EUAN McCOLM: John Swinney failed to show leadership when it was needed over the Peter Murrell scandal - and now he could be its latest victim

Published: 19:55, 23 June 2026 | Updated: 19:55, 23 June 2026 Lord Young was in no mood to play around. He’d just heard a tale of woe from Peter Murrell’s defence lawyer, John Scullion, KC, about how his client had been ostracised by former friends since pleading guilty to embezzling more than £400,000 from the SNP while he was the party’s chief executive. What’s more, Murrell – the estranged husband of Nicola Sturgeon – had become a figure of public ridicule. Lord Young paused briefly before instructing Murrell to stand. He had heard Mr Scullion’s words, he had studied pre-sentencing reports, and he could not identify anything that might be considered a mitigating factor. And there we had it: Peter Murrell was nothing more than a grubby little thief. And here was a sentence of five years and three months to commemorate this revelation. Of course, among the first to comment on Murrell’s sentencing was Ms Sturgeon who released a statement through her spokesman, the criminal defence lawyer Aamer Anwar, in which she lathered herself in victimhood. ‘Ms Sturgeon,’ said Mr Anwar, ‘is innocent of any crime and whilst that might be a source of annoyance for some, it remains a fact that it was Mr Murrell who was charged, tried, convicted and imprisoned for his crimes today.’ As for reports police had not received the co-operation they’d expected from Ms Sturgeon during their investigation, Mr Anwar said his client found it ‘disgraceful and beyond outrageous that she is being asked to comment on so-called background briefings’. The many victims of vicious background briefings during Ms Sturgeon’s First Ministership may have enjoyed a moment of satisfaction on learning of her anger. Court artist drawing by Elizabeth Cook of former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell  But Nicola Sturgeon is yesterday’s woman, devoid of credibility and freewheeling on an engine long out of fuel. Once loved by SNP members, she is now despised by many for the damage she caused during her time in charge. And any hopes she might have had for a post-politics role in international diplomacy or development evaporated, long ago, like steam from the Le Creuset kettle that Murrell bought with party cash. While Ms Sturgeon finds herself in her new London home, it falls to John Swinney to fix what was so badly broken under her leadership. I’m not sure he’s capable of doing so. Yes, the Peter Murrell scandal begins as the story of one man’s venal criminality but it soon becomes, I’m afraid, a great deal more. Nicola Sturgeon’s estranged husband did not operate in a vacuum. Murrell was able to steal more than £400,000 because his environment made it pathetically easy to do so. Not only was governance of SNP accounts all but non- existent but, when party members tried in 2021 to raise concerns about the party’s finances, they were warned off by Ms Sturgeon who insisted there was nothing to worry about. Later, John Swinney – then Deputy First Minister – appeared on television to support his then boss’s version of events. Mr Swinney was adamant that there were no problems. Shortly after Murrell pleaded guilty last month, the First Minister explained the former chief executive had remained undetected for so long because he was, basically, a gold-plated criminal mastermind. What chance did anyone have against the fiendishly clever Murrell? John Swinney is still resisting the need for an inquiry into the Murrell scandal On Tuesday morning, Lord Young told Murrell his methods were ‘not particularly sophisticated’. This remark may explain just why John Swinney is so very resistant to the idea that this matter should be more fully investigated. To investigate Peter Murrell would risk revealing the truth about a party saturated in corruption. The negligence of senior figures when serious concerns about Murrell’s financial propriety were raised is typical of the SNP. It speaks of a culture of secrecy and intimidation. And that culture has infected just about everything that comes into contact with the Scottish Government. Since coming to power at Holyrood in 2007, the Nationalists have stuffed public bodies and third sector organisations with cronies, compliant acolytes willing to put loyalty to the SNP before their responsibilities to the taxpayer. Yes, Peter Murrell may be just one man but he was able to do what he did for so long because of the – at very best – incompetence of those around him. And those around him, such as John Swinney, would like us to believe that they can be trusted to establish a new, independent Scottish state. An inquiry into the Murrell scandal would shred what remains of Nicola Sturgeon’s credibility and open Mr Swinney up to difficult questions, which, if he’d been able, he’d already have answered. Among those now demanding an inquiry into how Murrell got away with it for so long is former Nationalist MP Joanna Cherry, KC, who said yesterday that many unanswered questions remained. ‘It’s not just about the criminality, it’s about the culture that allowed that criminality to thrive,’ she said. It is a mark of the First Minister’s political ineptitude that he did not announce his intention to commission a full independent inquiry into Murrell’s crimes as soon as that guilty plea was entered last month. Had Mr Swinney shown leadership when it was needed, he would not now be enmeshed in this scandal. But, instead of looking like a politician of integrity, the First Minister resembles a man with something to hide. I’m afraid, given the SNP’s track record of incompetence and dishonesty in government, Mr Swinney is very much mistaken if he thinks ‘everything’s fine – I’m a man of my word’ is anywhere good enough. There is a deep and uncomfortable pathos about the position into which the First Minister has clumsily manoeuvred himself. Nicola Sturgeon is now estranged from her husband Peter Murrell Had their positions been reversed and Ms Sturgeon was being asked difficult questions about Mr Swinney, she’d have had absolutely no compunction about pulling the lever and dropping him though a trapdoor into a pit filled with broken glass and snakes. But, like an abandoned puppy, Swinney still yearns to please his mistress. Speculation that Stephen Flynn – who made the move from Westminster to Holyrood last month – is preparing to launch a leadership bid is mounting. If John Swinney cannot get himself – and his party – out from under the Peter Murrell scandal soon, he will continue to grow weaker in the eyes of both voters and his colleagues. The Peter Murrell scandal may not yet have claimed its last victim. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. 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