The SNP “fears” an independent inquiry on the Peter Murrell scandal as multiple members were “complicit” in the fraud, a leading expert on the party has said.
Professor James Mitchell, who has written several books on the history of the Nationalists, said it was now clear whistleblowers who raised questions about the SNP’s finances in 2020 and 2021 were “harassed, bullied and marginalised”.
The University of Edinburgh academic spoke out after Cynthia Guthrie, a former member of the party’s finance and audit committee, alleged John Swinney and Nicola Sturgeon were “culpable” for Murrell’s actions because they misled SNP members and the public.
Allison Graham, another ex-committee member, claimed they were “bullied” after raising concerns internally in 2021.
Murrell was last week jailed for five years and three months after being convicted of embezzling more than £400,000 from the party over a 12-year period.
A judge described the fraud carried out by Sturgeon’s estranged husband as being “not particularly sophisticated” – leading to questions on why he wasn’t stopped sooner.
SNP and Green MSPs teamed up to block a Holyrood inquiry into the scandal earlier this month but a probe may yet be launched by the Scottish Affairs Committee at Westminster.
View 2 ImagesProfessor James Mitchell(Image: Collect)
Mitchell told the Record: “These revelations show that very many people in the SNP were complicit in this massive fraud. They explain why the leadership fears an independent inquiry. They know it will reveal much they want to keep hidden – there can be no other explanation.
“We now know that the very few who dared to raise questions were harassed, bullied and marginalised not only by Nicola Sturgeon but by a large number of her acolytes. This was clearly not just senior officers and members of the SNP – all of whom most certainly were aware of concerns being expressed – who either turned a blind eye or were party to the efforts to block scrutiny.
“This helps explains the lack of a groundswell of demands from within the SNP to an inquiry – few in or near the leadership over the last decade and more will emerge unscathed.”
Mitchell continued: “It is very clear that the staggering extent to which the governance arrangements were not just inadequate but facilitated embezzlement.
“It is also clear that more will continue to emerge and at some point a much fuller picture will emerge whether from an independent inquiry, leaks, a revolt by the wider membership or further legal proceedings.
“John Swinney has, of course, much to lose and may hope this will all go away but that seems very unlikely. But he is only postponing the inevitable, dragging this out.
“A serious independent inquiry but only with full access to all information and people involved would at least pause pressure but would ultimately reveal much the SNP seeks to hide.
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“His choice comes down to openness and accountability through an independent inquiry or the slow process of daily revelations keeping these issues in the news day in day out for some time. He may yet show leadership, recognise that getting it all out in public at once and properly addressing the causes would be better than the slow drip, drip of information.
“It is not simply that John Swinney has shown very poor judgment. It is his failure to acknowledge this, continues to contradict himself and seeks to cover up the greatest scandal in the SNP’s history that will damage him.
“He can get angry with journalists just as Sturgeon got angry with questions about the party’s financial management but that only contributes to the impression that he and the senior SNP still has a lot more to hide.”