No one who truly believes in democracy should feel any satisfaction at Peter Murrell’s conviction, regardless of party (“‘Gross breach of trust and abuse of your privilege’”, The Herald, May 25). This sordid episode only deepens the public’s corrosive distrust in politics: the growing conviction that too many elected representatives are primarily self serving rather than servants of the people.
The SNP, however, deserves particular blame. Having both the party leader and her CEO husband in charge made meaningful scrutiny almost impossible. Murrell should have stepped down the moment Nicola Sturgeon became leader. Instead, they became the “untouchables”, shielded by the blind faith of hard core nationalists who wrapped themselves in a holier than thou cloak while the party descended into this mess.
For me, the clearest takeaway from this whole grubby affair is damning: plainly no one at the top of the SNP believed a referendum was coming anytime soon. How could they, when the very fund meant to support any future independence campaign was steadily depleting, yet no one noticed until the coffers were nearly empty? They simply maintained the illusion of independence to protect their salaries and status. And that illusion still continues today.
What a profound betrayal of the movement and the Scottish people.
Ian Lakin, Aberdeen.
Serious side to the farce
“La comedia è finita” – what more appropriate epitaph could there be to the long-running farce Branchform which started in July 2021 and finally ground to a conclusion in March 2025 with the eventual arrest and charging of Peter Murrell? However, with our court system stretched to capacity and apparently still overcoming the aftermath of Covid, a trial date could not be fixed. But any chance of this taking place prior to the May elections in Scotland soon vanished – as I recollect, Murrell’s legal team requested more time to prepare their case.
Sadly we’ll never know what their extended preparations produced unless of course it was the simple instruction to “plead guilty as charged” and accept the consequences. We will never know if a guilty verdict before the election would have swayed any voters’ intentions because after 19 wasted years of broken promises, the SNP voter appears inured to reality, so the case would have little import.
The thought that the current bunch of clowns at Holyrood should even contemplate trying to make Scotland independent would indeed be finita.
Andy Trombala, Stirling.
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The many questions
Would the SNP have got so many votes and seats had the Peter Murrell admission been declared before the Scottish elections?
Why did the SNP not ask questions of its CEO, and how did he get the job?
Should the SNP refund their donors?
And if many of these luxury items appeared in your home would you not ask your spouse where they appeared from and how they could afford them?
Lots of questions.
Jack Robertson, Lenzie.
Time for an apology
The SNP must now admit to the absurdity of having a husband and wife team as chief executive and leader, and apologise.
But where were the financiers, the officials, backroom staff or even politicians checking the figures? One man having all that control is incompetence on a grand scale.
If Peter Murrell’s ill-gotten gains, including a motorhome, cars and luxury goods, can be retrieved they should be sold and the money returned to party funds. Any shortfall of the £400,310 he embezzled should be taken from any savings or assets he owns.
He’ll hopefully be in prison, after all, at taxpayers’ expense.
Political opponents will of course jump on this and attack the SNP, Nicola Sturgeon and John Swinney. But Labour, the Tories and Reform should be careful as we are still dealing with their own recent scandals.
Andy Stenton, Glasgow.
The stifling of debate
In his recent public pronouncements John Swinney’s increasingly lugubrious and sanctimonious tones are making him sound like a cross between Burns’ Holy Willie and the Reverend IM Jolly. In their absolute denials of any knowledge of Peter Murrell’s criminality, John Swinney and Nicola Sturgeon echo Willie’s protestation that “we didna' ken, we didna' ken”.
However, what they both did, with characteristic SNP lack of openness, was to stifle any debate about financial irregularities and to strongly criticise those calling for more openness about the state of the SNP’s financial health. Their attitudes were ones of “go away – nothing to see here”. Well, they ken noo.
Alan Ramage, Edinburgh.
We don't want a refund
Well, it was to be expected, I suppose. Any opportunity to denigrate the Scottish National Party and the Scottish unionist MSPs are straining at the bit.
During his tenure as Chief Executive, Peter Murrell was highly regarded in the SNP. His organising abilities raised the annual conferences to the most professional standard. In my personal dealings with him, I was always impressed with his no nonsense approach to everything he tackled. The revelation that he has been lining his own pockets with SNP funds has greatly saddened everyone who knew him.
Do we want our financial contributions to SNP election campaigns and other events refunded? No, I don’t think so. Do we want to stand in a long line so John Swinney can apologise to each and every one of us? No, I don’t think so. So sorry to disappoint our unionist friends. We will overcome any difficulties and move on to Scottish independence as quickly as we can.
Gordon Wright, Edinburgh.
The drama yet to come
I look forward to a TV drama documentary about the Murrell case which must surely follow. But who would be brave enough to portray sleekit Peter? Perhaps one of those independence supporting actors will step forward. I doubt it.
And as for the part played by Nicola Sturgeon, why of course Ms Sturgeon would be the ideal person to play herself. After all she would be able to relate exactly the conversations which took place with her husband when she first spotted the new £80,000 Jaguar on the drive, the £4,000 pen, the £3,000 coffee machine, the two £4,000 watches and the long list of everything else Murrell the Magpie purchased with stolen money.
William Loneskie, Lauder.
Police cost was excessive
Peter Murrell is certainly a crook and fraudster and will be duly punished.
However, his embezzlement of £400,000 of SNP funds does not impact me personally, as I am not a contributor.
What does, as a taxpayer, is the £2 million-plus spent by Police Scotland on the investigation. This is surely excessive, given that only one man is responsible.
They claim that the case was “complex”.
Given that, I wonder if perhaps Inspector Clouseau was the man at the helm.
Roy Gardiner, Kilmarnock.
A sad lack of contact
There is one rather sad aspect in this affair which is revealed by the saga of the £124,550 luxury motorhome purchased by Peter Murrell in 2020 and delivered to, and kept on the drive at, the Dunfermline home of his elderly mother. Nicola Sturgeon has stated quite clearly that she only became aware of it some three years later in early 2023 due to the police investigation. From that, it follows that she neither visited nor had any contact with her 92-year-old mother-in-law over that period, because if she had she would surely have learned of the campervan.
Not a very caring attitude to an elderly relative.
Alan Fitzpatrick, Dunlop.
