The Scottish Conservatives today accused “terrified” John Swinney of “using every trick in the book” to block an inquiry into the Peter Murrell scandal after the SNP rejected calls for Holyrood to work with a Westminster committee on a probe.
Patricia Ferguson, chair of the Scottish Affairs Committee (SAC), has written to the conveners of three Holyrood committees – standards, public audit and finance – seeking cooperation on an investigation into the ex-SNP chief’s £400,000 embezzlement.
In response to media inquiries, the SNP said: “The Parliament has already voted on this”, suggesting that they will override the likely wishes of the committees, which all have opposition majorities.
Scottish Conservative chief whip Tim Eagle, who is a member of the standards committee, accused Swinney of “running scared” of scrutiny of his part in the SNP finance scandal, and said the SAC now had no option but to investigate the governance failings itself.
Scottish Conservative chief whip Tim Eagle said: “John Swinney is terrified of an investigation into the Peter Murrell scandal and he’s using every trick in the book to block one.
“He and Nicola Sturgeon enabled Murrell’s crime spree by ignoring and silencing whistleblowers who flagged up problems with the SNP’s finances.
“The SAC has bent over backwards to cooperate with the Scottish Parliament and encourage them to investigate this scandal, but it has been rebuffed at every turn.
“I will be urging the Labour and Reform members of the standards committee to back me in calling for us to investigate the Murrell affair, but it appears the SNP will use every parliamentary means possible to thwart us, because Swinney is running scared.
“I therefore urge the SAC to press ahead with an inquiry of its own, as that appears to be the only way that the many questions this sordid affair has thrown up will be answered.”