Nicola Sturgeon’s ex-husband Peter Murrell had access to millions in taxpayer cash during his 12-year embezzlement campaign, according to the Telegraph. Between 2010 and 2022, when Murrell splashed more than £400,000 from the SNP’s coffers on all kinds of luxury goods, the Electoral Commission paid the party £2.2 million in annual grants. That works out at £175,000 a year courtesy of the taxpayer…
The SNP pooled the money with donations and membership fees in a single account, which is the same pot Murrell raided for Bremont watches, Jura coffee machines, Montblanc pens, a motorhome, and (bizarrely) a copy of Grand Theft Auto V. He is due to be sentenced next month…
It isn’t yet known how much the taxpayer supported Murrell’s spending habits. The calls for an independent inquiry are growing louder, with Joanna Cherry, Scottish Tory leader Russell Findlay, and ex-chairman of the committee on standards in public life Sir Alistair Graham among the voices demanding a probe. Sturgeon herself maintains she knew absolutely nothing about any of this…
Tom Baldwin, author of Starmer’s hagiography, spoke to Times Radio:
Tom Baldwin: “I think he’d like to do something. He’s very dutiful and driven by service. That’s why he came into politics. I think that’s characterised his time as prime minister. He hasn’t always sought popularity or been good at being popular. But I think he has some of the necessary qualities that we actually do want in a prime minister. That resilience, that relentlessness, that ability to carry the weight and the job really does weigh very heavily on people and he carries that weight very, very well.”
Jo Coburn: “NATO Secretary-General?”
Tom Baldwin: “I think that’s something that he would be interested in. I think it probably requires Andy Burnham’s government to support him in that and these are some of the questions which Andy Burnham has to resolve quite quickly.”