25th May 2026
Former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell has now pleaded guilty to embezzling more than £400,000 from the Scottish National Party over a period stretching from 2010 to 2023. The case was part of the long-running Police Scotland investigation known as “Operation Branchform.”
How much money was involved?
Originally prosecutors alleged about:
£459,046 had been embezzled.
But under the guilty plea:
Murrell admitted taking £400,310.65.
The money was diverted over roughly 12 years while he was the party’s long-serving chief executive.
What was the money allegedly spent on?
According to court documents and reports, SNP funds were used for a range of personal purchases including:
🚐 A luxury motorhome
One of the highest-profile items was:
a Niesmann + Bischoff motorhome
costing around £124,550
Prosecutors alleged it was bought for Murrell’s personal use and disguised as a party expense using false paperwork.
🚗 Cars
The case also involved:
a Jaguar I-Pace
a Volkswagen Golf
The Jaguar reportedly involved about £57,500 of SNP funds toward its purchase.
💍 Luxury goods and personal shopping
Court papers referred to spending on:
jewellery
cosmetics
electronics
designer goods
shoes
luxury retail purchases
Brands and retailers mentioned in reports included:
Harrods
Apple
Estée Lauder
There were allegations of purchases from dozens of luxury brands and retailers.
Court papers alleged:
more than £81,600 was spent on Amazon purchases between 2010 and 2023 using SNP funds.
Prosecutors claimed:
the purchases were for “personal use or the personal use of others”
and that “false or inaccurate” accounting descriptions were entered into SNP financial systems to disguise the nature of the spending.
Reports also alleged that deliveries went not only to:
the home Murrell shared with Nicola Sturgeon in Uddingston
but also to:
his mother’s address in Dunfermline
and addresses linked to Sturgeon’s family in Ayrshire.
However, an important point is:
the detailed list of exactly what was bought from Amazon has not been publicly released in full.
So while the court documents specify the amount spent, they do not publicly itemise every purchase.
One report even identified:
a gold pendant bought from a Shetland jeweller using party funds.
Where did the money come from?
A major part of the controversy involved funds donated by supporters for a future Scottish independence campaign.
Police had been investigating concerns that:
money raised and supposedly “ring-fenced” for independence campaigning
may instead have been diverted elsewhere.
The issue became politically explosive because many donors believed the money was specifically protected for referendum campaigning.
What happened politically?
The scandal badly damaged the SNP’s reputation because:
Murrell had run the party machine for more than two decades
he was married to former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon
police raided the SNP headquarters and the couple’s home during the investigation
Sturgeon herself was arrested and questioned during the inquiry but was later cleared and faced no charges. Former SNP treasurer Colin Beattie was also cleared.
Murrell was remanded in custody after pleading guilty and is due to be sentenced in June 2026.