The Scottish National Party (SNP) has recorded a substantial write-down on a luxury motorhome bought by its former chief executive, Peter Murrell, in its latest accounts. The vehicle, purchased for £124,550 in late 2020, was initially intended for use as a campaigning tool. However, it was driven only a short distance from its pickup point to the home of Murrell's mother, where it remained until being seized by police as part of an investigation into SNP finances.
According to the party's 2025 accounts, the motorhome was valued at £100,790 as of January 1, 2025. By December 31, 2025, this value had decreased by more than half to £41,284. Murrell, who is the estranged husband of former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, pleaded guilty earlier this year to embezzling over £400,000 from the SNP. Sturgeon has stated she was unaware of the motorhome's existence. She was initially arrested as part of the Police Scotland investigation, codenamed Operation Branchform, but was later informed she would not face charges.
Independent auditors have raised concerns about the SNP's financial practices, suggesting that manual journal entries and related party transactions were at a "heightened risk of fraud." Despite these concerns, the party reported a cash surplus of £509,903 for the year, a significant improvement from a deficit of nearly £400,000 the previous year, attributed in part to a redundancy drive in 2024. The published figures do not encompass the period leading up to the Holyrood election in May.