Peter Murrell stole at least £400,000 from the Scottish National Party. He simply could not have done so without the protection of his wife, Nicola Sturgeon, and his childhood friend John Swinney. During the crime spree, the SNP was in receipt of more than £10 million of taxpayers’ money. [Interruption.] I do not know whether Stephen Flynn is cheering me on or heckling me—he is probably cheering me on, because he is keeping his eye on the prize.

Last week, in the chamber, John Swinney told me that no public money had been stolen, but Mr Swinney also spent years denying the disappearance of ring-fenced independence funds—until yesterday, when he suddenly changed his story. Is John Swinney still 100 per cent sure that Peter Murrell did not get his sticky fingers on any public money?

I stand by the comments that I made to Russell Findlay. He may have noticed a quote from the Electoral Commission last week, which said:

“The SNP receives policy development grants as set out in law. Parties have to report on their use of the grant, and have that grant expenditure independently audited. The Commission checks carefully that the grant is spent correctly. The SNP have provided those audits, we have checked them, and we have seen no evidence of misuse of policy development grant funds. If there is evidence of any misuse, the Commission will take appropriate action to safeguard public money.”

Those are the words of the independent Electoral Commission. The police have carried out an extensive investigation and have found nothing to substantiate the abuse that has come from Russell Findlay today. [Interruption.] Russell Findlay is complaining about Stephen Flynn barracking him, but he is just barracking me, so I suggest that Mr Findlay should learn some lessons from what he has gone on about in his contributions. Russell Findlay has spent years coming here, abusing me and—[Interruption.]

Let us hear the First Minister respond.

Mr Findlay, you should not heckle someone when they are trying to answer a question that you have asked.

Russell Findlay was denigrating my personal integrity and reputation. I point Mr Findlay to the outcome of the election, when the people of my Constituency had the opportunity to reject me, having listened to everything that Russell Findlay and his sidekick piled out about me and my constituency. The Conservatives took another hammering in Perthshire North—not for the first time, but for the seventh time in this Parliament—so people do not listen to Russell Findlay and the Tories.

Dearie me—what a performance of crocodile tears. That was so sad. The SNP treats taxpayers with the same contempt as it treats its own members.

Former accountant Alastair Cameron joined the SNP in the 1960s, before half of that lot were even born, and he donated money to the party for years. He passed away a few months ago at the age of 89. His daughter Susan told me this morning that he would have felt betrayed not only by Peter Murrell’s theft but by those who did not stop Peter Murrell but facilitated and enabled his crime spree.

John Swinney has spent years defending every single indefensible SNP scandal, but all he has in response to this seedy crime spree is angry, fake deflection. John Swinney’s and Nicola Sturgeon’s complex web of stories is unravelling.

Please ask a question.

Does John Swinney not realise that his leadership is also unravelling because of his central role in this scandal?

What an absolutely pathetic spectacle to bring to the Parliament. My leadership was on the line in the General Election on 7 May. It was paraded by every one of my political rivals—week after week, Mr Sarwar and Mr Findlay questioned my integrity, so it was on the line. The people of Scotland sent me here to lead this country and Government. I will lead with privilege and pride, and I will always serve the people of Scotland. Mr Sarwar and Mr Findlay will always remain on the back benches, and the people of Scotland have sent them out there with a ringing message that they are not listening to either of them.