Nicola Sturgeon not a bully, John Swinney says amid SNP row

Murrell – the estranged husband of former first minister Ms Sturgeon – was sentenced to five years and three months in prison after he admitted embezzling £400,310.65 from the SNP over a period of 12 years, between August 2010 and October 2022.

Concerns were raised to the SNP’s ruling body, the National Executive Committee, five years ago, but were dismissed by Ms Sturgeon.

A leaked recording of that meeting showed that she said: “I’m not going to get into the details but, you know, just be very careful about suggestions that there are problems with the party’s finances, because we depend on donors to donate. There are no reasons for people to be concerned about the party’s finances.”

Allison Graham and Cynthia Guthrie who quit the SNP as party finance watchdogs in 2021 after being blocked by Peter Murrell and others are seen at Scottish Parliament. (Image: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images))

Ms Guthrie and Ms Graham, who quit the committee along with then Edinburgh Lord Provost Frank Ross, accused Ms Sturgeon and other senior figures in the party of “bullying” and presiding over a “toxic” environment.

But following a fiery First Minister’s Questions, Mr Swinney bluntly dismissed claims Ms Sturgeon was a “bully” when asked by journalists.

Mr Swinney was asked whether he would apologise to the women after they shared their experience of being dismissed. He told journalists he had apologised to SNP members who made donations to the party but would not be drawn on whether this extended to Ms Guthrie and Ms Graham – former party members.

Asked if he believed Ms Sturgeon was a bully, he replied curtly: “No, I don’t.”

In 2021, Mr Swinney maintained there was significant scrutiny of the party’s finances, taking a similar line to Ms Sturgeon.

He was condemned for those comments by Scottish Tory leader Russell Findlay.

Former Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon with John Swinney (Image: PA)

Speaking during First Minister’s Questions, Mr Findlay said: At the height of Peter Murrell’s crime spree, Allison Graham and Cynthia Guthrie raised concerns. Nicola Sturgeon ordered them to be quiet. John Swinney assured them there was no problem.

“The new victims minister [Kirsten Oswald] tried to bully these whistleblowers and they back an inquiry. Their testimony proves beyond any doubt that John Swinney and others enabled Peter Murrell’s crimes. Will he apologise to them for his central role in this SNP scandal?”

He added: “The truth is Peter Murrell should never have been free to commit these crimes. Members of the SNP finance and audit committee blew the whistle but they were bullied into quitting after being refused access to basic information.

“John Swinney twice went onto the BBC to say that his party’s finances were completely sound. He was at the heart of the cover up then and now and that’s why he’s terrified of an inquiry because John Swinney, the king of the SNP cover up, is desperate to cover his own back.”

Mr Swinney responded by stating the SNP had “strong governance” in place and said: “I have apologised to members of the Scottish National Party for the events that have affected the party’s finances and I reiterate that apology today. But the comments Russell Findlay makes about me are baseless – utterly baseless.”

Ms Graham told The Scottish Sun she had been “bullied” by Ms Sturgeon and other senior figures in the SNP for raising the alarm.

“It was a very toxic environment,” she said. “It’s bullying at the end of the day.”

Ms Guthrie separately told LBC that she personally asked during a meeting of the SNP’s ruling body where the so-called “ring-fenced” independence fund was.

Murrell responded by pointing and staring into the distance and said: “I can see it.”

She said: "There was a lot of disquiet about funds that couldn't be accounted for properly. I asked Peter Murrell what we should say if people asked us about it. And he said ‘Oh, everything is fine’.”

Ms Graham also told the broadcaster the actions were like a “pantomime”, adding: “This was not master criminal territory, it was like watching a bad magician trying to distract you from things… and too many were going along with it.”

Aamer Anwar, Ms Sturgeon’s solicitor, said his client would not be commenting on the allegations any further but said she was “innocent of any crime”.

“Whilst that may be a source of annoyance for some, it remains a fact that it was Mr Murrell who was charged, tried, convicted and imprisoned for his crimes”.