Nicola Sturgeon

The BBC news site, currently has details from the court explaining how the accounts were falsified and doctored to look like justifiable spending.

Plevey08

He shouldn't have been allowed to be treasurer when his wife was leader of SNP. I hear she was advised not to. I suppose he might write a book (he has enough pens) and implicate her at some point. I've always thought he looked a bit creepy. But could he be trusted to be truthful and how vindictive might he be. I've never taken to her either but maybe that's unfair...just not sure.

Murrell was the Chief Executive of the SNP.

Not the Treasurer.

The SNP Treasurer should be fully aware of the Party's assets, accounts, funding and audits at all times.

I am a Scot but not an SNP supporter but I do think Nicola Sturgeon is telling the truth. I think she has integrity and essentially an honest person

pce612

Sturgeonthe was responsible for approving the SNP accounts, how could she not know?

Depends on what was written on the accounts. Presumably a fair bit was ‘ on expenses’ or covered up by general entertainment and hosting. I don’t know, but a lot seems to be coming out at today’s court appearance.

Mary Queen of Scots did flee to England , plus the fact that she considered herself the legitimate Catholic heir to the English throne. So which party Leader is she considering usurping? I believe her name was also suggested as a possible Ambassador to America!
The possibilities are endless.

Sturgeonthe was responsible for approving the SNP accounts, how could she not know?

As my mother would have said.This sounds like a bit of a queer how'd you do.

In a time when the word queer was used to describe odd or weird happenings.
Not the Gay Community.

I think.the whole thing has got a bit of a pantomime, comedic tone about it. Theatre of the Absurd vibe.

Maybe Netflix or one of the TV companies will.make a drama series about it.

A huge blow for the SNP who were held in such reverence.

Thoughts from a Sassenach.

Usedtobeblonde

I can’t understand how she didn’t know though.
It would seem so obvious to me that my H was spending far beyond our income.

That entirely depends on whether Mr and Mrs Sturgeon had an "our income" or not.

Nowadays, many married couples have his income and her income. They either have a direct debit account into which they each pay half of their joint outgoings for utilities, insurance etc, or divide those bills between them on the principle of "you pay the electicity, I pay the heating and so on"

The husband here may have had an overdraft his wife did not know about, or debts. It is st ill a criminal offence to open letters, including bills and final demands addressed to someone else, nor do married couples necessarily bank with the same firm.

So, yes, it is perfectly possible that a wife might not know, either how much her husband actually earned, or how much he spent. And these days, many husbands probably do not ho w much their wives earn or spend.

orly

She obviously needs to get her eyes checked. Not just for missing the "size of a small planet" camper van at her mother in law's but also for marrying her now ex-husband

The camper van had only 4 miles on the clock. Delivered to a storage area and then hidden at his mother’s. A fact reported in the court.
No reason for Nicola to know about it.
I’m not defending her, but I base my judgement on facts not speculation.

She obviously needs to get her eyes checked. Not just for missing the "size of a small planet" camper van at her mother in law's but also for marrying her now ex-husband

Oldfrill- I've just looked up what Nats and Yoons means on google- Nats short for Nationalists and Yoons short for Unionist- the 2 opposing sides in the Scottish Independence debate. Now I understand who you think would bid and pay inflated prices for Sturgeon's second hand jewellery.

I still disagree but time will tell...

LemonJam

OldFrill

LemonJam

Premium price for second hand jewellery is usually because of the previous owner's legendary fashion or style icon status, royal status, Hollywood star status, a global trendsetter or a cultural trail blazer.

An ex politician whose husband was convicted of embezzlement doesn't quite cut it to fetch a premium price.

She's rather more than an ex-politician

She's an ex politician and separated ex wife of a man convicted of embezzling the SNP party funds plus she's written a book as most political party leaders do as they leave office.

What else adds to her "celebrity status"? What is it about her that would lead anyone to happily pay more for an item of jewellery her ex husband gave her that was paid for by embezzled SNP funds?

I explained that in my Nats vv Yoons comment.

SueDonim

I’ve just seen this ‘blooper’ on the BBC, about one of the gifts Sturgeon was given. Given the mention of Mary Queen of Scots, it seems apposite. 😂

Only a small step from neckless to headless!

I’ve just seen this ‘blooper’ on the BBC, about one of the gifts Sturgeon was given. Given the mention of Mary Queen of Scots, it seems apposite. 😂

They say that London is a lovely city.
She will probably enjoy her stay there.

