Meeting of the Parliament 10 June 2026 [Last updated 18:45]
The minister misunderstands and is clearly not listening. The people of Scotland are interested in those wider questions, but that is not what I am suggesting the inquiry should do. I have been very clear on that point.
Let me go back to what Robin McAlpine had to say about democracy and culture. There was a culture that bullied and intimidated those who raised legitimate questions, a culture of denial and deflection, and a culture of secrecy and cover-up. The shame, the dishonesty and the cover-up speak for themselves. Although I do not believe that the Scottish Greens support such a culture, in coming to the SNP’s aid they are giving it cover. The claim that this is about internal politics is fundamentally wrong. This is about honesty, trust and integrity. This is about ministers knowingly making public statements that are wrong or, at the very least, incompetent.
Many questions—from members of the public, SNP members, police officers and those in the legal profession who have contacted me— remain unanswered. Why did it take more than four years, at a cost of £2.7 million, for the police to investigate? Why did it take so long for the Crown Office to decide to prosecute? Pauline McNeill is right: if Murrell indicated that he would plead guilty on 3 March, why was the case postponed until after the election? Why was Murrell granted legal aid when he part owned a villa in Portugal—an asset that was not frozen and that he sold after his application was granted? Why is legal aid not recoverable in Scotland?
Did the SNP unwittingly make fraudulent VAT claims on Murrell’s purchases? How much was claimed? The Electoral Commission gave the SNP a policy development grant worth, on average, £175,000 a year—more than £2.4 million over the period of Murrell’s crimes. The House of Commons gave the SNP more than £8 million in Short money over the same period. In 2020, in response to concerns from SNP members that donations for a referendum campaign had been spent on other matters, the SNP treasurer, Colin Beattie, said that
“donations are woven through the overall income figures each year.”
If donations were not ring fenced, what reassurance can the SNP give that public money was not also woven through the accounts and consequently spent by Murrell? There is, apparently, just one bank account.
I also have questions for the Electoral Commission. Its role is to oversee and monitor the operation of political parties. Does it have enough powers? What enforcement action can it take? Were complaints made to the Electoral Commission about the SNP’s finances at the time, and how were they taken forward?
The Greens’ amendment is arguably not needed if the Electoral Commission has responsibility for overseeing all political parties. I gently point out to them—as Alex Cole-Hamilton did earlier—that Professor James Mitchell has indicated:
“I do NOT support the Green amendment. It is an attempt to evade the very serious issues that require focus on SNP financial mismanagement.”
That is a direct quote.
As Joanna Cherry, the former SNP MP and KC, said:
“The fact that public money may have been stolen makes the requirement for a parliamentary or other independent inquiry all the more necessary.”
None of those questions is about the internal workings of the SNP.
I know that colleagues in the Scottish Affairs Committee are considering whether to launch their own inquiry. My preference is that the inquiry is done by this Parliament. However, if that is voted down today, then a joint inquiry or a Westminster-led inquiry is an option that is likely to be taken forward by others.
By rejecting scrutiny, the SNP is putting party before country. We have seen this before. Last week, the Court of Session found ministers to be in contempt of court for their refusal to respond to a freedom of information request regarding the Salmond files. Stephen Kerr referenced that in his speech.
In the past decade we have seen the appalling way in which relatives who lost loved ones at the Queen Elizabeth university hospital have been treated and in which the staff who whistleblew have been bullied and silenced. It is this culture of secrecy and cover-up that has infected the Government and some of our public institutions.
Restoring trust starts with transparency and accountability. It starts with a parliamentary inquiry—and it is not an inquiry about the internal machinations of the SNP. We have better things to do.
I say to SNP members that sunlight is the best disinfectant. If the First Minister and other senior SNP politicians claim that they have nothing to hide, what is there to fear? Let the sunlight in and vote for a parliamentary inquiry.