First Minister’s Question Time – in the Scottish Parliament at on 28 May 2026.
Russell Findlay
Conservative
The Peter Murrell scandal is not just about the Scottish National Party’s toxic internal culture; it goes to the heart of Government and Scotland’s justice system. John Swinney and Nicola Sturgeon did not stop Peter Murrell; they enabled him. Sturgeon warned SNP members to stop asking difficult questions and John Swinney assured everyone that the SNP’s finances were sound. Their shield of protection gave Murrell a licence to steal. People want to know why Nicola Sturgeon was not in the dock beside her husband. Will John Swinney back our call for the Lord Advocate to publish all the information that relates to the case?
John Swinney
Scottish National Party
Mr Findlay is an experienced parliamentarian and also an experienced journalist who has looked at many issues of criminality over his career. As the Crown Office pointed out to Mr Findlay yesterday, the Crown does not disclose the rationale for its taking decisions, other than where it pursues prosecutions against individuals. The Crown has undertaken a successful prosecution here, and I pay tribute to the Crown Office and to Police Scotland.
The Crown also made it clear to Mr Findlay yesterday that the Lord Advocate and the Solicitor General—the law officers—had no involvement in this case. They never have an involvement in cases involving political figures, which are all undertaken by independent counsel and experienced Crown counsel within the Crown Office.
That assurance, which was given by the Crown to Mr Findlay yesterday, is designed to explain that the highest standards have been applied to a deep and forensic criminal investigation, which resulted in the prosecution of one person and one person alone.
If Mr Findlay had a shred of decency about him he would express his respect for the judicial system in Scotland and for the justice system in Scotland and leave the professional officers of our police service and our professional prosecutors to do their jobs, which is exactly what they have done.
Russell Findlay
Conservative
That was the usual desperate deflection from John Swinney. He is trying to shut down scrutiny, and we will not stand for it.
John Swinney says that the SNP is the victim, although there are new reports that taxpayers’ money was also stolen. If the SNP is the victim, did it exercise its right in law to seek a review of the Crown Office’s prosecution decision? Will John Swinney now follow the money, which bought a camper van, Montblanc pens and a home library? Is he taking legal action to force Peter Murrell to pay compensation or has John Swinney asked the Crown Office to use the proceeds of crime Laws to recover luxury stolen goods from Peter Murrell and Nicola Sturgeon?
John Swinney
Scottish National Party
If there is anything desperate about all of this, it is the desperation of a man who has led the Conservative Party into oblivion asking me questions about this issue today. That is what Russell Findlay is doing. [Interruption.]
Kenneth Gibson
Scottish National Party
Let the First Minister answer, please.
John Swinney
Scottish National Party
As a matter of fact, in court on Monday, the advocate depute made a verbal motion for confiscation in relation to section 92 of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002, and the decision on the matter will ultimately be for the court to make. Given that, as the Presiding Officer told us on Tuesday, the proceedings remain live until sentencing, I am unable to say any more beyond that.
The second point that I will make is in relation to the suggestion that there was public money involved in all of this. The only issue that could apply there is in relation to a policy development grant from the Electoral Commission. I want to reassure Parliament that, in order to receive funding, a party needs to apply to the Electoral Commission outlining the work that will be done in the forthcoming year, and to submit an audited report to the Electoral Commission outlining what grant funding has been spent on. It is only on receipt of the audited report that the final payment of the grant is made by the Electoral Commission. That confirms the point that I made to Parliament on Tuesday that it is SNP supporters’ money that has been embezzled, and not public money.
The last thing that I will say to Russell Findlay is this: the Scottish National Party has been affected by the loss of the resources as a result of this case, but what the Scottish National Party can rely on now is the most effective arrangements being in place to guarantee that the resources that we use are used to maximum effect. We used them to maximum effect on 7 May, when the SNP won 58 seats in the Parliament and the Conservatives were reduced to a hopeless rump of 12, sitting over there. They may grin all they like, but, for the seventh time in a row in this Parliament, we successfully got rid of the Conservatives, and the people of Scotland can breathe a sigh of relief that the Conservatives are over there redundant as a consequence of the election.
Question Time is an opportunity for MPs and Members of the House of Lords to ask Government Ministers questions. These questions are asked in the Chamber itself and are known as Oral Questions. Members may also put down Written Questions. In the House of Commons, Question Time takes place for an hour on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays after Prayers. The different Government Departments answer questions according to a rota and the questions asked must relate to the responsibilities of the Government Department concerned. In the House of Lords up to four questions may be asked of the Government at the beginning of each day's business. They are known as 'starred questions' because they are marked with a star on the Order Paper. Questions may also be asked at the end of each day's business and these may include a short debate. They are known as 'unstarred questions' and are less frequent. Questions in both Houses must be written down in advance and put on the agenda and both Houses have methods for selecting the questions that will be asked. Further information can be obtained from factsheet P1 at the UK Parliament site.
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