by Bill Heaney
Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay says the SNP chief executive was no more than “a thieving magpie”.
And Dumbarton Labour MSP Jackie Baillie said: “It’s time this rotten culture of sleaze, scandal and secrecy in the SNP needs to end.”
Russell Findlay said: “Peter Murrell has finally taken the rap for being a thieving magpie – but he used vast sums of the stolen cash to feather the marital nest he shared with Nicola Sturgeon.
“His crime spree took place right under her nose over many years while they jointly held a vice-like grip on the SNP.
Tory leader Russell Findlay, Labour’s Jackie Baillie MSP, and Nicola Sturgeon with SNP “fans” at Westminster.
“You would need to be a particularly gullible member of Nicola Sturgeon’s fan club to swallow her preposterous protestations of ignorance about her husband’s criminal racket.
“In a bombshell leaked video, Sturgeon shot down concerns about the SNP’s finances when we now know that her party was being plundered by her husband.
“In the same video, she also issued a menacing warning to SNP colleagues to keep their mouths shut. Will she now explain why she told them that everything was fine?
“And as a supposed master of fine detail, is it really plausible to believe that she didn’t notice that her crooked husband was spending money like a lottery jackpot winner? Did she never think to ask Peter where the money was coming from?
“And if the SNP’s chief executive, who was appointed by John Swinney, is willing to steal from their own supporters, is anyone surprised that the party swipes so much tax from the wages of hard-working Scots?”
Meanwhile, commenting as Peter Murrell pleaded guilty to embezzling £400,000, Scottish Labour MSP for Dumbarton Jackie Baillie said: “After years of investigations, millions of pounds of public money and one conveniently timed election, Peter Murrell has finally had to own up to his crimes.
“This bombshell plea does not put the issue to bed – far from it.
“It is not conceivable that Nicola Sturgeon knew nothing about the large-scale fraud, which she benefited from, taking place under her nose in both her party and her home.
“It was Nicola Sturgeon and the SNP party machine that attempted to close ranks and shut down scrutiny when questions about the finances started to emerge, and we need to know why.
“John Swinney needs to come clean and explain what he knew and what the party knew.
“There should be a review into why the hearing was delayed until after the election and why the public was denied the truth until the timing was more convenient for the SNP.
“The rotten culture of sleaze, scandal and secrecy in the SNP needs to end – it’s time for the truth.”
Police Scotland made the following statement:
On Monday, 25 May 2026, at the High Court in Edinburgh, Peter Murrell was convicted of embezzling funds from the Scottish National Party.
ACC Houston said: “This was a lengthy and extremely complex case due to the scale of criminality over 12 years and the lengths Peter Murrell went to try and cover his tracks.
“I commend the professionalism and absolute dedication of the Operation Branchform team, who spent more than four years carrying out extensive enquiries across Europe to unpick Murrell’s offending.
“All of this work, in close partnership with colleagues from the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, was carried out under the most intense public scrutiny, and it was their commitment to gathering such detailed and compelling evidence that brought us to the High Court today.
“This is without doubt one of the most high-profile investigations in recent times, and it is testimony to the work of Police Scotland officers and staff that has led to Peter Murrell’s admission of guilt early in the court process.
“I would also like to thank the many witnesses who came forward to provide us with statements as we built the case against Peter Murrell. Their engagement with us was vital.
“Peter Murrell has shown utter contempt for the high public trust placed in him as the Chief Executive of a political party and his position in the wider political establishment in Scotland for many years.
“He abused his privileged position with access to Scottish National Party funds to divert cash into his own accounts and bankroll the lavish lifestyle he craved but could not afford.
“From 2010 to 2022, he spent hundreds of thousands of pounds on luxury goods while carefully trying to hide his criminality with false receipts and accounting.
“He must now face the consequences of his actions.”