Committee publication · Correspondence · 17 June 2026
Correspondence to Electoral Commission regarding embezzlement of funds from The Scottish National Party, dated 16 June 2026
Summary
The Scottish Affairs Committee writes to the Electoral Commission following Peter Murrell's conviction for embezzling SNP funds. The Committee seeks details of public funding provided to the SNP during Murrell's tenure (2010–2022), assurances that Electoral Commission grants were properly used, and an assessment of whether existing safeguards are adequate to prevent misuse of public funds by political parties.
Key findings
- Peter Murrell, former SNP Chief Executive, has been convicted of embezzling party funds
- Speculation exists that Murrell's criminal activity may have extended to Electoral Commission policy development grants
- The Electoral Commission has stated publicly it has found no evidence of misuse of its funds to the SNP
- The Committee seeks clarity on the total funding provided to SNP during Murrell's confirmed offending period (2010–2022) and how the Commission verified appropriate use
- The Committee questions whether the Electoral Commission's existing safeguards are sufficiently robust to prevent criminal abuse of public funds
Tone
ProceduralTopics
political-financepublic-accountabilityelectoral-regulationfraud-prevention
Key actors
Patricia Ferguson MP, John Pullinger CB, Peter Murrell, Scottish National Party, Electoral Commission, Scottish Affairs Committee
Notable line
“I would welcome any reflections you may have on the adequacy of the existing safeguards to prevent the misuse of public funds provided by the Electoral Commission …”
Key Quotes
“Further to the conviction of Peter Murrell, former Chief Executive of the Scottish National Party (SNP), for embezzlement of party funds, I am writing to seek information regarding the allocation of public funds by the Electoral Commission to political parties and the safeguards in place to ensure their proper use.”
“… there has been speculation that Peter Murrell's criminal activity may have extended to the embezzlement of policy development grants from the Electoral Commission.”
“I would be grateful if you could set out the amount of funding provided to the SNP over the period during which Peter Murrell's confirmed offending took place”
“… given the scale of the offending and the degree of public interest in this matter, I would welcome any reflections you may have on the adequacy of the existing safeguards to prevent the misuse …”
Source · parliament.uk record ↗