Forget Burrell, Glasgow should showcase the Murrell Collection - Vladimir McTavish

The question I asked myself at the time was “why?” Why would somebody is charge of the fortunes of a political party intentionally defraud that party?

‘Nicola was probably too busy running the country, to check up on how much Peter was spending on kitchen appliances,’ says Vladimir. Picture: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images

Now that he has pleaded guilty and it is obvious that he nicked all the money, my question still remains “why?”

Why would anybody steal nearly half-a-million quid just to pay for some of the ridiculous items he bought with his ill-gotten gains?

Fair enough, it strikes me as understandable that if you really wanted to buy a motorhome or a high-end Jag, I can imagine one might be tempted.

But who would want to pay over nine grand for two watches and be tempted to nick the money to buy them? They are only watches, they can’t be that special.

Likewise, who would be so desperate to buy a £4k fountain pen?

Also, who would spend over two thousand quid on salt and pepper grinders? Most us would think this stuff was grossly over-priced.

I would never consider ripping off my employer in order to then get ripped off myself.

Paying £650 on advent calendars, three-and-a-half grand on a silver wine coaster and a similar amount on a coffee machine. Does it seem worth committing a serious crime to buy all that stuff? No, me neither.

However, one important question remains unanswered. What are the cops going to do with all this over-priced tat?

I personally think they should go in a museum for the public to see. In Pollok Park in Glasgow, there is an art gallery housing the Burrell Collection. I reckon they should be able to find room to squeeze in the Murrell Collection.

Opposition parties have obviously seen this as a chance take this as a chance to give the SNP a kicking. However, this is not a national scandal involving mis-use of public money.

This is a case of mis-use of party money. The SNP are actually the real victims of this crime.

Meanwhile, the right-wing press are taking this as a chance to further smear Nicola Sturgeon. The Daily Mail was yelling from its front page on Wednesday that the former First Minister should “come clean”.

She’s come clean several times in the last three years. She’s been cleared by the police of any crime. Also, if she didn’t know what her husband was up to, she is the biggest victim in this sorry tale. It has ended her political career after all.

Anyway, why would she know what he was buying with his or the SNP’s money? She was hardly going to go round John Lewis’s kitchen department with Murrell when he was buying pepper pots and coffee machines.

After all, she was FM at the time. I’m guessing she was wee bit busy running the country, to check up on how much he was spending on kitchen appliances.

What is clear is that Peter Murrell is facing a lengthy stretch in jail. Plenty of time to reflect on whether that salt and pepper grinder was really worth the risk.