The Invisible Rabbit
Further to Monday’s letter from the Deputy Chief Constable, we’ve submitted the following Freedom Of Information request to Police Scotland.
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To: FOI <foi@scotland.police.uk>
15 July 2026
This week I received a letter from DCC Stuart Houston. It notes in part:
“During this time, Police Scotland utilised financial investigators, financial analysts and a forensic accountant to fully investigate the circumstances surrounding reported irregularities. Consideration was given to other crime types, such as, but not limited to, those listed in your letter.
These matters were also fully investigated, and all of the circumstances were reported to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service for advice and guidance.”
As Police Scotland announced that Operation Branchform was closed on 26 May 2026 and is no longer a live investigation requiring confidentiality, and as the matter is of such great public interest – involving as it does the extremely grave matters of public confidence in the Scottish Government and the integrity and independence of Police Scotland and COPFS when investigating potential crimes committed by members of that government – the information I request is therefore as follows:
(1) What advice and guidance was received from the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service specifically regarding the initial complaint about the Scottish National Party’s suspected misappropriation of “ringfenced” fundraiser money (rather than the subsequent offence of embezzlement against the Party for which Peter Murrell was prosecuted and convicted)?
(2) On which date/s was this advice and guidance received?
(3) On which date (an approximate one, eg “August 2023” or “Spring 2022”, will suffice if a more precise one cannot be identified) did Police Scotland cease investigations into the original complaint of misappropriation of funds by the SNP (again as opposed to Peter Murrell’s subsequent embezzlement from the Party)?
(4) Did they do so on the grounds that (a) no crime was identified, or that (b) there had been a crime but the perpetrator/s could not be identified, or that (c) there had likely been a crime but evidence was insufficient for a prosecution, or for some other reason?
In the interests of transparency I can see no justifiable reason for these facts being withheld from the public.
The integrity of the government, police and prosecution service is not a matter of mere curiosity or prurience. It is vital to public faith in national institutions and I will pursue this matter with the Information Commissioner if necessary.
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We’ll be sending a similar one to the Crown Office, and our solicitor will also be writing to Police Scotland separately. We’ll continue to keep you posted.
Thank you for all your work on this important matter. I can’t believe that the mainstream media doesn’t seem to care.
Enigmatic headline. Was the, “invisible rabbit” pulled from a visible or invisible hat?
Or could it be a “Cheshire” rabbit, perhaps?
I am now old enough to remember ‘The Profumo Scandal’ of over 60 years ago. John Profumo was not forced to resign in disgrace for Shagging Christine Keeler, but, for lying to Parliament about it.
Of course, that was then – different times – lying to Parliament no longer appears to be wrong. But, he was caught, not for the “crime” but for the cover-up.
The SNP has not got itself into bother for misusing the ring-fenced funds, but through its attempted cover-up.
Do politicians never learn? Mind you, I have said on these pages before, re-appointing John Swinney as Leader, following his failure first time round does appear to be a sure sign of madness at the top in the party.
Socrates MacSporran
I too am old enough to remember the profumo scandal, and yes, it was his lying to Parliament that was his downfall.. I also remember well when Swiney was leader from 2001-2003, & what a disaster of a leader he was back then… He is even worse today, because he IS a liar, & one that gets away with his lying..Everyone talks about how Sturgeon got rid of those she feared could take and do her job better, makes me think Swiney taught her well? Because as the leader of a party that was formed to get INDEPENDENCE, he had a great fear of people like our late Great Margo, so much so, he intended to stick her 5th on the list, SNP were just a list party back then..But putting a hero for Indy 5th on the list meant she could never win a seat, so he too was FEART of the competition…Had it not been for Campbell Martin alerting Margo to Swiney’s intentions, she would have been kicked to the kerb by Swiney, but Margo was too clever for the likes of Swiney, she resigned from the party, stood as an INDEPENDENT and WON her seat…Swiney back then also made it clear he favoured devolution.. NOTHING about
that man has changed, he is still a Liar and still the most useless of leaders, unfortunately there is NO Alex Salmond to step up and oust him as leader today..
REDACTOR MAN has been the only job he got right from letting the truth be known..
The smell isn’t going away, it’s only getting worse.
Your investigative journalism should win awards Stu. It shames the rest of the media. What you are doing is vital for democracy. Thank you.