Latest news with #PeterMurrell
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Peter Murrell news, interviews and updates on the former SNP chief executive
Peter Murrell is the SNP's former chief executive from 1999 to 2023. The 60-year-old was responsible for the day-to-day running of the party, which was once the second largest in the UK. He quit his role as chief executive on March 18, 2023, after his ex-wife Nicola Sturgeon resigned as SNP leader and First Minister. Read on for all the latest Peter Murrell news, interviews and updates. Operation Branchform SNP probe includes £2,500 on flights Swinney relieved for Sturgeon as Branchform probe dropped SNP relief as Nicola Sturgeon cleared by Police Scotland Born in Edinburgh in 1964, Peter Murrell was married to Nicola Sturgeon. They tied the knot in 2010 after meeting at an SNP youth weekend in 1988. In a social media post on January 13, Sturgeon announced their separation, stating they had been "separated for some time now." Peter Murrell and Nicola Sturgeon (Image: Danny Lawson/PA Wire) Sturgeon said in the Instagram post: "With a heavy heart I am confirming that Peter and I have decided to end our marriage. "To all intents and purposes we have been separated for some time now and feel it is time to bring others up to speed with where we are. "It goes without saying that we still care deeply for each other, and always will." Peter Murrell played a key role in transforming the SNP's fortunes. The former public relations officer for the Church of Scotland joined politics and worked in Alex Salmond's constituency office before becoming SNP chief executive in 2001. He took over from Michael Russell and was responsible for the party's day-to-day running. Murrell is credited with modernising the SNP's operations and helping the party reach a membership peak of about 125,000 in 2018. Under his leadership, the SNP became Scotland's most dominant political force. He quit his role as chief executive on March 18, 2023, after Sturgeon resigned as SNP leader and First Minister, a month after the party misled the media about membership numbers. Peter Murrell bought a £95,000 Jaguar car which became a subject of investigation by the police in 2023. The Sunday Mail reported that police scrutinised the purchase of the electric I-Pace SUV from an Edinburgh dealership in 2019. A similar vehicle was spotted at the couple's residence in March 2021, coinciding with the first fraud allegation made against the SNP. The police also seized a £110,000 campervan earlier that year from outside the home of Mr Murrell's widowed 92-year-old mother in Fife. The investigation forms part of a wider probe into SNP finances. Peter Murrell was initially arrested in April 2023 as a suspect in connection to the embezzlement of funds from the Scottish National Party, dubbed as Operation Branchform. His ex-wife and former First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, and the SNP's ex-treasurer Colin Beattie were also arrested and questioned in 2023 as part of the investigation into the SNP's funding and finances. Police Scotland has been investigating alleged misuse of party funds raised for a second referendum since 2021, amounting to £660,000. Murrell was later released without charge before being re-arrested and charged again in April 2024. The home he shared with Sturgeon was searched, along with the SNP's headquarters in Edinburgh. On March 20, 2025, he appeared in the Edinburgh Sheriff Court as part of the Operation Branchform investigation. He made no plea and was granted bail.
Times
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Times
How SNP campervan scandal damaged trust in Scottish institutions
Just under two years ago police officers put up a 'murder tent' on the lawn of Scotland's first minister That image of Nicola Sturgeon's home was splashed across all the country's newspapers. It was the top item on television news bulletins and lit up social media. Detectives were looking into concerns about SNP finances. Their work, condenamed Operation Branchform, kept generating headlines. The stories included the seizure of a campervan at the home of Sturgeon's mother-in-law. Prosecutors have since told Sturgeon that she is no longer under investigation. Peter Murrell, her estranged husband, has been charged with embezzling party funds. The story is already the highest-profile scandal of the Scottish devolution era and it is far from over. Political analysts often say it helped
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Crown Office issues contempt of court warning after Peter Murrell court appearance
THE Crown Office has issued a warning after former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell appeared in court charged with embezzlement. In a post on social media, the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) urged people to 'think' before they posted about the criminal trial – warning members of the public they could face jail if they broke the rules. The prosecution service said: 'Those who comment publicly on live criminal cases risk being found in contempt of court. 'If the court makes a finding of contempt, penalties can include fines and imprisonment. The legal proceedings can also be prejudiced. Think before you post.' Contempt of court is a crime and covers a broad range of actions which could be considered to prejudice or interfere with the course of justice in a trial. The Contempt of Court Act 1981 provides for a 'strict liability rule' in the implementation of the law, which it defines as conduct 'tending to interfere with the course of justice in particular legal proceedings regardless of intent to do so'. Speculating about the guilt of someone charged with a crime could result in being charged with contempt of court as could breaking anonymity orders if they have been made. (Image: Newsquest) Murrell (above) appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Thursday, where he made no plea and was bailed. His estranged wife Nicola Sturgeon was cleared by police on the same day, as was former party treasurer Colin Beattie, who had previously been arrested as part of Operation Branchform. The police investigation relates to £600,000 raised by the SNP which was earmarked for spending on an independence campaign. READ MORE: In a statement, Police Scotland said on Thursday: 'Following direction from the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, criminal inquiries into two people arrested as part of the investigation into the funding and finances of the Scottish National Party have now concluded. 