Call for joint Holyrood-Westminster inquiry into Murrell's embezzlement

Former Labour First Minister Jack McConnell has proposed that the UK and Scottish parliaments collaborate on a joint inquiry into the financial misconduct involving Peter Murrell, the former SNP chief executive. Murrell, who is also the estranged husband of Nicola Sturgeon, recently admitted to embezzling over £400,000 from the party across a 12-year period. McConnell suggests that this combined parliamentary effort would be more effective than separate investigations, given the sensitivity and political implications of the case.

McConnell has recommended that both Westminster’s Public Accounts Committee and Holyrood’s Public Audit Committee work together on this inquiry. According to him, an inquiry solely by Holyrood might risk being viewed as a cover-up, while a Westminster-only investigation could be seen as a politically motivated attack on the SNP. He also emphasizes the need to examine the closeness of the relationship between Scotland’s prosecution service, the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS), and the Scottish government. Additionally, McConnell believes the inquiry should assess whether public funds allocated to the SNP at Westminster were involved in the embezzlement and consider implementing stronger safeguards for small political donors.

Concerns have also been raised about the conduct of Scotland’s Lord Advocate, Dorothy Bain, who disclosed details of Murrell’s charges to First Minister John Swinney almost a year before the public became aware. Bain, who serves both as head of the prosecution service and as the government’s chief legal adviser, defended her actions by describing the disclosure as standard practice in high-profile cases. Despite this, opposition MSPs have questioned whether this dual role may affect the independence of legal proceedings. However, there is uncertainty about how a joint inquiry would function, as no such collaborative investigation has taken place since the Scottish Parliament’s establishment 27 years ago.

First Minister John Swinney has opposed calls for a parliamentary inquiry, maintaining that the SNP has improved its governance and oversight, and that an inquiry would not add value beyond a comprehensive police investigation. Swinney denies any involvement of UK public funds in Murrell’s embezzlement and stresses the independence of the prosecution service from political influence. Jack McConnell criticized Swinney’s resistance, labeling it a “big mistake,” and urged him to reconsider, highlighting the potential benefit of a joint inquiry not only for public confidence but also for the party’s own interests. Critics, including former SNP MP Joanna Cherry, have accused Sturgeon and Swinney of dismissing valid concerns about the party’s finances, allegations both Sturgeon and Swinney have denied

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