Well Mary Queen of Scots didn't want to come to England so what's Nicola's excuse? Anyway she might have sorted out her very own Lord MotorHome Darnley first. Whacked him with the Lalique pepper grinder, run him over with Husqvarna robotic lawnmower, tied him up and forced him to listen to the Musical Sleigh Advent calender from Fortnums for ever and ever I mean the possibilities were endless. Missed opportunities I say

eazybee

^experts point out that holding a spouse civilly liable for a partner’s hidden criminal actions is highly complex^

Complicated by the fact that she was also appointed him, signed of the accounts,thwarted attempts at an investigation, and was his boss.

Eazybee- John Swinney appointed Peter Murrell as SNP CEO in 2001, during Swinney's first stint as party leader.

Murrell did not marry Sturgeon until 2010.

The method of signing off SNP annual accounts should be through a formal, multi step governance and audit procedure before submission to the Electoral Commission. That is National Treasurer to NEC to an independent Audit by an external to SNP registered accountancy firm to Electoral Commission. A lot of accountability steps even AFTER leaving Sturgeon's oversight. Yet Murrell embezzled funds over a long period- some 12 ears or so. Something went badly wrong somewhere at each of those steps and it's not all down to Sturgeon.

Sturgeon would have oversight of the SNP financial position in order to report as accountable officer to the NEC. But she would not have knowledge of all the nitty gritty detail of each budget line. However my biggest concern is that three SNP officials who were members of the SNP finance and audit committee resigned in March 2021 because they were denied sight of the accounts. Just WHY- when that is their actual job? And what did Sturgeon do about it? What is it that assured her- knowing of those resignations, that all was in order in the SNP audit committee? The resignations took place 2 years before Sturgeon was arrested.

This is the one area of LK fierce scrutiny Sturgeon deflected expertly. The questions remain.

I'm pleased to read today however, Lord McConnell has called for the Westminster Public Accounts Committee and Holyrood's Public Audit committee to look into the financial aspect of the scandal, ie the management and governance of SNP funds. Scotland doing it alone could be seen as a cover up- Westminster doing it alone could be seen as an SNP hatchet job- hence joint enquiry would be better.

Sturgeon denied yesterday to LK covering up any financial problems in the party's finances or having any knowledge of Murrell's wrongdoing. However in light of those 3 resignations what degree of oversight Sturgeon did or did not have and what she should have done but did not do in relation to disciplined financial management of SNP funds remains a question.

Part of the funds were made up of donations but a large part by public monies and grants. This is the area Sturgeon legitimately should be held to account for alongside others along that audit chain right up to the electoral commission. If this investigation does not happen I would suspect a cover up and not just of Sturgeon.

Those that donated the £400,000 funds embezzled also deserve to know how it happened and went unnoticed for 12 years.

eazybee

She has sought sanctuary in England, just like Mary Queen of Scots, and it didn't end well for her.

🤣

Casdon

I think it was a generic statement about the legal complications of a civil suit eazybee.

Unless he has secret debts, Murrell’s assets will be used to repay the SDP, in all likelihood the motorhome, car, etc, plus his share of the house, savings and any other assets will more than cover the £400k plus that he embezzled. The chance of a civil suit to recover any, presumably small, residue from Sturgeon if he has insufficient assets is probably very low indeed, it’s just not going to be worth the candle.

I absolutely agree. There is no legal basis to seek financial reparations from Nicola Sturgeon for her husband's criminal actions.

OldFrill

LemonJam

Premium price for second hand jewellery is usually because of the previous owner's legendary fashion or style icon status, royal status, Hollywood star status, a global trendsetter or a cultural trail blazer.

An ex politician whose husband was convicted of embezzlement doesn't quite cut it to fetch a premium price.

She's rather more than an ex-politician

She's an ex politician and separated ex wife of a man convicted of embezzling the SNP party funds plus she's written a book as most political party leaders do as they leave office.

What else adds to her "celebrity status"? What is it about her that would lead anyone to happily pay more for an item of jewellery her ex husband gave her that was paid for by embezzled SNP funds?

I think it was a generic statement about the legal complications of a civil suit eazybee.

Unless he has secret debts, Murrell’s assets will be used to repay the SDP, in all likelihood the motorhome, car, etc, plus his share of the house, savings and any other assets will more than cover the £400k plus that he embezzled. The chance of a civil suit to recover any, presumably small, residue from Sturgeon if he has insufficient assets is probably very low indeed, it’s just not going to be worth the candle.

experts point out that holding a spouse civilly liable for a partner’s hidden criminal actions is highly complex

Complicated by the fact that she was also appointed him, signed of the accounts,thwarted attempts at an investigation, and was his boss.

She has sought sanctuary in England, just like Mary Queen of Scots, and it didn't end well for her.

MT62

loopyloo

She's in London!
I'm amazed.

I thought she wanted independence from us English 🤣🤣🤣

Lower taxes, booze available 24/7, more pawn shops

loopyloo

She's in London!
I'm amazed.

I thought she wanted independence from us English 🤣🤣🤣