A Conservative Member of Parliament has leveled accusations against former Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, alleging she lied about the scandal involving her estranged husband, Peter Murrell, and that she orchestrated a "stitching up" Alex Salmond to conceal the truth.
David Davis, a close associate of the late Alex Salmond, made these claims in the House of Commons, calling for a full judicial inquiry into the matter. Davis asserted that Sturgeon was aware of the crimes committed by Murrell, the former chief executive of the Scottish National Party (SNP). He highlighted luxury items Murrell embezzled from the SNP, including vehicles and personal goods, questioning how Sturgeon could have been unaware of these expenditures.
"My view on her denials is clear: she is lying," Davis stated. "She knew full well what her husband was doing and how those luxury purchases were funded."
Davis further claimed that Murrell had stolen from Salmond in the 1980s and that Salmond had previously warned Sturgeon about keeping Murrell as SNP chief executive. According to Davis, Sturgeon suppressed internal SNP inquiries into the party's finances, engaging in a "cover-up" to "suppress justice."
He contended that Sturgeon's "most evil act was stitching up Alex Salmond to hide their own crimes." Davis pointed to a new procedure for handling sexual harassment allegations, which he argued "deliberately targeted Salmond" and was later deemed unlawful. Salmond was subsequently acquitted of charges brought against him.
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Davis suggested that Murrell protected Sturgeon by ensuring that incriminating items were removed from the indictment against him, and that prosecutors working for the Lord Advocate halted further police questioning of Sturgeon. He described a "clear pattern of secrecy, obstruction and power used to protect power, a pattern started by Sturgeon."
"Scotland needs a fresh start. That starts with a judicial inquiry into this entire sordid scandal, because it is a scandal that cost Alex Salmond his life," Davis asserted, speaking under the protection of parliamentary privilege.
Meanwhile, UK Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch urged Sturgeon to be transparent and release a 26-page written statement she provided to police investigating Murrell in 2023. Badenoch suggested an inquiry should take place, either at Holyrood or Westminster if the Scottish Parliament does not act.
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Sturgeon, through her lawyer Aamer Anwar, denied the accusations, calling Davis a member of the "Old Boys Club" spreading "conspiracy theories" on behalf of Alex Salmond. She stated that Davis "hides like a coward behind the legal privilege of Westminster."
Westminster's Scottish Affairs Committee is considering an inquiry into the scandal and has proposed joint work with relevant Holyrood committees. SNP and Green MSPs had previously voted against a Scottish Parliament inquiry.
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An SNP spokesperson stated that the criminal actions of Peter Murrell were uncovered by a police investigation that found the SNP was the victim of embezzlement. It emerged after Murrell's guilty plea that Sturgeon had given a "no comment" interview to detectives in 2023, later submitting a written statement. While Sturgeon initially indicated she might publish the statement, her lawyer has since stated she plans to keep it confidential.