Bold claim: A long-time SNP leader now stands accused of draining nearly half a million pounds from party funds over more than a decade. And this is the part that could spark debate: should party finances be off-limits to scrutiny, or is this exactly the kind of oversight that politics needs?
Here’s a clear, beginner-friendly rewrite of the original report with the same facts and key details, expanded slightly for context and understanding while preserving meaning:
Former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell faces a charge of embezzling £459,000 from the party over a span of more than 12 years, according to an indictment seen by BBC News. Murrell, who was married to former first minister Nicola Sturgeon, is accused of siphoning funds between August 2010 and January 2023.
The indictment outlines alleged purchases made with SNP funds, including luxury goods, jewellery, cosmetics, two cars, and a motorhome. Murrell is scheduled to appear at the High Court in Glasgow for a preliminary hearing on Friday, 20 February. He did not enter a plea at an initial Edinburgh Sheriff Court appearance last year and was granted bail.
Murrell was arrested in 2023 as part of Operation Branchform, a police probe into SNP funding and finances. He was formally charged with embezzlement in April 2024. Sturgeon was questioned by detectives but police have since confirmed she is no longer under investigation.
BBC News has obtained a copy of the indictment ahead of next week’s preliminary hearing. Indictments can change up to the court appearance and may be updated during the legal process.
Key allegations include Murrell allegedly using party funds to buy a £124,550 motorhome in Staffordshire for personal use, with a claim that false documentation was created to present the purchase as a legitimate party expense. He is also accused of spending £57,500 of SNP money on an £81,000 Jaguar I-PACE in 2019, with an invoice allegedly falsified to disguise the true nature of the purchase. After the Jaguar was sold in 2021, more than £47,000 was deposited into his personal bank account.
Further claims state Murrell embezzled £16,489 from the SNP to partly pay for a £33,000 Volkswagen Golf purchased in Newbridge, Edinburgh in 2016. The indictment lists more than 80 retailers where purchases totaling over £159,000 were made between December 2014 and 2022 for personal use or that of others, including names like Harrods, the Royal Mint, John Lewis, Homebase, and Argos. It is alleged these transactions used SNP credit or charge cards and that accounting descriptions and codes were manipulated to hide their true nature.
There are also claims of more than £81,600 in online purchases via Amazon under the same pattern.
Murrell led the SNP as chief executive for 22 years. He married Nicola Sturgeon in 2010, though the couple announced their separation in January 2025.
If you’re following this story, do you think party leaders should face harsher financial transparency, or is this kind of scrutiny enough already? Share your perspective in the comments.
