Former SNP Chief Executive Embezzles Over £400,000
Peter Murrell, the former chief executive of the Scottish National Party (SNP) and estranged husband of Nicola Sturgeon, used charge cards, bank transfers, and falsified invoices to misappropriate more than £400,000 from the party, according to recent revelations.
Over a 12-year period, Murrell illicitly purchased various items including jewellery, cosmetics, two cars, and a motorhome using party funds.
The 61-year-old, who held the position of SNP chief executive for over two decades, pleaded guilty last week and is facing a substantial prison sentence. His sentencing is scheduled for 23 June.
Currently held on remand at HMP Edinburgh, Murrell was brought into the city’s high court in handcuffs for a hearing that outlined the timeline of his admitted offences.
The court was informed that Murrell utilized his SNP charge card as well as those of two other employees to make unauthorized purchases.
Additionally, he conducted direct bank transfers from the SNP’s account, which primarily comprised membership fees, donations, and bequests left to the party.
Murrell had direct access to the party’s accounting system and was able to log purchases himself; however, the court heard that most accounting tasks were performed by a staff member under his supervision.
His initial arrest occurred in April 2023, shortly after he resigned as SNP chief executive amid disputes concerning membership figures.
Police searched the Glasgow residence he shared with Sturgeon and the SNP headquarters in Edinburgh as part of their investigation.
Of the more than 1,000 items listed in the court indictment, most were not recovered during police searches.
Items found at the couple’s home included a custom wooden library, a robotic lawnmower, a bathroom vanity unit, a kitchen unit for the boiler, and fitted mats.
Most notably, authorities seized a £124,550 motorhome from Murrell’s mother’s residence in Dunfermline.
The luxury Niesmann and Bischoff motorhome was ordered in October 2020, with Murrell placing a £12,500 deposit using an SNP charge card.
The court heard that the remaining £112,050 was paid in four direct transfers from the SNP account in December 2020.
The motorhome was delivered to Halbeath Industrial Estate in January 2021, after which Murrell drove it a short distance to his mother’s house. At the time of seizure two years later, the vehicle had only been driven four miles.
Murrell created a fraudulent invoice for the motorhome, altering the customer address and account name. He also modified the vehicle description to classify it as a van, omitting security and navigation systems and a television from the financial records.
He reportedly told colleagues the motorhome could be used for campaigning purposes, which was not the case.
Murrell was the sole insured driver of the vehicle, insured only for "social, domestic and pleasure purposes."
The day after purchasing the motorhome, Murrell ordered three guides to "inspirational journeys" around Scotland, England, Wales, and Ireland designed for camper van or motorhome travel.
In early 2016, Murrell made a direct transfer of £16,498 from the party’s account to purchase a £33,000 Volkswagen Golf.
In September 2019, he traded in that vehicle to acquire an £81,000 Jaguar I-PACE, with the balance paid using fraudulent expense claims and false invoices.
The hearing also revealed additional details about Murrell’s activities.
Murrell’s lawyer indicated to the court that his client would be able to repay the embezzled amount.
Nicola Sturgeon, who formed a significant political partnership with Murrell during her nine years as SNP leader and First Minister from 2014 to 2023, has denied any knowledge of his criminal activities or involvement in covering up wrongdoing.
Sturgeon resigned as First Minister in March 2023 and was arrested approximately ten weeks later as part of the investigation. She was informed by police last year that she was no longer under investigation.
In an interview with the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg, Sturgeon stated that while she may have visited Murrell’s mother’s house when the motorhome was parked outside, she has no "conscious memory" of seeing it.
She added that the motorhome was "round the sides of the house which is not immediately visible in the way that we went into the home."
Sturgeon said that when she inquired about the vehicle following its seizure, Murrell told her it was purchased for use by the party in the 2021 Holyrood election.
The couple announced their separation last year.
'Colossal Breach of Trust'
John Swinney, the current First Minister who served as Sturgeon’s deputy during much of Murrell’s offending, expressed being "gutted and utterly devastated" following the recent court hearing.
"There has been a colossal breach of trust," Swinney told reporters.
He acknowledged that while the party’s financial systems were "robust," there had not been "in every respect adequate controls in place."
Swinney, who assumed SNP leadership in 2024, stated that financial controls have since been strengthened.
He has resisted calls for a parliamentary inquiry into the case, arguing that such an inquiry would not provide more insight than the ongoing police investigation.
Concerns regarding the party’s finances were raised in 2021 when several senior officials, including a former treasurer, resigned due to lack of access to key financial documents.
Both Sturgeon and Swinney have denied suppressing these concerns.
Analysis: Understanding the Methods but Not the Motive
The Crown’s narrative highlights Murrell’s persistence, cynicism, and deceptive methods.
It details how he exploited his privileged access to the SNP’s accounting system to enrich himself through credit cards, SNP charge cards, and direct transfers.
This exploitation may partly explain how auditors, party officials, and his estranged wife Nicola Sturgeon failed to detect his criminal conduct over many years.
Murrell manipulated the system by inputting false data and presenting embezzled funds as routine party expenses, which was sufficient to deceive enough individuals for a prolonged period, allowing him to misappropriate over £400,000.
However, the motive behind his actions remains unclear.
He has yet to provide an explanation, and the Crown’s account does not illuminate his reasons. It is possible he will offer an explanation in court prior to sentencing later this month.
