Police Scotland's investigation into SNP finances is the recent political development most Scots are aware of, according to new polling by More in Common.
Eighty-one per cent of Scots said they had heard a great deal or a bit about it, and 57% said it reflected badly on the Scottish Government, the survey for Holyrood magazine has found.
The police probe led to the former chief executive of the party and estranged husband of former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, Peter Murrell, being charged with embezzlement.
The second most well known development is free bus travel for under 22s with 80% of Scots aware of the policy.
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Free prescriptions, was the third most known about, with 73% of Scots having heard about, with 70 per cent of those people for it and only eight per cent against.
The nation’s drug deaths, which are at the highest rate in Europe, was the fourth most known about situation, with seven in 10 (72 per cent) saying they had heard about it. Seventy per cent said the statistics reflected badly on the government.
The scandal dubbed ‘iPad-gate’, which involved an £11,000 data roaming bill on the health secretary Michael Matheson’s iPad, later linked to a family using it to watch a football match, is known by 63% of Scots, while 68% view it negatively.
Police investigating SNP's finances raided the home of Ms Sturgeon and her now estranged husband Mr Murrell in April 2023, and Mr Murrell was arrested before being released pending further investigation. He was charged with embezzlement in April 2024.
Ms Sturgeon was arrested in June 2023 but the case against her – and former SNP treasurer Colin Beattie MSP – ended in March 2025 without either being charged. She is standing down as an MSP and gave her final speech in Holyrood last week.
Mr Murrell is accused of embezzling £459,046.49 of party funds in the period spanning more than 12 years, according to court documents.
The former SNP CEO was due to appear at the High Court at a preliminary hearing on February 20 this year.
However, that appearance has now been pushed back to May 25.
The hearing had been due to take place at the High Court in Glasgow but will now be in Edinburgh.
Mr Murrell was charged in April 2024 as part of Operation Branchform, the long-running probe into the SNP's finances and funding.
He appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court in March last year and was granted bail.
Operation Branchform was launched in July 2021 following complaints about how £660,000 raised by the party and ringfenced for a second independence referendum was spent.
Mr Murrell and Ms Sturgeon's marital home was raided by Police Scotland, as was the SNP's party headquarters.
The 61-year-old was chief executive of the SNP for more than 20 years until he stood down in 2023 after a row over the party's membership numbers during the leadership contest to replace Ms Sturgeon.
The couple announced in January last year that they were to divorce.
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