Overview
- Peter Murrell has admitted stealing roughly £400,000 from the Scottish National Party and will be returned to court for sentencing next week.
- MPs on the Scottish Affairs Committee have written to Commons authorities and the Electoral Commission seeking itemised figures for Short money and policy development grants paid to the SNP during the 2010–2022 offending period and asking how safeguards were checked.
- The Electoral Commission has said it found no evidence that its policy development grants were misused, but the committee wants details on how the commission satisfied itself that the funding was spent appropriately.
- Court papers list dozens of personal purchases paid from party accounts, prosecutors have moved to seek confiscation orders, and the SNP’s governing body has authorised civil recovery actions to try to recoup funds and assets.
- Political pressure has grown for wider scrutiny of party finances, with opposition politicians calling for fuller parliamentary inquiries and First Minister John Swinney arguing the police investigation provided the primary forensic review.