Wednesday will be the “final chance” for the SNP and Greens to “do the right thing” and back a parliamentary inquiry into Peter Murrell, Labour has said.
The party has tabled a motion which will be put before MSPs on Wednesday afternoon, ordering a Holyrood probe into the former SNP chief executive’s embezzlement of more than £400,000 spent on scores of personal items.
But the SNP has been resistant to calls, with First Minister John Swinney saying there “can be no higher investigation” than the police probe, dubbed Operation Branchform, which snared Murrell.
But ahead of the vote, Labour deputy leader Jackie Baillie said: “It is without doubt that there are still significant and serious questions to be answered about Peter Murrell’s criminal activity and the SNP culture that enabled it to happen.
“For years, those at the top of the SNP have sought to shut down and silence whistleblowers and cover up any wrongdoing.
“That has utterly eroded the public’s trust in Scottish politics and the governing party.
“It is right that lessons are learned from Operation Branchform and this terrible scandal so that we can give the public the reassurances they need, particularly when it comes to how their money is handled.”
Ms Baillie went on to appeal to SNP and Green MSPs to back the party’s attempts to set up the inquiry.
“We know that John Swinney and others within the SNP, along with Ross Greer, have had close friendships with Murrell, openly praising him for his stewardship of the SNP as chief executive,” she said.
“However, they must set aside their personal connections with Murrell and realise that it is only right that we now have an inquiry into this scandal to allow Scotland to move forward.
“They have so far dug their heels in on the issue of an inquiry, but they still have a final chance to do the right thing, back the motion and allow the Scottish Parliament to hold an inquiry.”
A spokesman for the SNP said: “Jackie Baillie just chaired the Labour campaign which led them to their worst result in history, and it is not difficult to see why.
“Rather than focusing on the priorities of the people of Scotland, Labour are focused on smears like this.
“The SNP has been the victim of a crime, which has been uncovered after a forensic police investigation.”
The Scottish Government has also tabled an amendment to the motion, which claims the probe would be a “conflict of interest” due to MSPs looking into the affairs of “rival political parties” and urges “elected representatives to use their parliamentary time to address matters that will improve the lives of the people of Scotland including, tackling the cost-of-living crisis, improving public services such as this NHS and taking climate action”.
A Green amendment will also call for an independent review of political party finances in a bid to avoid a “nakedly partisan process”.
The Scottish Greens have been contacted for comment.
