyrood inquiry is likely to be voted down by the SNP and Greens on Wednesday, potentially paving the way for the SAC to act.
Swinney dismissed the need for a Westminster probe, stating, “I don’t think it is necessary.” He argued it would be “inappropriate” as it concerns the internal governance of the SNP, which he claims to have resolved. “The idea of political rivals scrutinising the internal business of other political parties is… an interesting precedent,” he added.
His official spokesperson had earlier criticised the SAC, led by Labour MP Patricia Ferguson, warning that launching an inquiry would “destroy the credibility of the committee and its convener.” The SNP is attempting to recover the stolen funds, but Swinney declined to back an internal investigation into the embezzlement, insisting that current governance is “strong.”
When pressed on when he last spoke to Sturgeon, Swinney refused to disclose, saying, “My personal conversations are thankfully not a matter for all of you.” The SAC could hold hearings in Edinburgh to increase pressure on the First Minister.
