We’ve already discussed the contents of the videos released last week by the BBC containing interviews with Deputy Chief Constable Stuart Houston of Police Scotland and Crown Agent John Logue of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service.
But videos (especially lengthy ones) are always a bit of a pain to reference, and these are incredibly significant documents, so we thought it’d be quite useful to post the full transcripts too, with the text tidied up (taking out all the “um”s and “eh”s and so on) for ease of reading.
This is the interview with Stuart Houston (John Logue’s is here):
And below is what’s said in it. We’ve added a comment here and there, in red.
I’ve just recorded an episode of the BBC ScotCast podcast, which should “drop”, as we say in the media biz, around teatime tonight. It focused largely on issues around Operation Branchform, and the fact that only one of the two crimes it concerned has been resolved.
Time always flies when you’re having fun, so I ended up not being able to fit in half the stuff I wanted to say in the 40 minutes I chatted with Martin Geissler (which will likely shrink to fit into the 30-minute broadcast slot by the time they’ve edited all the most libellous bits out).
And one of those things was the bewildering fact that the investigation into the SNP’s finances went on for two years before the police stumbled into the second crime, and the only one that’s actually concluded – Peter Murrell’s embezzlement from the SNP. Because the first crime ought to have been all but done and dusted in 24 hours max.
Alert readers will have found it hard not to notice that Wings is currently focused on trying to solve one mystery above all others: why nobody has been prosecuted for a massive theft of hundreds of thousands of pounds, which took place in open sight, beyond any dispute, and is openly admitted by someone who was there at the time.
Until this week, nobody in the two organisations responsible for criminal prosecutions in the country – Police Scotland and the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (the Crown Office or COPFS for short) had issued any sort of explanation of why the original Operation Branchform investigation apparently fell by the wayside when it led police to discover a second crime: that of embezzlement against the SNP by its then-Chief Executive, Peter Murrell.
But this week, with very little fanfare, the BBC quietly put out two extended interviews with senior representatives of those organisations, seemingly the unused footage from their half-hour televised documentary “Peter Murrell: The Man With The Money”.
This is the letter the SNP sent donors to the ringfenced 2017 fundraiser.
The terms are right there in the first sentence, and repeated several more times. The money will be “ring fenced for a future referendum”. It’s to “build up a sizeable war chest to fight the campaign when the time comes”. It’s to “ensure we are not outspent in the referendum campaign”.
There is no ambiguity in the email. There’s no mention of the SNP anywhere except in Jim Henderson’s email address. No suggestion whatsoever that the money could be used by the SNP for anything but a referendum campaign.
These are the people whose job it was to stop the leadership of the SNP from stealing almost £700,000 of “ringfenced” fundraiser money from independence supporters, and who utterly failed at that job.
It was also their job to stop Peter Murrell stealing the best part of £500,000 from the SNP, in a separate but related crime, and they failed at that one too.
A small handful of them (marked with red asterisks, but see postscript below) tried their best to do their duties, and were blocked primarily by one powerful woman – Nicola Sturgeon – and a room full of cowards, weaklings and bullies, listed above.
But as Peter Murrell begins a five-years-and-three-months prison sentence – more than we were expecting, in truth – let’s not lose sight of the key fact that the theft of hundreds of thousands of pounds of independence supporters’ money by the SNP, which accidentally exposed Murrell’s entirely separate crime of theft FROM the SNP, has still not been answered for by anyone.
Be assured, readers, that Wings won’t rest until it is.
Our first letter was answered/dismissed by “Service Adviser 1989847”, so this reply to our second one, while it doesn’t say much, definitely feels like a step up.
Our KC has offered all possible assistance to the Cyber and Fraud Unit in relation to the matter, and we’ll keep you posted with any developments, readers.
We received two emails today, just a few minutes apart. There are a couple of notable things about them. The first came from Claire Somebody at the Crown Office.
The second one, even more thrillingly, came from Service Advisor 1989847 at Police Scotland, which we assume is some sort of advanced crime-fighting robot.
In one of those emails, readers, is a three-word phrase that raised our eyebrows just about right off our heads. Before we chat any more, see if it jumps out at you too.
Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service
25 Chambers Street
Edinburgh
EH1 1LA
4 June 2026
.
Dear Chief Constable and Crown Office,
RE: REQUEST FOR CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION — ALLEGED
MISAPPROPRIATION OF RING-FENCED POLITICAL DONATIONS
I write to request that Police Scotland/COPFS open a criminal investigation into the alleged misappropriation of funds donated to the Scottish National Party (SNP) on the basis that those funds would be held and applied for a specific, designated purpose.
