Sturgeon Regrets Keeping Murrell as SNP Chief Executive After £400,000 Embezzlement Plea
Updated
Updated · BBC.com · May 29
Sturgeon Regrets Keeping Murrell as SNP Chief Executive After £400,000 Embezzlement Plea
4 articles · Updated · BBC.com · May 29
Nicola Sturgeon said she wishes she had removed Peter Murrell as SNP chief executive when she became leader in 2014, calling that decision one she would change "with the benefit of hindsight."
Murrell admitted on Monday to embezzling more than £400,000 from the SNP over 12 years, using party funds for luxury goods, jewellery, cosmetics, two cars and a motorhome.
Sturgeon said Murrell's offending began in 2010, before she became leader, and argued she was responsible for keeping him in post but not for "somebody committing a crime."
At book events in Wales and Ireland, she described the fallout as the "worst week" of her life, saying she had been deceived, lied to and betrayed by her estranged husband.
Murrell was remanded in custody and faces sentencing on 23 June, while First Minister John Swinney has rejected calls for a Holyrood inquiry, citing a five-year police investigation.
How could a First Minister be unaware her husband was embezzling party funds from under her own roof for twelve years?
With the CEO convicted, will a new inquiry expose a deeper culture of secrecy at the heart of the SNP?
The £400,000 SNP Embezzlement Scandal: Peter Murrell’s Crime, Party Fallout, and Calls for Reform
Overview
Peter Murrell, who served as the SNP's chief executive for over 20 years, abused his privileged position by diverting more than £400,000 of party funds into his personal accounts between 2010 and 2022. This embezzlement, uncovered by a police investigation led by Assistant Chief Constable Stuart Houston, allowed Murrell to finance a lavish lifestyle he could not otherwise afford. The breach of trust has raised serious questions about the SNP's internal financial controls and oversight, leading to significant political fallout and calls for major reforms to restore public trust.