Labour will force a vote in the Scottish Parliament on Wednesday for a parliamentary inquiry into Peter Murrell, the former SNP chief executive who last month pleaded guilty to embezzling more than £400,000 from the party, the deputy leader has confirmed.
Jackie Baillie said the vote would be the “final chance” for the SNP and Scottish Greens to “do the right thing” and back a Holyrood probe into the scandal that has dominated Scottish politics since Police Scotland launched Operation Branchform in July 2021. Labour has tabled a motion ordering the Scottish Parliament to investigate Murrell’s systematic theft of party funds, which he used to buy personal items ranging from a luxury motorhome and a Jaguar I-Pace to coffee machines, gaming consoles and even glue and shower squeegees.
Ms Baillie argued that “significant and serious questions” remain unanswered about Murrell’s criminal activity and the “SNP culture that enabled it to happen”. She said the scandal had “utterly eroded the public’s trust in Scottish politics and the governing party” and that an inquiry was necessary to restore that trust. “It is right that lessons are learned from Operation Branchform and this terrible scandal so that we can give the public the reassurances they need, particularly when it comes to how their money is handled,” she added.
SNP resists calls for parliamentary probe
The First Minister, John Swinney, has consistently rejected calls for a parliamentary inquiry, insisting that “there can be no higher investigation” than the police probe that snared Murrell. The SNP has tabled an amendment to Labour’s motion arguing that a Holyrood inquiry would be a “conflict of interest” because MSPs would be looking into the affairs of “rival political parties”. The amendment urges elected representatives to use their time on matters such as the cost-of-living crisis, improving public services and taking climate action instead.
A spokesman for the SNP dismissed Labour’s move as a “smear” and said the party had been the victim of a crime uncovered after a “forensic police investigation”. He added: “Jackie Baillie just chaired the Labour campaign which led them to their worst result in history, and it is not difficult to see why.”
Mr Swinney has previously described Murrell’s actions as a “colossal breach of trust” and an “overwhelming betrayal”, but maintained that the SNP’s internal systems were “robust” and had been “circumvented by a criminal actor”. That stance has drawn criticism from former colleagues, including former SNP health secretary Alex Neil, who has called for an independent inquiry led by a senior KC from outside Scotland, and former Westminster frontbencher Joanna Cherry KC, who has demanded an “independent investigation into what occurred” in the wider public interest.
Greens propose alternative review
The Scottish Greens have also tabled an amendment to Labour’s motion, but instead of a parliamentary inquiry into the SNP they are calling for an independent review of political party finances in general. Co-leader Ross Greer has argued that an inquiry focused on one party would be a “nakedly partisan process” and that the Scottish Parliament lacks the power to investigate political parties. He said Parliament’s job should be to concentrate on issues such as the cost of living and public services, not to serve as a platform for “political parties to launch pseudo-investigations into each other”. The Greens have indicated they will vote against Labour’s motion, describing it as a “political circus” and a distraction.
Ms Baillie directly addressed the Greens’ position, appealing to Mr Greer to set aside his close personal friendship with Murrell. The Labour deputy leader said she knew Mr Swinney and other SNP figures, along with Mr Greer, had “openly praised” Murrell during his tenure as chief executive. “However, they must set aside their personal connections with Murrell and realise that it is only right that we now have an inquiry into this scandal to allow Scotland to move forward,” she said.
The resistance from both the SNP and the Greens stems from a conviction that the police investigation was exhaustive. Operation Branchform lasted nearly four years, spanned the tenures of three First Ministers and two chief constables, and cost almost £2.7 million. It concluded in March 2025 with Murrell charged and later pleading guilty to embezzling more than £400,000 between 2010 and 2022. The funds were used to purchase a luxury motorhome (£124,550), a Jaguar I-Pace (£81,000, subsidised with £57,500 of party funds), a Volkswagen Golf (£32,989, part-funded with £16,489 of SNP money), and hundreds of smaller personal items. Murrell created false invoices and falsified accounting records to disguise the payments.
The initial police investigation was prompted by allegations concerning approximately £666,953 raised for a second Scottish independence referendum, which the SNP has since admitted was spent on “routine party activities”, with the exact whereabouts of the ring-fenced money still largely unaccounted for. While Nicola Sturgeon and SNP treasurer Colin Beattie were also arrested during Operation Branchform, no charges were filed against them.
The SNP at Westminster has also pushed back against any suggestion that the UK Parliament could step in. SNP Westminster leader Dave Doogan warned that a Westminster inquiry would be an “unprecedented abuse of the House of Commons committee system” and a “waste of taxpayers’ money”, arguing that such matters properly belong within the jurisdiction of the Scottish Parliament.
“We know that John Swinney and others within the SNP, along with Ross Greer, have had close friendships with Murrell, openly praising him for his stewardship of the SNP as chief executive,” Ms Baillie added. “They have so far dug their heels in on the issue of an inquiry, but they still have a final chance to do the right thing, back the motion and allow the Scottish Parliament to hold an inquiry.”
