Nicola Sturgeon’s husband Peter Murrell has been banned by the country’s top law officer from selling any property he owns. A public register shows the curb was put in place by the Lord Advocate Dorothy Bain, head of the Scottish justice system, weeks after the former SNP chief executive was charged in connection with embezzlement.
Operation Branchform is the police probe into how over £600,000 of indyref2 donations raised by the SNP were spent. Murrell was SNP CEO at the time of the donations and his wife was party leader and First Minister. Sturgeon announced their separation last week.
Sturgeon, Murrell and ex-SNP Treasurer Colin Beattie were arrested as part of the probe, but were released without charge. Murrell was then charged in connection with the embezzlement of funds in April last year and the case is ongoing.
According to a search of Registers of Scotland – part of the Scottish Government – Murrell had an “inhibition” slapped on him in June 2024. An inhibition is when an individual or company is prevented from selling property or from taking out loans on it.
The Register of Inhibitions (RoI), which is where the Record found the information, notifies the public about individuals who cannot “competently enter into voluntary property transactions.” The extract lists Murrell as living at the marital home in Uddingston he and Sturgeon co-own.
Sturgeon last week revealed in an Instagram post that she and Murrell had separated. A source close to the couple said the split was “amicable” and they are still living together at the home they share. The property was the subject of a police search in 2023 where forensic tents were set up at the house.
The public register search also refers to the inhibition being brought by “HM Advocate”, another term for the Lord Advocate.
Dorothy Bain is the Lord Advocate and she is the head of the prosecution system as well as top legal adviser to the Government. She recused herself from any role in the case and a legal insider said her name appearing on the inhibition was a technicality.
A spokesperson for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service said: “It would not be appropriate to comment in detail on steps taken by the Crown during an investigation. Court actions must be registered in the name of the Lord Advocate and that reflects a constitutional position and not personal involvement.The investigation into SNP fin-ances is being handled by professional prosecutors from COPFS and independent counsel with-out the involvement of the Lord Advocate or Solicitor General.”
Murrell could not be reached for comment.
Opposition MSPs last night called for a swift conclusion to Operation Branchform. Scottish Labour deputy leader Jackie Baillie said: “This ongoing investigation into Scotland’s ruling party has dragged Scottish politics into the gutter.”
Senior SNP figures want Branchform to conclude as soon as possible as they fear it could be damaging their electoral chances. In a recent article, former SNP MP Tommy Sheppard wrote: “We can’t not talk about it for ever. When I say talk about it, I don’t mean discuss the matters being investigated, nor comment on the evidence being considered, nor opine on the guilt or innocence of any individual.
“All of that is a matter for the courts and I have no desire to be in their contempt. But that does not mean that it is impossible to comment on the process itself or on the political impact that it is having. The investigation of allegations of misconduct by senior officers of the SNP has been going on for three and half years. And there is no indication by the agencies involved as to when it might conclude. This is having a corrosive effect on Scottish politics. At some point it has to end.”
In a statement last week announcing her split from Murrell, Sturgeon wrote: “With a heavy heart I am confirming that Peter and I have decided to end our marriage. To all intents and purposes we have been separated for some time now and feel it is time to bring others up to speed with where we are.”
Sturgeon and Murrell started a relationship in 2003 and wed seven years later when she was Alex Salmond’s deputy FM.
The former first minister has insisted she has done nothing wrong amid the police probe into party finances, saying in December: “It’s not something I have any control over and I don’t think it would be surprising to anybody to hear me say of course I wish it wasn’t there – but it is what it is and it will take its own course.”
Police Scotland has spent around £2m on Operation Branchform and officers completed their inquiries in August last year. A report was handed to the Crown Office and the force is awaiting further instruction. Eleven police officers are working on the probe.
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