The SNP is facing mounting calls to stage an independent investigation into its finances in the wake of the Peter Murrell scandal – with former Scottish Government cabinet secretary Alex Neil saying the party “absolutely” needs to act.
Mr Neil, who served as both health secretary and social justice secretary in the Scottish government, said he wanted to see a senior lawyer appointed to probe the party’s governance arrangements and how it handles its finances.
His comments come in the wake of calls from former SNP Westminster frontbencher Joanna Cherry KC demanding an “independent investigation into what occurred”, as she insisted there is a “wider public interest here that goes beyond the SNP”.
Calls for an inquiry have come after former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell – also the estranged husband of Nicola Sturgeon – appeared in court on Monday and admitted embezzling a total of £400,310.65 from the SNP between August 2010 and October 2022.
The cash was used to buy a range of items, including a motorhome, various luxury goods and two cars.
Other purchases included designer kitchenware, multiple pairs of shoes, expensive pens and a £1,200 space telescope.
Ms Sturgeon, who was SNP leader and Scottish first minister for much of that time, has already stated she had “no knowledge or suspicion whatsoever” her husband had bought the goods using party cash.
Ms Cherry however has accused the former leader of a “remarkable lack of curiosity” over SNP finances, with the former SNP MP alleging that those who asked questions about the party’s financial affairs were shut down by the leadership.
In the wake of such allegations Mr Neil insisted that the party must launch an investigation into its funding arrangements and structures.
Speaking on BBC Radio Scotland’s Breakfast programme he said: “The SNP has to hold an independent inquiry, held by a senior KC and that would start with an audit of the current governing processes within the SNP and how the money is managed.”
He insisted that was necessary because Ms Sturgeon had told party members that “the SNP finances were fine” while “her husband was dipping into the till to a huge extent, over £400,000”.
As a result Mr Neil insisted that “assurances from the current leadership isn’t enough”.
He stated: “If we want to raise the kind of money we want to raise in the future, both for the party and for the independence cause, then potential donors have to be persuaded any money they give will be properly managed.
“And that I think can only come from having an independent review to make sure that the party is doing everything it possibly can so we can never ever again have a repeat of the Peter Murrell episode.”
His comments came after SNP leader and Scottish First Minister John Swinney insisted on Tuesday that the party’s finances were “strong” in spite of what had happened.
Mr Swinney said that “strong and effective governance” arrangements put in place after becoming leader two years ago meant supporters were still “donating substantially” to the party.
The First Minister told how the SNP had “spent the best part of £1 million” on the recent Holyrood election campaign, highlighting this as showing that “the party’s underlying financial position is strong”.
He said: “The members of the Scottish National party have been donating substantially to the party because they know under my leadership the party is exercising strong and effective governance.”
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