Peter Murrell, the former chief executive of the Scottish National Party (SNP) and estranged husband of Scotland’s ex-first minister Nicola Sturgeon, stands accused of embezzling nearly £460,000 from the party over a period spanning more than twelve years. The allegations, outlined in a detailed indictment seen by multiple news outlets including BBC News and The Scottish Sun, have sent shockwaves through Scottish politics and raised searching questions about party finances, oversight, and trust at the highest levels.
Murrell, who served as SNP chief executive from 2001 until his resignation in March 2023, is alleged to have siphoned off party funds between August 12, 2010 and January 13, 2023. Over this period, prosecutors claim, he used SNP money to purchase luxury goods, cosmetics, jewellery, two high-value cars, and a £124,550 Niesmann and Bischoff Smove 7.4e motorhome—among other items. The indictment, which is subject to change as the case proceeds, details a complex web of alleged financial deception, including the creation of fake invoices and duplicate sales documents designed to disguise the nature of these purchases as legitimate party expenses.
According to BBC News, Murrell’s alleged embezzlement began in August 2010 and continued until January 2023, just before Nicola Sturgeon announced her resignation as party leader and Scotland’s first minister. The indictment accuses Murrell of using SNP credit and charge cards to make personal purchases at more than 80 retailers, including Harrods, the Royal Mint, John Lewis, Homebase, and Argos, amounting to over £159,000 between December 2014 and 2022. Additionally, he is said to have spent over £81,600 on Amazon in a similar manner, all while inserting false or inaccurate accounting codes and descriptions into the party’s financial systems to conceal the transactions.
One of the most eye-catching allegations centers on the purchase of the luxury motorhome in October 2020. Prosecutors claim Murrell initially paid £12,500 on an SNP credit card, followed by a further £112,050 from an SNP bank account in December 2020. The vehicle was then delivered to Dunfermline, where it was stored at a property linked to Murrell’s family. The charge sheet states that Murrell created “false duplicate sales documentation” to “portray the purchase as a legitimate party expense by altering or removing true details of the motorhome sale,” as reported by The Scottish Sun and The Times.
Murrell is also accused of using £57,500 of SNP funds toward the purchase of an £81,000 Jaguar I-PACE in 2019, then falsifying an invoice to disguise the nature of the transaction. When the Jaguar was sold to We Buy Any Car in Glasgow in August 2021, the proceeds—£47,378.76—were allegedly paid directly into Murrell’s personal bank account. A similar pattern is alleged with a £33,000 Volkswagen Golf purchased in 2016, for which £16,489 of party money was reportedly used. The indictment further claims Murrell claimed £18,408.91 in expenses he was not entitled to, including for payments to Apple Retail and the German retailer Manufactum, both described as “purported business-related” purchases.
The scale and detail of the indictment are striking. It lists not only the high-value items but also a litany of smaller purchases, including a £30 parking ticket paid with SNP funds. The locations referenced in the court documents span Murrell and Sturgeon’s former marital home in Uddingston, the SNP’s headquarters, his mother’s former home in Dunfermline, and the Edinburgh office of the party’s former accountant, Johnston Carmichael.
Police launched Operation Branchform in 2021 after complaints from party members about the fate of more than £600,000 raised for a promised independence referendum campaign. The money was supposed to be ringfenced for a future vote, but party accounts reportedly showed no sign of it. The investigation intensified after Nicola Sturgeon’s resignation in early 2023. In April that year, police searched the home Murrell shared with Sturgeon as well as the SNP’s headquarters in Edinburgh, seizing documents and the luxury motorhome parked at Murrell’s mother’s property in Fife. Sturgeon herself was arrested in June 2023 but was released without charge, and the investigation into her was formally dropped in March 2025. The party’s former treasurer, Colin Beattie, was also cleared.
Murrell was first arrested in April 2023 and released without charge. He was re-arrested and formally charged with embezzlement in April 2024. He made no plea during an initial appearance at Edinburgh Sheriff Court and was granted bail. Murrell is now due to appear at the High Court in Glasgow on Friday, February 20, 2026, for a preliminary hearing, where he is expected to enter a plea.
The timing and breadth of the alleged embezzlement coincide with a period of remarkable political ascendancy for the SNP. Murrell, who married Sturgeon in 2010, was widely credited with helping to mastermind the party’s first Holyrood election win in 2007 and its landmark majority victory in 2011, which set the stage for the 2014 independence referendum. He remained in post as chief executive after Sturgeon succeeded Alex Salmond as party leader, overseeing years of electoral dominance. However, his tenure ended in controversy in March 2023, when he resigned amid mounting questions over party finances and membership figures. Sturgeon and Murrell announced their separation in January 2025, after 15 years of marriage.
The SNP, which governed Scotland throughout the period covered by the indictment, has faced intense scrutiny as details of the case have emerged. The party leadership has sought to distance itself from the allegations, emphasizing that the charges relate to one individual and not the wider organization. Nicola Sturgeon has consistently and strenuously denied any wrongdoing, and police have confirmed she is no longer under investigation.
As the preliminary hearing approaches, the case continues to cast a long shadow over Scottish politics. Many party members and observers are watching closely, hoping for clarity and resolution. The allegations against Murrell, if proven, would represent one of the most significant political scandals in recent Scottish history. For now, the former SNP chief executive remains silent on the charges, and the party he once led faces the challenge of rebuilding public trust and demonstrating robust financial governance in the wake of the controversy.
The coming months will reveal whether the evidence stands up in court and what the long-term fallout will be for both Murrell and the SNP. For many in Scotland, the story is a sobering reminder of the importance of transparency and accountability at every level of public life.