John Swinney has refused to apologise to two former SNP finance and audit committee members who were bullied into quitting from their positions after they raised concerns about the party’s finances in March 2021.
Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay challenged Swinney at First Minister’s Questions on bombshell interviews in The Sun and with LBC where Allison Graham and Cynthia Guthrie revealed that they were “bullied” by Nicola Sturgeon in a “toxic” meeting after they demanded access to basic financial information.
The whistleblowers said crooked Murrell was effectively given a blank cheque to embezzle and accused Swinney and Sturgeon of both being culpable of misleading SNP members and the public.
Findlay also accused new SNP victims’ minister Kirsten Oswald, who chaired the SNP’s national executive committee at the time, of trying to bully the whistleblowers into silence.
He says their testimony proves beyond any doubt that Swinney and others enabled Murrell’s crimes.
Findlay highlighted two separate BBC interviews in May and July 2021 in which Swinney said everything was fine with the party’s finances. Swinney insisted again at today’s FMQs that there is “strong governance in place” within the SNP.
He added that Swinney is terrified of an inquiry into the Murrell scandal because he is desperate to cover his own back.
Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay said: “At the height of her husband’s crime spree, Nicola Sturgeon ordered Allison Graham and Cynthia Guthrie to keep quiet, while John Swinney assured everyone there was no problem.
“The testimony of these SNP whistleblowers confirms beyond any doubt that Swinney and Sturgeon enabled Peter Murrell’s crimes.
“But even as they came to the public gallery, Swinney couldn’t bring himself to apologise for the way in which they were misled and bullied.
“The new victims minister also tried to bully these whistleblowers into silence and must be held to account.
“Murrell should never have been free to commit these crimes, but his childhood friend Swinney was at the heart of the cover-up then and now.
“And that’s why he’s terrified of an inquiry.
“Because the king of the SNP cover-ups is desperate to cover his own back.”