Peter Murrell's pre‑pandemic toilet‑roll purchase fuels SNP scandal

Former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell bought 108 Andrex toilet rolls on 7 March 2020 for £55.98, just 48 hours before First Minister Nicola Sturgeon urged Scots not to panic‑buy amid the emerging COVID‑19 crisis. Court documents show Murrell also purchased large quantities of bottled water, laundry detergent and other household items in the weeks that followed.

Murrell later pleaded guilty to embezzling more than £400,000 from the SNP, spending party funds on luxury goods and the toilet‑roll spree. He is being held in custody in Edinburgh and faces a custodial sentence. The revelations have sparked public outrage and partisan criticism, with opposition politicians accusing the SNP of double standards, while polls indicate declining public confidence in Sturgeon’s denials of knowledge about her husband’s spending.

The scandal underscores ongoing scrutiny of SNP finances and raises questions about accountability within the party as Scotland continues to navigate the pandemic’s economic and social impacts.