The Scottish National Party (SNP) has removed the value of a £100,000 motorhome from its balance sheet following the conviction of former party chief executive Peter Murrell, who pleaded guilty earlier this year to embezzling over £400,000 from the party. Murrell, the estranged husband of former first minister Nicola Sturgeon, was subsequently sentenced to more than five years in prison.

The motorhome, which attracted significant attention during the long-running Operation Branchform police investigation, was initially presented by the party as a campaign vehicle for use during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, court documents revealed that Murrell had purchased several motorhome holiday guides around the time of the acquisition, leading to criticism and ridicule over the purchase. The vehicle was parked at the home of Murrell's mother in Fife and became a symbol of the embezzlement probe.

Despite writing off the motorhome’s value, SNP financial statements published by the Electoral Commission indicate that the party still shows a £60,000 debt owed to Murrell. This sum stems from a loan Murrell made to the party in 2021. According to the SNP, this amount remains on its accounts because Murrell has not "formally requested" repayment, and it is unclear whether the party will need to repay the loan. A party spokesperson stated that following Murrell’s guilty plea, the SNP is actively pursuing the full recovery of the stolen funds and will not be making any payments to him.

A proceeds-of-crime hearing is scheduled for the following month where the SNP plans to seek the repayment of the embezzled money from Murrell.

The investigation cleared Nicola Sturgeon and former SNP treasurer Colin Beattie of wrongdoing while focusing on Murrell’s misconduct. Meanwhile, Scottish Conservative finance spokesman Craig Hoy criticized the situation, expressing astonishment that the party technically still owed money to Murrell. Hoy described the motorhome as Murrell’s “most expensive criminal purchase” and suggested that if confidence in the SNP is waning even among its supporters, party leadership should prioritize issues beyond independence.

The SNP has not indicated any new developments regarding the outstanding £60,000 loan, maintaining that the repayment status depends on Murrell’s formal actions.