Hatey McHateface on The Nobodies: “The “Spanish Gibraltar”, Ceuta, is appealing for help from the mother country after an estimated 2 to 3 thousand Moroccans…” Jul 31, 08:26
Hatey McHateface on The Nobodies: “Aw, Dave, dinna be like that. Nae cant’s asking for a share of your humongous betting bonanza pay off. Although,…” Jul 31, 07:53
Hatey McHateface on The Nobodies: ““You do know in this day and age not every drink has to be alcohol based eh?” When toasting those…” Jul 31, 07:46
Jay on The Nobodies: “Will someone please explain why some comments have a ‘reply’ annotation and others, not?” Jul 31, 07:34
James Che on The Nobodies: “Remind me who rules the waves of England, if not the empire of GB. And who is set to dismember…” Jul 31, 07:32
James Che on The Nobodies: “Wales & Ireland need to wake up. But the police and army overall need realise that they are helping the…” Jul 31, 06:56
James Che on The Nobodies: “England aided by politicians, judges, police etc has sunk,” Jul 31, 06:30
James Cheyne on The Nobodies: “Scotland does not have time to carry on pretending England rules the waves.” Jul 31, 06:10
James Che on The Nobodies: “Watching GB news regarding the invasion of Britain through England of fighting age men arriving in large boats under dark,…” Jul 31, 05:56
DaveL on The Nobodies: “You just can’t shut up can you? You just spew any old rubbish that comes to mind. Who’d be Hatey?…” Jul 31, 03:11
Young Lochinvar on The Nobodies: “HMcH @ 10.54 I’m afraid I’ll just have to take your word for that. Voice of experience an’ that.. PS…” Jul 30, 23:21
Young Lochinvar on The Nobodies: “Between holidays and Mrs YLs big birthday I haven’t had a chance to see Odyssey yet, which I am looking…” Jul 30, 23:05
Hatey McHateface on The Nobodies: “Dinna fash, Auld Lochnagar. Wi a’ the glesses ye raise tae em, some loss o’ faculties is tae be expected.” Jul 30, 22:54
Hatey McHateface on The Nobodies: “Cheers, Alf, that’s me convinced. I’ll buy that bridge off you now. Remember your quoted price has to include postage…” Jul 30, 22:43
Alf Baird on The Nobodies: “““Want me to describe how”” Just to keep you happy, Hatey. ‘Burnham’s government is even more zion*st than Starmer’s’: https://dearscotland.substack.com/p/burnhams-government-is-even-more” Jul 30, 20:36
agentx on The Nobodies: “https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/politics/angela-constance-must-explain-snp-37491884” Jul 30, 19:44
Dan on The Nobodies: “After 6 years I wonder if this book is still doing the rounds. https://wingsoverscotland.com/brenda-isnt-a-sheep/” Jul 30, 18:02
Young Lochinvar on The Nobodies: “Errata Bell O the Brae.. My bad..” Jul 30, 18:01
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Fearghas MacFhionnlaigh on The Nobodies: “SCHOOLS MUST STOP PROMOTING ‘DAMAGING’ BOOKS BY LGBT ACTIVISTS TO KIDS Parents and campaigners are urging schools to stop using…” Jul 30, 17:31
agentx on The Nobodies: ““‘Queer Milk’ charity gets public money to promote chestfeeding For Women Scotland campaign group describes the taxpayer support as ‘nauseating’…” Jul 30, 17:11
Hatey McHateface on The Nobodies: “Aye, Dave, we’ll be independent by Xmas. And because you’re so confident, you’ll be laying down some big bets at…” Jul 30, 15:37
Hatey McHateface on The Nobodies: “Aye, Confused, it’s just as well that one Scot is better than ten English. What with them outnumbering us by…” Jul 30, 15:06
DaveL on The Nobodies: “Check out the colonialists! This post really got them excited Aiden factchecker wee Adolf. I think they must’ve wet themselves…” Jul 30, 15:05
MaryB on The Nobodies: “Surely, this chest feeding practice is challengeable in law? It’s child cruelty to feed these babies an inadequate diet. Human…” Jul 30, 14:50
Hatey Mchateface on The Nobodies: “Cut Northy some slack, CC. He’s providing lots of reasons why the more prosperous regions of Scotland, e.g. the Northern…” Jul 30, 14:36
Confused on The Nobodies: “Scotland’s status has long been pored over by academics, we may have even coined the phrase “stateless nation”. Much navel…” Jul 30, 14:30
Confused on The Nobodies: “https://x.com/KevorkAlmassian/status/2077142696817573985” Jul 30, 14:26
Hatey McHateface on The Nobodies: ““Craig Murray is proposing the physical seizure by civilians of key state assets and confrontation between the police/army” He’s maybe…” Jul 30, 13:57
