The Massive Face Of Truth
Posted on
June 07, 2026 by
Rev. Stuart Campbell
If you’d like to watch a 21-minute video of me banging on about Operation Branchform and whatnot to the Scottish Sun, click the image below.
If you’d rather not, best not to.
Anything back from the policing and prosecutorial branches of the SNP yet?
Well done. Keep the pressure on. Keep asking the questions – this could not be more important.
Where are the adults in Scotland though? Why aren’t the Scots literally on the streets demanding that this horrible mess is cleared up properly? The whole country is demeaned by the current tawdry farce.
If wrongdoing at the top of the SNP is limited to Peter Murrell’s embezzlement of member funds, this will be confirmed by a properly constituted and independent inquiry. Those making political capital from the current chaos will be shown to be wrong, and will have to wind their necks in.
If wrongdoing is not limited to Murrell then all of those complicit – whether in an active sense or by turning a blind eye – will need to be removed from public office and positions of responsibility.
The answer surely is not endless speculation, conspiracy theories, selective leaks and tribal point-scoring. The answer is sunlight. Establish an inquiry chaired by a senior judge from outside Scotland, supported by forensic accountants and independent counsel, with full powers to compel documents and witness testimony. Examine the fundraising, the governance, the handling of party finances, the decision-making processes and the actions of all relevant individuals. Conduct the exercise transparently and publish the findings in full.
Most importantly, the inquiry must be independent not only in fact but in appearance. Given the unusual constitutional arrangements in Scotland, and the extent to which public confidence has already been damaged, it is not enough for people to be told to trust existing institutions. The process must be designed so that a reasonable observer can have confidence in its conclusions regardless of whether those conclusions are ultimately favourable or unfavourable to the SNP.
The question is not whether the SNP should be protected, nor whether it should be punished. The question is whether Scotland is prepared to establish the truth and accept wherever that truth leads. If the party and its leadership are largely innocent, they deserve to be exonerated. If they are not, they deserve to be held accountable. Either outcome would be preferable to the corrosive limbo in which Scotland currently finds itself.
What makes the current situation particularly depressing is that Scotland has traditionally prided itself on the strength of its institutions, its distinct legal system, its intellectual seriousness and its commitment to the rule of law. For centuries Scotland has punched above its weight in science, philosophy, engineering, medicine, economics and public life. It is a nation whose influence has often far exceeded its size. Yet all of that ultimately rests upon public confidence that institutions are worthy of trust and that no individual, party or movement is above scrutiny. Allow uncertainty, opacity and perceived favouritism to fester for long enough and that reputation begins to erode.
At the moment nobody wins. Public confidence continues to drain away, institutions appear compromised, rumours fill the vacuum left by uncertainty, and Scotland’s reputation suffers further damage. A mature democracy should be capable of doing better than this.
Hi Stuart, how did you gain access to the Murrell’s house to conduct your interview with ‘The Sun’?
KICK ‘EM IN THE PRONOUNS, STU
Very good interview from Connor and credit to The Sun for it too. You’ve got a great way with words, Stu – the Swinney in a burning house analogy etc. Also like the backdrop of the bookshelves to make Sturgeon green with envy.
Funny thing is, if the SNP had been honest at the beginning and said they needed money to repay the Weir loan, then i think a lot of supporters would still have given them the funds, and in consequence the Murrell embezzlement might never have been discovered after your revelations about the missing “ringfenced” money.
All any decent people want is our politicians of all parties to be held accountable, be honest and admit mistakes. The SNP/ Scot Gov fail on all counts.
Pieces like this one in The Sun are very important. It is disgraceful that most papers seem to have taken this extraordinary deck by the police lying down.
I got a four figure sum returned on behalf of my wife and I for donations made in 2017 and 2019; but not before I had threatened to take my complaint to Police Scotland. This threat seemed to motivate them to act with remarkable efficiency!