A WESTMINSTER committee has deferred a potential probe into the SNP embezzlement case.
The Scottish Affairs Committee – which is tasked with scrutinising the "the expenditure, administration and policies of the Scotland Office, and its associated bodies" – said on Wednesday that Holyrood was the “most appropriate place” for an inquiry into Peter Murrell’s £400,000 fraud against the party.
The group of MPs had been weighing up whether to hold its own investigation, but in a statement the committee said it would await moves in the Scottish Parliament.
The committee said: “The committee agreed that Holyrood was the most appropriate place for an inquiry and it will await the outcome of the forthcoming debate and the establishment of committees there before deciding whether to undertake substantive work on this matter."
It came as MSPs prepared to vote on a Scottish Labour motion on holding an inquiry through the Scottish Parliament on Wednesday.
Patricia Ferguson, the Labour chair of the committee, will write to Commons authorities and the election watchdog to examine whether public funds were involved in Murrell's fraud.
The statement added: “In the meantime, the committee agreed for the chair to write to the clerk of the House, the Speaker of the House, and the Electoral Commission, to explore further the potential implication of public funds in the embezzlement of SNP funds.”
The Electoral Commission has already confirmed it reviewed grants of public cash to the SNP and found “no evidence” of wrongdoing.
In a statement released a fortnight ago, the watchdog said: “The SNP received policy development grants as set out in law. Parties have to report on their use of the grant, and have that grant expenditure independently audited. The Commission checks carefully that the grant is spent correctly.
“The SNP have provided those audits, we have checked them, and we have seen no evidence of misuse of policy development grant funds. If there is evidence of any misuse, the Commission will take appropriate action to safeguard public money.”
While the parties on the Scottish Affairs Committee – with the exception of the SNP – were united on holding an inquiry into the SNP embezzlement case, it was unclear whether it was within the remit of the group.
The committee’s remit is set out on the Commons website, which says it is responsible for the examination of “the expenditure, administration and policy of the Scotland Office and its associated public bodies”.
The SNP have previously railed against the suggestion of a Westminster investigation into Murrell’s crimes.
Dave Doogan, the party’s Westminster leader and a member of the committee, said it would be a “a complete waste of taxpayers' money” and “an unprecedented abuse of the House of Commons committee system”.
After the matter was raised at Prime Minister's Questions, Keir Starmer said he backed a Holyrood inquiry.
He told MPs: "These are clearly serious, legitimate questions that deserve answers and scrutiny, answers and scrutiny they're not getting. I do think the Scottish Parliament should look at them closely and I hope they'll listen to the concerns of this House."
