In November 2020,forer SNP candidate David Henry emailed then-chief executive Peter Murrell warning that the party's financial practices risked driving away members. just over a month later, Murrell used embezzled SNP funds to pay off a £124,000 motorhome—a vehicle later seized by Police Scotland from his mother's home in Fife. The timing, reported by the Mail, shows that Murrell acted despite direct internal warnings and an ongoing legal dispute.

David Henry's November 2, 2020 Email Warned of 'Explosive' Damage

According to the Mail, Henry wrote to Murrell on November 2, 2020, stating: 'For a democratic party to be seen to be preventing its membership from having any say in its operations is not a good look and will cost us more members.' He added that he was 'aware of the financial position of the party' and that 'it is likely to get worse.' Henry also warned that others were about to go public with 'explosive and very damaging' issues, and that the membership drop would accelerate without greater transparency.

Henry did not receive a reply. He later described the SNP's response as a 'wall of silence.'

The £124,000 Motorhome: Embezzled Funds Paid Just 35 Days Later

On December 7, 2020—35 days after Henry's email—Murrell made four direct transfers from the SNP account totaling £112,050 to pay the balance on a motorhome, having already placed a £12,500 deposit using his party charge card, as the source article details. the vehicle, with only four miles on the odometer, was seized in 2023. Murrell admitted in court to embezzling more than £400,000 from SNP funds; his sentencing is set for June 23.

Henry, who had launched legal action against the SNP over a rule change that blocked Joanna Cherry from standing for Holyrood, told the Mail: 'He must have thought he was invincible and couldn't get caught—especially while his wife Nicola Sturgeon was shutting down questions.'

Joanna Cherry's Exclusion: A Rule Change That Sparked Legal Action and Whistleblowing

In July 2020, the SNP's national executive committee approved a rule change requiring sitting MPs to resign before contesting Holyrood seats, effectively blocking vocal critic Joanna Cherry from running for Edinburgh Central. Henry, who had collected complaints from SNP members about this and other 'untoward things,' said his concerns were met with silence. Cherry has since called for a pubilc inquiry into the embezzlement scanadl.

The rule change and subsequent legal action by Henry form the backdrop to his whistleblower email. Henry told the Mail that Murrell's purchase went ahead even after legal proceedings had begun—a sign, Henry said, of 'utter contempt' for party donors.

Scottish Tory Demands: Why John Swinney and Nicola Sturgeon Face Scrutiny

Scottish Conservative deputy leader Rachael Hamilton said the email proves Murrell 'increaseed his criminal activity' after colleagues flagged problems. She accused John Swinney and Nicola Sturgeon of 'sweeping this issue under the carpet' and enabling Murrell's 'crime spree with impunity.' Henry echoed that, saying Swinney is 'refusing to support any investigation.'

The source reports that the SNP was approached for comment but did not provide a response for the article. The lack of an independent inquiry remains a key unresolved question, as does the extent of knowledge at the highest levels of the party.