Scottish National Party chief executive Peter Murrell convicted in £400,000 embezzlement case

Former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell pleaded guilty to embezzling more than £400,000 from the party's main bank account between 2010 and 2022. Prosecutors detailed how he used the money for a motorhome, two luxury watches, cars, video‑game consoles, gardening tools and other personal items, often disguising purchases with misleading descriptions such as “legal fees” or “event merchandise”.

Murrell, who controlled the party's finances, was taken to the High Court in Edinburgh and is due to be sentenced later this month. Former SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon, who led the party for a decade, has denied any responsibility, saying she was “deceived, misled and betrayed”. The scandal has prompted renewed scrutiny of SNP financial oversight and the resignation of the party’s long‑standing auditors in 2023.