FORMER First Minister Nicola Sturgeon displayed a “remarkable lack of curiosity” over SNP finances, according to Joanna Cherry KC.

Ms Cherry, a former SNP MP made the remarks today in the wake of Peter Murrell’s admission to stealing over £400,000 over 12 years of his 20-year tenure as SNP chief executive.

As Mr Murrell languishes in Edinburgh’s Saughton prison awaiting his sentencing next month, Ms Sturgeon now faces questions on what she knew and when, not only as leader of the SNP during the period of pilfering, but as Mr Murrell’s then partner.

Details of Mr Murrell’s lavish spending of SNP funds have included a £125,000 campervan left at his mother’s home, as well as a Jaguar car, cosmetics, hairdriers, a £3,000 coffee machine and numerous other items stored at the home he then shared with Ms Sturgeon.

In a statement issued through her lawyer yesterday evening, Ms Sturgeon insisted she had been unaware of the campervan’s existence until the investigation, or of the existence of other items such as watches and games consoles bought by Mr Murrell with members’ cash.

“I want to reiterate that I had no knowledge or suspicion whatsoever that personal items had been purchased using SNP funds,” she said.

“In respect of any items I was aware of Peter having purchased, I had no reason to doubt that he had used his own money.”

Calling for an independent inquiry on BBC Radio Scotland, Ms Cherry said: “Nicola Sturgeon is very keen to paint herself as the victim here and to underline she is not guilty of any criminality.

“But what she is guilty of is a remarkable lack of curiosity and deliberate frustration of the attempts of those of us who were curious.”

The former MP, who resigned from the SNP NEC in 2021 after Mr Murrell “refused” access to the party’s books, added: “My issue is not so much whether she knew what was going on, my issue is why did she frustrate the attempts of those of us who were elected to do the job of financial scrutiny within the party?”

Arguing questions at the NEC were “met with a brick wall,” she said: “We were accused of trying to cause trouble, of being traitors to the party.”