'The 73-year-old man arrested on April 18, 2023 and the 54-year-old woman arrested on June 11, 2023 have not been charged and are no longer under investigation.' A COPFS spokesperson said regarding Murrell's court appearance: 'Professional prosecutors from COPFS and independent counsel are dealing with this case without involving the Lord Advocate or Solicitor General. All Scotland's prosecutors operate independently of political influence. 'These matters are active under the Contempt of Court Act 1981. The provisions of this Act protect the integrity of proceedings, preserve access to justice for victims, and secure the rights of people accused of crime. (Image: PA) 'Anyone publishing items about active cases is advised to exercise caution as material must not be commentary or analysis of evidence, witnesses or accused. Contempt of court carries penalties of up to two years in prison and/or an unlimited fine.' Addressing the investigation into Sturgeon and Beattie, the spokesperson added: 'A request from Police Scotland for advice and guidance in an investigation into a 73-year-old man and a 54-year-old woman has been responded to. 'The request was handled as part of a large-scale wider inquiry and without delay on the part of the prosecution service who recognise its significance. 'Where allegations are made against people or institutions in which the public have placed trust, it is the responsibility of the authorities to conduct a thorough investigation to determine if there is evidence that criminal conduct has occurred. 'We understand public curiosity about this investigation. However, the Crown does not publicly share details of confidential inquiries where there are no proceedings in court. This protects the rights of the individuals concerned who are entitled to a presumption of innocence.'
BBC News
20-03-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Sturgeon: It's a relief to be rid of the cloud of investigation
Former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has spoken outside her home after being cleared as a suspect in a police investigation into SNP said it was a relief to no longer have the "cloud of investigation hanging over me".The announcement came as her husband, ex-SNP chief executive Peter Murrell, appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court charged with in Glasgow, Sturgeon said it has been a day of mixed emotions but it was the outcome she had expected.
Yahoo
29-01-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
When will we get answers on SNP finances probe?
Does anyone know what's happened to the more than £600,000 that's disappeared from the SNP's coffers? Or to Peter Murrell, who was charged last year with embezzlement in connection with the missing money. Or to his wife, Nicola Sturgeon, who was arrested and then released pending further enquiries eighteen months ago. The money's been gone for around five years and an investigation into where it went is into its fourth year. But even after all this time, nobody seems to know anything. The latest to admit he hasn't a clue is none other than Lord Carloway, Lord President of the Court of Session, and as such Scotland's most senior judge. He's due to retire shortly but before going he was asked what he thought had happened to the probe, which began in 2021, involving the police, the Serious Fraud Office and the Crown Office, Scotland's prosecuting authority. If any of them know where the loot went, they ain't saying and although he doesn't know either Lord Carloway did admit that there had clearly been what he called a 'hold up' in the deliberations of Operation Branchform, the strange name given to the investigation by the police. Calling it a 'hold up' is arguably one of the greatest understatements this eminent jurist has come up with in a long and distinguished career. However, even that description intrigues this observer for the simple reason that if someone like Lord Carloway, who sits at the pinnacle of Scotland's legal system, doesn't know what's causing the aforesaid hold up, has he tried to find out? However, there is a view amongst some of m'learned friends in their lair at the top of Edinburgh's Royal Mile that a judge, even a very senior judge, would have no business asking what progress was being made in a police inquiry. And so, they thought there was no chance that the Lord President would even seek to find out. Old Carloway, they reckoned, would have to wait, like the rest of us, for Branchform to eventually produce its findings. However, wouldn't senior legal colleagues know what was causing the hold up? Someone like, for instance, the Lord Advocate and/or the Solicitor General, perhaps. Wouldn't they know? Not necessarily, because as both lady law officers are also ministers in the Scottish Government they have recused themselves from playing any part in the deliberations concerning this massive investigation. But what about 'proper' members of the Scottish Government, like First Minister John Swinney or his Justice Minister, Angela Constance. They steer well clear of any mention of the missing money and of Operation Branchform and why wouldn't they, given that their party's at the centre of things. The former SNP chief executive, Peter Murrell, was arrested, freed pending further inquiries and, then, charged last year with embezzlement in connection with the missing £600,000. His wife, former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon (they have announced their intention to divorce) was also arrested and released pending further enquiries, which when last we heard, were still under way. This was also the case with Colin Beattie, the SNP's former treasurer. Ms Sturgeon has always insisted she is innocent of any wrong-doing. For their part, the Crown Office issued its normal statement to the effect that the investigation was still under way, without - for Lord Carloway's benefit – making any mention of a hold up. It's heartening, I suppose, to learn that Scotland's most senior judge, the Lord President of the Court of Session, knows as much as the rest of us – i.e. nothing. Isn't it? Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
