'It was a pantomime’ | SNP insiders speak out on Peter Murrell and party finances

LBC News exclusive: Scotland Political Editor Gina Davidson speaks to former SNP insiders Cynthia Guthrie and Allison Graham, who say they raised concerns about party finances in 2021 but were ignored. In this interview, the two whistleblowers, who served on the SNP's Finance and Audit Committee in early 2021, allege they were “stonewalled”, faced a hostile backlash, and were treated like “patsies” as they questioned accounts presented by former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell. They also claim a wider culture inside the party discouraged scrutiny. Murrell has since been convicted of embezzling £400,000 of SNP funds. An SNP spokesperson told LBC: "John Swinney did not hold any position within the party, and was not a member of the party's NEC, during the time in question. "When asked about these issues, Mr Swinney was simply setting out the expectations any party member would have about the financial scrutiny that is provided for under the SNP rules. "Under the leadership of John Swinney, the party has undergone significant reform of its governance procedures. “As Business Convener, Kirsten Oswald was committed to transparency, and she ensured that updates from NEC meetings were displayed on the party website following meetings. "The criminal wrongdoing of Peter Murrell was uncovered by a complex and extensive police investigation years after the events in question. The SNP was the victim of that wrongdoing.” Nicola Sturgeon's lawyer has been contacted for comment. Listen LIVE to LBC News: http://l-bc.co/LBCNews #LBCNews #UKNews #LBC #SNP #PeterMurrell #NicolaSturgeon #ScottishPolitics #Scotland #PoliticsNews #GinaDavidson #LBCNews #BreakingNews