John Swinney’s bid to kick off the SNP’s general election campaign has been derailed by news that detectives have sent a report to prosecutors in relation to former party chief executive Peter Murrell’s embezzlement charge.

In a statement on Thursday afternoon, the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service also confirmed that investigations involving Nicola Sturgeon and ex-treasurer Colin Beattie were still ongoing.

READ MORE: Operation Branchform: Police send Murrell report to Crown Office

It was a difficult day for the SNP and their new leader.

News of the latest development in the long-running Operation Branchform probe came just hours after the First Minister picked a fight with Holyrood’s Standards Committee for recommending Michael Matheson be banned from parliament for 27 working days.

While the cross-party group of MSPs were split on the length of the punishment they had unanimously backed calls for his salary to be withdrawn for 54 days, a financial penalty roughly equivalent to the size of the ex-health secretary's £11k data roaming bill.

It was one of the harshest sanctions ever meted out by the committee.Mr Swinney claimed the probe into his “friend and colleague” had been "prejudiced" because of comments made by one of the committee’s Tory members.

He pointed to remarks made by Annie Wells when she said the "desperate efforts" by Mr Matheson to justify his expenses claim had been "riddled with lies, cover-ups and the need for us all to suspend our disbelief."

Mr Swinney said that if a constituent was facing disciplinary action at work and their employer made similar comments, he would “come down on that employer like a tonne of bricks”.

He added: “That is the situation that Michael Matheson is facing here, and that is why I will not be supporting the sanction.”

Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross accused Mr Matheson of “deceit and abuse of trust.”

He said his party would table a motion calling on the ex-minister to resign next week. While that would not be binding, it could be embarassing. It will only pass if backed by every opposition party.

Mr Ross said: “That is incredible and indefensible by the First Minister.

“He told us when asking for our support to make him First Minister, he would be First Minister for all of Scotland.

“What Scotland is seeing is he’s a First Minister that backs his pals.”Mr Ross said if the vote is approved, a by-election could be held on July 4 – the same date as the General Election.

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said the comments from the First Minister were “utterly unbelievable and embarrassing”.

He added: “He has demeaned himself and the office of First Minister.

“Two weeks in and the pretence of a new kind of Government is gone.

“Party first – country second.”

READ MORE: Swinney will not support Matheson Holyrood ban

 

The row overshadowed the first event of the party’s election campaign.

The key message at the hastily organised launch was supposed to be one of unity.

In the First Minister’s ten-minute speech, the word unite was mentioned 15 times, unity another three and unify twice.

“I’ve only been back in frontline politics for a month,” he said.

“I couldn’t have imagined even two months ago standing here launching the SNP campaign for the 2024 General Election.

“But I am here because I knew I could unify my party. I am two weeks in and I have done that already.”

He insisted he was “relishing the opportunity” to campaign across Scotland.

“I expect over the next six weeks we will see the Tories and Labour really going at it. They’ll be going hammer and tongs to discredit each other.

“I’ll also be going hammer and tongs – but not against anyone. I’ll be going hammer and tongs to put Scotland first.”

Asked at his campaign launch if he believed - as Humza Yousaf did - that Mr Matheson was a man of integrity, he described the ex-minister as a “good man who made mistakes”.

“I want people to be treated fairly, because I would want that done to me. And I don't think that's been done in this instance.”

Mr Swinney added: “Parliament’s got to make sure it does things the proper way.

“I simply set out to parliament the risks that I thought parliament was taking.”

He refused to say if Mr Matheson should lose the party whip.

Asked if the Falkirk West MSP should resign if the Tory motion was backed by a majority in Holyrood, Mr Swinney replied: “We will cross that bridge when we come to it.”

The First Minister denied it had been a chaotic start to the campaign.

“It's been a great day actually. I've been up since the crack of dawn. I've had my usual run through the streets of Edinburgh. I'm fit as a fiddle.

“I've done loads of broadcast interviews. I've handled First Minister's Questions.

“I've put some pretty tough questions that Parliament's got to address.“I'm here with all my friends and all my journalistic friends answering questions and it's got off to a great start.”

The Herald:

Mr Matheson first came under scrutiny last November when the Daily Telegraph uncovered a £10,935.74 data roaming bill.

He initially agreed to pay £3,000 from his taxpayer-funded expenses, with the Scottish Parliament picking up the rest.

However, days later, after journalists and MSPs queried the charge, he agreed to pay the full amount from his own pocket.

At first, he claimed the bill was the result of parliamentary work while on a family holiday in Morrocco and a misunderstanding with a new sim card.

He then told MSPs in an emotional statement on November 16 that he had discovered his sons had been watching football during the family trip.

He said he had been told by his wife on November 9 that the teenagers had used his parliamentary device as a wifi hotspot.

However, on November 13, when asked directly if there was "any personal use" of the device during the family holiday, he told reporters: "No”

It also emerged that he met with parliamentary authorities, including Presiding Officer Alison Johnstone during the period and did not tell them his boys were responsible for racking up the charges.

The full Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body report revealed that he was asked seven times by officials over a period of four months to provide assurances he was satisfied the data usage was entirely for parliamentary business.

Speaking to journalists after First Minister’s Questions, Mr Matheson said he would not resign.

“I think it’s pretty clear that the process has become highly politicised, which has compromised the process and the fairness of the process," he said.

“I also think the sanctions they’ve imposed are excessive and they are unfair.”

Mr Matheson said it is now for Parliament to decide on the next steps, and he vowed to “abide” by whatever decision it takes.