Peter Murrell, who used to run the Scottish National Party (SNP) and was married to its former leader Nicola Sturgeon, was sentenced on June 23, 2026. He admitted to stealing about £540,000 from the party over several years.

Reuters first reported his guilty plea on May 25, 2026. The court heard details of what he did on June 2, 2026, according to the BBC.

Murrell held two important jobs in the party at different times — chief executive and chairman. These roles gave him control over the party's money. He stole over many years, not just once. This shows the party failed to have proper checks on how he spent the money.

Police Scotland started investigating the SNP's finances in 2021, calling it Operation Branchform. Murrell was arrested in April 2023. Sturgeon was also arrested but released without charges; she quit as First Minister in February 2023, before Murrell's arrest. The party has had two new leaders since then.

For a party about the size of the SNP, £540,000 is a lot of money. Members gave money to the party thinking it would be used properly. Because Murrell stole over many years, the party's budgets were wrong. Under Scottish law, stealing this amount from a party can result in prison time. This case was tried in Scotland's highest criminal court.

The scandal hurt the SNP badly. In the 2024 national election, the party lost the majority of seats it held in parliament in London. The financial scandal was part of why. People lost trust in how the party managed its money.

Nicola Sturgeon ran Scotland for eleven years, making many important decisions. Now her reputation is tied to the fact that her husband stole from the party she led. She has not been accused of any crime herself, but the connection is hard to escape in the public eye.

The SNP is still in charge of the Scottish government, led by John Swinney, but with less support than before. The other political parties — Labour and the Conservatives — are now using this case to argue that the SNP cannot be trusted to manage things properly.

Sentencing is now finished. What remains to be decided is whether the SNP will try to get the stolen money back, and how it will fix its money-handling rules. Police say their investigation is over, but they have not ruled out charging other people involved.

This case teaches a simple lesson: when one person has total control over money without anyone checking on them, theft becomes much easier. That is true for any group, not just political parties.