Overview of Charges and Investigations
Peter Murrell, the former chief executive of the Scottish National Party (SNP), has appeared in court charged with embezzlement. No further police investigation is ongoing regarding Nicola Sturgeon, who was married to Murrell, or former SNP treasurer Colin Beattie, both previously arrested and questioned.
Key Dates in the SNP Finance Controversy
September 2014
A referendum was held in which Scottish voters rejected independence by 55% to 45%. Following this, SNP leader and First Minister Alex Salmond resigned and was succeeded uncontested by his deputy Nicola Sturgeon.
May 2015
The SNP achieved a landslide victory in the UK general election, winning 56 of 59 Scottish seats and securing 50% of votes in Scotland. Scottish Labour was reduced to a single MP.
June 2016
In the UK-wide referendum on EU membership, 52% voted to leave, but 62% of Scottish voters favored remaining. Nicola Sturgeon stated that Scotland was being taken out of the EU against its will, describing this as
"democratically unacceptable".
March 2017
Sturgeon announced plans for a second independence referendum. On the same day, the SNP launched the #ScotRef fundraising appeal to support the campaign.
June 2017
The UK general election saw the SNP's vote share in Scotland fall from 50% to 37%. The #ScotRef crowdfunding campaign was closed early after raising nearly half of its £1 million target.
December 2019
The SNP made significant gains in the general election, securing 45% of the Scottish vote. Nicola Sturgeon said voters sent a
"clear message"on a second independence referendum.
A second fundraising website, yes.scot, contributed to the indyref2 fund, bringing the total to nearly £667,000.
SNP membership peaked at nearly 126,000 in 2019, approximately 100,000 higher than at the 2014 referendum. However, party accounts the following year showed membership had declined to about 104,000.
October 2020
Pro-independence blogger Stuart Campbell, who runs the Wings Over Scotland political website, highlighted the SNP's 2019 accounts showing only £97,000 in the bank and total net assets of £272,000. His article, titled
"You've Been Robbed", invited concerned donors to inquire about the use of their donations.
March 2021
Three SNP officials—Edinburgh Lord Provost Frank Ross, Allison Graham, and Cynthia Guthrie—resigned from the party's finance and audit committee after being denied access to the accounts. Their statement was read at an SNP National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting. Guthrie later joined the Alba party led by Alex Salmond.
A video surfaced in 2023 showing Nicola Sturgeon addressing the NEC meeting, asserting that the party's finances had never been stronger and warning about the impact on future donations if concerns were made public.
Shortly after, Police Scotland received its first complaint, reportedly from pro-independence activist Sean Clerkin, regarding SNP finances. Several other complaints followed.
6 May 2021
The SNP won 64 seats in the Scottish Parliament election, one short of a majority. Sturgeon described it as a
"historic and extraordinary"fourth consecutive victory. While prioritizing the COVID-19 pandemic, she maintained plans for an independence referendum post-crisis.
29 May 2021
MP Douglas Chapman resigned as SNP national treasurer, citing lack of financial information necessary to fulfill his fiduciary duties. Chapman had been elected in November 2020, defeating long-serving treasurer Colin Beattie. Deputy leader John Swinney expressed confusion over Chapman's resignation and denied knowledge of any police investigation.
Shortly after, SNP MP Joanna Cherry resigned from the NEC over transparency concerns, and Beattie was reappointed treasurer.
June 2021
Peter Murrell provided a £107,000 loan to the SNP to assist with cash flow.
July 2021
Police Scotland formally launched Operation Branchform to investigate complaints about SNP finances.
September 2022
The SNP's long-term accountants, Johnston Carmichael, resigned from their auditor role. This information became public seven months later.
15 February 2023
Nicola Sturgeon unexpectedly announced her resignation as SNP leader and First Minister, stating she knew
"in my head and in my heart"it was the right time to step down.
The Daily Record reported that police interviewed key SNP witnesses, including Douglas Chapman, as part of Operation Branchform just days before Sturgeon's resignation.
16 March 2023
The SNP confirmed that eligible voting members for its leadership contest had fallen to just over 72,000. Two candidates had requested this information but were initially refused.
18 March 2023
Peter Murrell accepted responsibility for misleading the media about membership numbers and resigned as chief executive, a role he had held since 1999. The SNP's media chief, Murray Foote, had already resigned after mocking reports of a 30,000-member loss, which were later confirmed.
27 March 2023
Humza Yousaf won the SNP leadership contest, defeating Kate Forbes and Ash Regan. He was confirmed as First Minister the following day.
5 April 2023
Peter Murrell was arrested at his Glasgow home, shared with Nicola Sturgeon, questioned under caution, and released without charge pending further investigation. Police searched the SNP headquarters in Edinburgh and confiscated a luxury motorhome parked at Murrell's 92-year-old mother's residence in Fife. The motorhome had been there since early 2021 and was reportedly purchased as an election campaign bus but never used.
18 April 2023
SNP treasurer Colin Beattie was arrested at his Midlothian home and later released without charge pending further investigation. He resigned as party treasurer the following day.
25 April 2023
Nicola Sturgeon told reporters she was unaware of the events leading to the arrests when she resigned two months earlier, describing them as her
"worst nightmare". She maintained that the police investigation did not influence her decision to step down.
16 May 2023
Police Scotland confirmed it had requested warrants to search the homes of Peter Murrell and Nicola Sturgeon during the SNP leadership contest but had to wait two weeks for approval, by which time the contest had concluded.
11 June 2023
Nicola Sturgeon was arrested and taken into custody after a pre-arranged police interview related to the inquiry. She was released without charge after seven hours, pending further investigation.
18 April 2024
Peter Murrell was re-arrested as part of the Police Scotland investigation and charged with embezzlement of SNP funds.
23 May 2024
Police Scotland officers working on Operation Branchform submitted a report to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service.
13 January 2025
Nicola Sturgeon announced on Instagram that she and Peter Murrell had been separated for some time and had
"decided to end"their marriage.
20 March 2025
Peter Murrell appeared in court in Edinburgh charged with embezzlement. He made no plea and was released on bail. Police Scotland confirmed that Nicola Sturgeon and Colin Beattie are no longer under investigation.
