How it unfolded: The SNP finances controversy

The former chief executive of the Scottish National Party, Peter Murrell, has admitted embezzling more than £400,000 from party funds. His guilty plea follows Operation Branchform, a police investigation which also saw former first minister Nicola Sturgeon - who was married to Murrell - and former SNP treasurer Colin Beattie arrested and questioned. No charges were brought against Sturgeon and Beattie, and they were later told they were no longer under investigation. Here are some of the key dates from the long-running controversy and police probe into the party's finances. September 2014 - The referendum on Scottish independence sees voters reject becoming an independent country by a margin of 55% to 45%. The SNP leader and first minister Alex Salmond announces he will resign and in November he is replaced, uncontested, by his deputy Nicola Sturgeon. May 2015 - Despite disappointment at the referendum result, the SNP's political fortunes rise with many 'Yes' supporters joining the party. In May it secures a landslide win in a UK-wide general election. June 2016 - Voters across the UK vote to leave the European Union by 52% to 48%, but in Scotland 62% of voters want to remain in th