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Joanna Cherry, a former SNP Member of Parliament, has demanded an independent investigation into how Peter Murrell, the party’s ex-chief executive, managed to steal over £400,000. Cherry has heavily criticised Nicola Sturgeon, the former first minister and Murrell’s estranged wife, accusing her of displaying “a remarkable lack of curiosity” about financial irregularities within the party.
Speaking on BBC Radio Scotland Breakfast, Cherry expressed frustration over attempts by party insiders to probe financial mismanagement, which she said were blocked by senior figures in the SNP. Sturgeon, who was arrested during the police inquiry but later cleared of any wrongdoing, maintains she had “no knowledge or suspicion whatsoever” of Murrell’s fraudulent acts. Cherry insists there needs to be a thorough and impartial inquiry to understand why those aiming to investigate party finances were consistently hindered, often under hostile circumstances.
Cherry recounted first raising concerns in 2019 about funds totaling around £600,000, which were donated to a special SNP account intended to support a second independence referendum but appeared to have been diverted for other uses. Alongside colleagues, Cherry campaigned for senior party roles on a platform focused on uncovering the truth behind this money and improving financial governance. She described Sturgeon’s leadership as authoritarian, tightly controlled “hand and glove with her husband,” with little transparency and where questioning was seen as betrayal.
Peter Murrell’s embezzled money was spent on a variety of personal items, ranging from luxury goods and vehicles to designer kitchenware, expensive pens, and even a £1,200 space telescope. Sturgeon reaffirmed that she had no awareness or suspicion that SNP funds were used for personal purchases, noting that she and Murrell kept separate finances. She added that she trusted any expenditures she knew about had come from Murrell’s own earnings. Meanwhile, SNP leader and Scottish First Minister John Swinney condemned Murrell’s actions, apologising to those affected and branding the former executive’s behaviour as “whole-scale deception” and “an overwhelming betrayal.
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