The day Nicola Sturgeon was sworn in as Scotland’s first female first minister, her husband Peter Murrell bought hair straighteners with an SNP credit card — a purchase that has now raised fresh questions about his plea deal and what the former first minister knew.
Court documents show Murrell ordered the £129 GHD V Lagoon Hair Stylers on 20 November 2014, the day Sturgeon was legally inaugurated at the Court of Session in Edinburgh. The straighteners were originally on a list of items allegedly embezzled by Murrell, who pleaded guilty last month to stealing around £400,000 from the SNP over 12 years while chief executive. But the hair stylers were removed from the final indictment shortly before the plea, along with other items including make-up, hairspray and fitness gear.
“Peter Murrell bought £129 hair straighteners with SNP credit card on day Nicola Sturgeon became first minister.”
Sturgeon has maintained that she had “no reason to doubt” her husband had used his own money for the luxury purchases she knew about. She said she assumed he could afford them because “we were both earning high salaries and, due to the responsibilities of my job, rarely socialised or went on holidays”. The couple kept separate bank accounts. Sturgeon’s lawyer has not disputed that the straighteners were bought for her, however.
Opposition parties have seized on the dropped charge. Rachael Hamilton, deputy leader of the Scottish Conservatives, said: “Even on the day his wife was being appointed as First Minister, he couldn’t resist making another high-end purchase. Given this item was dropped from his initial charge sheet, it only raises more questions about any potential plea deal that has been struck by Murrell. The Crown Office must finally bow to our calls to publish all the information in relation to this case, otherwise Scots will only grow more suspicious about the true nature of this scandal.”
Meanwhile, Scotland’s First Minister John Swinney has refused to say whether Sturgeon should hand back gifts Murrell bought with embezzled SNP cash. Asked if she should return the items, Swinney said it was a matter for the courts. The reasons for the hair straighteners being removed from the indictment are not known, but an agreement would have been reached between the defence and prosecution in advance. The unanswered questions continue to mount.