How did Operation Branchform begin? And where it led
How police investigation into concerns over party finances ended with guilty embezzlement plea
The Police Scotland investigation into the SNP’s finances - dubbed Operation Branchform - has resulted in Peter Murrell pleading guilty to embezzling funds worth £400,000.
It marks the end of a long process, with the probe into funds raised for a second independence referendum lasting years.
But how did it all start? And what happened in the investigation.
The money
After the UK voted to leave the European Union in June 2016, then first minister Nicola Sturgeon declared Scotland was being taken out of the EU against its will because 62 per cent of Scots voters backed Remain.
In March 2017, she announced plans for a second independence referendum. The SNP then launched a fundraising campaign.
By the time of the 2019 general election, nearly £667,000 had been raised for indyref2.
What happened to these funds would be what Operation Branchform would investigate.
Concerns raised
In October 2020, pro-independence blogger Stuart Campbell, the man behind Wings Over Scotland, highlighted that the SNP’s 2019 accounts showed it only had £97,000 in the bank and £272,000 total net assets.
In March 2021, three SNP official resigned from the party’s finance and audit committee after they were denied sight of the party accounts.
At the National Executive Committee meeting where they resigned, Nicola Sturgeon said the party’s finances had never been stronger and warned that anyone going public with concerns could impact future donations.
A few days later pro-independence activist Sean Clerkin made a complaint to Police Scotland about the SNP’s finances. Other complaints were reportedly submitted at the same time.
In May 2021, MP Douglas Chapman resigned as SNP national treasurer because he had not "received the support of financial information required to carry out the fiduciary duties".
He was replaced by long-serving treasurer Colin Beattie, who he had only taken over from six months prior.
Fellow SNP MP Joanna Cherry also resigned from the NEC, due to concerns “transparency”.
A month later then chief executive Peter Murrell, also Nicola Sturgeon’s husband, loaned the party £107,000 to “assist with cashflow”.
Operation Branchform
In July 2021, Police Scotland officially launched Operation Branchform.
Ms Sturgeon announced she was quitting as SNP leader and first minister in February 2023. It was later reported that police interviewed key witnesses days before this.
Less than a fortnight after Ms Sturgeon officially stood down, Murrell was arrested at their Glasgow home.
The house was searched and Murrell was questioned under caution, although he was later released without charge pending further investigation.
The SNP’s Edinburgh headquarters were also searched, while a luxury motorhome was seized from Murrell’s mother’s driveway in Fife.
Ms Sturgeon and Mr Beattie were both arrested in April 2023 and later released without charge.
Ms Sturgeon was arrested again in June 2023 but released without charge seven hours later.
In April 2024, Mr Murrell was re-arrested and later charged with embezzlement. Police Scotland submitted a report to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service a month later.
Ms Sturgeon announced that she and Murrell had split in January 2025.
The investigation against Ms Sturgeon was concluded with no charges in March 2025.
She had confirmed she would stand down as an MSP at the 2026 election just over a week earlier.
Murrell was charged with embezzlement in March 2025 and pled guilty on 25 May 2026.