House of Lords considers inquiry into Peter Murrell scandal

The House of Lords is considering a potential inquiry into the scandal involving Peter Murrell, the former chief executive of the Scottish National Party (SNP). Murrell was recently convicted and sentenced to five years in prison for embezzling more than £400,000 from party funds.

The move toward a Westminster-based investigation follows the defeat of a bid for an inquiry at Holyrood, where the Scottish Greens joined the SNP to block calls for MSPs to investigate the matter. Pressure for a probe has increased following allegations from Conservative MP Sir David Davis, who suggested that former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon may have had knowledge of the crimes.

While SNP leader John Swinney has maintained that the party was a victim of fraud and has ruled out a local inquiry, Scottish Tory deputy leader Rachael Hamilton has called for the truth to be uncovered. A Lords select committee inquiry would possess the power to issue formal summonses to witnesses and demand the production of documents, with failure to comply potentially resulting in fines or imprisonment.