Operation Branchform

Operation Branchform was a Police Scotland investigation into fundraising fraud in the Scottish National Party (SNP) that was launched in July 2021 and concluded in March 2025. The investigation concerned allegations that £666,953 raised by the SNP since 2017 specifically to campaign for independence in a proposed second Scottish independence referendum was in part improperly spent on other activities. Operation Branchform precipitated the resignation of Nicola Sturgeon as SNP leader and First Minister of Scotland in 2023, and resulted in the prosecution of Sturgeon's husband and former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell for embezzlement in 2025.

Described as "the highest-profile scandal of the Scottish devolution era", Operation Branchform lasted for nearly four years, covered the tenures of three First Ministers and two Chief Constables of Police Scotland, and ultimately cost over £2.1 million. The investigation saw the highly-publicised arrests of Peter Murrell, Nicola Sturgeon, and SNP treasurer Colin Beattie. Media coverage of Operation Branchform and perceived delays in bringing the case to a conclusion led both the SNP's supporters and its opponents to claim that the investigation had been politicised. In March 2025, Police Scotland concluded their investigations into Sturgeon and Beattie, with no charges being filed against them. Murrell was charged with embezzlement and appeared in court for the first time on 20 March 2025.