Ex-SNP chief Peter Murrell pleads guilty to embezzling £400,000

Ex-SNP chief Peter Murrell

Peter Murrell, the former chief executive of the Scottish National Party (SNP), has pleaded guilty to embezzling more than £400,000 from the party over a 12-year period, in one of Scotland’s biggest political finance scandals in recent years. Murrell appeared before the High Court in Edinburgh on Monday, where prosecutors said he diverted party funds between 2010 and 2022 to bankroll a lavish lifestyle that included luxury cars, a high-end motorhome, jewellery, cosmetics and expensive personal purchases. The 61-year-old, who is also the estranged husband of former Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, admitted reduced charges after reaching a deal with prosecutors.

Luxury spending exposed

According to court documents, Murrell used SNP money to purchase a Jaguar, a VW Golf, a luxury motorhome worth around £124,000, designer items, electronics, gardening equipment, telescopes, Kindle devices and women’s cosmetics. Investigators alleged he submitted false invoices, manipulated party accounts and used SNP credit cards, including some reportedly issued in the names of party staff, to conceal the spending. Judge Lord Young described the offences as a “gross breach of trust” and remanded Murrell into custody immediately after the hearing. He is due to return to court on June 2, with sentencing scheduled for June 23. He could face a lengthy prison term.

Who is Peter Murrell?

Born in Edinburgh in 1964, Murrell has been one of the most influential behind-the-scenes figures in Scottish politics for more than two decades. He joined the SNP in the late 1980s and steadily rose through the ranks, eventually becoming the party’s chief executive in 2001. Murrell was widely credited with helping modernise the SNP’s organisation and election machinery, playing a major role in the party’s rise to power and its landmark 2007 Scottish Parliament election victory. His position came under growing scrutiny after his wife, Nicola Sturgeon, became SNP leader and Scotland’s First Minister in 2014. Critics within and outside the party questioned whether it was appropriate for a married couple to occupy two of the most powerful positions in Scottish politics. Murrell resigned as SNP chief executive in March 2023 amid controversy over misleading membership figures during the party’s leadership contest following Sturgeon’s resignation.

Operation Branchform probe

The case emerged from Operation Branchform, a long-running police investigation launched in 2021 after complaints over missing SNP funds and concerns surrounding donations raised for a second Scottish independence campaign. Questions had been raised over more than £660,000 in donations allegedly earmarked for independence campaigning that did not appear clearly in party accounts. The controversy triggered resignations inside the SNP, including members of its finance committee and party treasurer Douglas Chapman. Police Scotland said Murrell had gone to “significant lengths” to hide the fraud over more than a decade. Assistant Chief Constable Stuart Houston said Murrell “abused his privileged position” and diverted party funds to support “the lavish lifestyle he craved but could not afford”.

Sturgeon distances herself

Following the guilty plea, Sturgeon said she had no knowledge of the misuse of party funds. “I am utterly appalled that he did so and cannot begin to understand why,” she said, adding: “These are not my crimes. I was misled just as others were.” Sturgeon herself had been arrested and questioned during the investigation in 2023 but was later cleared without charge. Former SNP treasurer Colin Beattie was also investigated and released without prosecution. Murrell and Sturgeon separated after his arrest and later disclosed divorce proceedings. The scandal is expected to deepen scrutiny of the SNP’s internal governance and financial oversight as the party attempts to rebuild credibility ahead of future elections. Once regarded as the architect of the SNP’s political machine, Murrell now faces the prospect of imprisonment after admitting to one of the most damaging financial scandals in the party’s history.