The government will back an amendment calling for an independent review of political party finances in a bid to avoid a ‘nakedly partisan process’, STV News understands
STV News is reporting that the SNP is set to back an independent review into party political finances in the wake of Peter Murrell’s embezzlement of more than £400,000.
The former chief executive pleaded guilty to stealing £400,310.65 between 2010 and 2022 from his party.
Both supporters and critics of independence say there remain unanswered questions about the scandal – whether taxpayer money was involved, whether the party leadership could have done more at the time, and how it was allowed to happen over such an extensive period, if at all.
Scottish Labour has tabled a motion which will be put before MSPs on Wednesday afternoon, ordering a Holyrood probe into Nicola Sturgeon’s estranged husband’s embezzlement, spent on scores of personal items.
But a Green amendment will call for an independent review of political party finances in a bid to avoid a “nakedly partisan process”.
STV News understands the SNP will back the Green amendment for a review which is “independently led rather than conducted by a parliamentary committee” with a remit covering the funding of all political parties.
Meanwhile, Westminster’s Scottish Affairs Committee has delayed taking a decision on holding a probe into Murrell’s embezzlement of SNP funds.
MPs on the committee met to consider launching a probe into the matter on Tuesday, but decided instead to wait until the Holyrood debate.
The committee also decided to write to the Electoral Commission, the Speaker of the House of Commons and the Clerk of the House to understand the “potential implication of public funds in the embezzlement of SNP funds”.
A 126-page indictment details hundreds of things Murrell bought using the £400,000 embezzled funds
The SNP’s former chief executive and Nicola Sturgeon’s estranged husband has pled guilty to embezzling more than £400,000 of party funds over 12 years.
Murrell’s purchases ranged from Andrex toilet paper to a £124,000 motorhome.
A 126-page indictment details hundreds of things Murrell bought using the embezzled funds.
A £1,200 space telescope, a designer bread bin costing £60 and two toilet seats for nearly £70 are some of the items he bought using money he embezzled from the SNP.
He bought gaming consoles, games, DVD box sets and books, men’s and women’s clothing, luxury kitchen utensils, fancy glassware, gardening gear, power tools, Chinese curry sauce paste, shortbread and shoes.
In the days after losing the independence referendum, he bought FIFA 15 Ultimate Edition for the PS4.
In December 2014, he bought Grand Theft Auto V, made by Scotland-based Rockstar Games.
He bought £12,000 worth of Apple products. He spent more than £17,000 on Montblanc pens – including £3,000 on John F Kennedy and Beatles special editions.
He bought thousands of pounds worth of Le Creuset products, he spent more than a grand on mug warmers, he bought Lalique Feuilles salt and pepper grinders worth £2,618, and spent £3,000 on a luxury bone china tea set.
He bought expensive Advent calendars, including two from Fortnum and Mason at £200 each.
He spent just over £42,660 on Amazon.
In 2016, he used £16,489 in party funds towards a £33,000 Volkswagen Golf.
In 2019, he used £57,500 towards buying an £81,000 Jaguar I-PACE car.
In 2020, Murrell bought a £124,550 Niesmann and Bischoff Smove 7.4e motorhome for his own personal use.
Some MORE items from Murrell’s embezzlement shopping spree
– Celestron 10169 NexStar 8SE computerised Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope (£1,199). He also bought a number of accessories for the device on the same day.
– The Killing seasons 1-3 on DVD (£60). The list also includes purchases of DVDs of Borgen, The Government and Sherlock Holmes.
– Grand Theft Auto V for PlayStation 4 (£42.99). Other gaming-related purchases on the list include Fifa 2014, Battlefield 4, and a PlayStation 3 console.
– Three Wusthof manicure sets (£293.70).
– Joseph Joseph bread bin (£60).
– Netatmo rain gauge for a Netatmo weather station plus mounts for rain and wind gauges (£78.99).
– The Beatles special edition fountain pen and rollerball (£1,475).
– Two pairs of Fit Nation Socks (£11.95).
– Victorinox bike tool kit (£22.41).
– Two Freskaro carabiner clips and a 2win2buy rock climbing carabiner outdoor sports tool (£40.49).
– Oxo Good Grips egg poacher set (£23.98).
– Copy of the board game Monopoly, published by Hasbro (£19.79).
– Copy of the book Women Hold Up Half the Sky: Selected Speeches of Nicola Sturgeon (£22.04).
– Two Fisher bullet space pens in gift boxes and two Fischer Eclipse American technology space pens (£89.25).
– Two pairs of Gold Leaf gents dry touch gloves and six bottles of Avon Skin So Soft body spray (£58.73).
– Luxury handmade 90th birthday card (£5.85).
– Jura Giga 5 Cromo coffee machine (£3,231.90).
– Two Smedbo Sideline design soap baskets (£116).
– Oak library ladder (£943).
– Jamie Oliver Acacia wooden spoon set (£14.88).
– Four Simple Human kitchen cupboard cabinet organisers (£196.08).
– Two Helly Hansen men’s vests (£140.49).
– Le Creuset wine bottle cooler sleeve, foil remover, and champagne and sparkling wine bottle opener (£57).
– Three Take the Slow Road books, covering Scotland, Wales, England and Ireland (£42.45).
– 2017 United Kingdom silver proof coin set from the Royal Mint (£625).
– 600g pack of Chocolossus biscuits (£17.95).
– Two Ideal Standard toilet seats (£68.82).
– Fortnum & Mason musical advent calendar (£150).
– Two Addis washing-up bowls (£10.98).
– Folio Society edition of Walter Scott’s novel Rob Roy (£307.50).
– Two Feuilles pepper and salt grinders (£2,618.16).
– George Foreman Flexe 26250 electric grill (£49.99).
– Three Jacobi Jane bird feeders (£154.97).
– Eight umbrellas (£1,990.50).