Story perspectives

SNP Chief Pleads Guilty to £400k Theft, Parties Demand Probe

5/30/2026

Summary

Murrell Pleads Guilty

SNP chief Peter Murrell pleaded guilty to stealing £400,310.65 from SNP funds.
Scotland’s deputy first minister John Swinney rejected an inquiry after Murrell’s plea.
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar called for a parliamentary probe into the SNP’s secrecy and cover-up.
Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay urged the Crown Office to publish why Nicola Sturgeon was not charged.
Liberal Democrat Alex Cole-Hamilton described the case as a catastrophic oversight failure.

Summary

Oswald Resigns

Kirsten Oswald, Victims Minister, is urged to resign after accusations she acted as a lackey for Peter Murrell.
Stephen Kerr, Tory Justice spokesman, called Kirsten Oswald’s appointment astonishing, saying she has not apologised for silencing finance concerns.
Joanna Cherry, former MP, demanded an independent inquiry without making Kirsten Oswald a scapegoat.
Douglas Chapman, SNP treasurer elected in 2020, resigned after Peter Murrell refused to show him the party’s books.

History

Historical Context

The 2009 United Kingdom parliamentary expenses scandal erupted when the Daily Telegraph published leaked claims, prompting a nationwide outcry and reforms. Sir Thomas Legg’s audit revealed that MP Sir Peter Viggers claimed £1.3 million for a duck-shooting lodge, and 147 members faced scrutiny. Today's SNP financial controversy mirrors that episode, as Peter Murrell’s £400,310.65 theft and calls for an inquiry echo the demand for transparency that reshaped Westminster. The 2009 reforms birthed the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, suggesting that similar oversight mechanisms could curb future party fund mismanagement in Scotland.

1 of 3

Murrell Pleads Guilty

SNP chief Peter Murrell pleaded guilty to stealing £400,310.65 from SNP funds.
Scotland’s deputy first minister John Swinney rejected an inquiry after Murrell’s plea.
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar called for a parliamentary probe into the SNP’s secrecy and cover-up.
Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay urged the Crown Office to publish why Nicola Sturgeon was not charged.
Liberal Democrat Alex Cole-Hamilton described the case as a catastrophic oversight failure.

1 / 3