John Swinney has been accused of ‘taking people for mugs’ after launching another push for independence based on ‘security’ and ‘prosperity’ amid the SNP fraud scandal.

The First Minister appealed for trust as his party reeled from the jailing of former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell for embezzling over £400,000 of party funds.

Nicola Sturgeon’s estranged husband robbed SNP members over 12 years to fund a lavish lifestyle of cars, watches, luxury coffee machines and rare whisky.

Against the backdrop of financial crime, Mr Swinney used his government’s first business day since the election to promise voters ‘greater prosperity’ and ‘more financial security’.

Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay called the timing ‘comical’.

He said: ‘Today of all days John Swinney is banging the independence drum - when the news agenda is dominated by his party stealing money from their own members and supporters, money the SNP promised to ring-fence for independence.'

He added: ‘John Swinney is taking people for mugs.’

While Scottish Labour’s Anas Sarwar said the SNP had ‘robbed’ and ‘embezzled’ opportunity from the people of Scotland by focusing on independence for the last 20 years.

On a day of humiliation for Mr Swinney:

■ The UK Government rejected his demand for a referendum within minutes of Nationalist MSPs backing him in a symbolic Holyrood vote

■ Keir Starmer said the SNP leadership have ‘questions that need to be answered’

■ Ms Sturgeon was accused of using ‘the tactics of organised crime’ and showing ‘a remarkable lack of curiosity’ about her husband’s extravagant spending

■ JK Rowling mocked Ms Sturgeon’s claims of ignorance

■ The FM was branded ‘delusional’ for insisting: ‘These issues are in the past’

Despite not winning the SNP majority he previously said was essential to breaking up Britain, Mr Swinney forced a vote on the issue regardless.

He conceded ‘Westminster currently says no’ to another referendum, but predicted UK ministers would change their minds and Scots would ‘resoundingly’ back the ‘golden opportunity’ of the ‘fresh start Scotland so badly needs’.

He said an independent Scotland would enjoy ‘greater security and prosperity as an independent member state of the European Union’.

He went on: ‘Greater prosperity because, because with the opportunity of independence, we have control over our own energy wealth and are able to trade freely with the biggest single market in the world.’

The SNP would also ‘give our citizens …more financial security, because they can see that help with costs is at the very top of this government’s agenda’.

Mr Findlay accused him of ‘holding Scotland back’ by plunging the country into five years of ‘constitutional paralysis’.

He said: ‘The timing of today’s debate is comical. Today of all days, John Swinney reckons the SNP can be trusted to take full control of an independent Scotland and our nation’s finances.

‘He didn’t get the majority he said would give him a mandate, but he still used the first debate in parliament to agitate for another unwanted and divisive referendum.

‘Propped up by the extremist Greens, his tin-eared approach confirms his arrant disregard for the express wishes of the majority of Scots.

‘He can fixate all he wants on breaking up our great country, but we will focus on improving the lives of those who work hard for a living yet are continually punished by the SNP and want parliament to focus on the real issues that matter.’

Scottish Labour deputy Dame Jackie Baillie added: ‘It is frankly mind-boggling that John Swinney, as a former finance secretary and now First Minister, was unaware of what was happening to the money in his own party, but thinks that he should be trusted with Scotland's finances.’

Reform UK leader Malcolm Offord said: ‘Why does the SNP indulge itself by continually debating matters reserved to Westminster? It’s something called a deflection strategy, because they don’t want to focus on the track record of what they’ve done in their day job.’

Scottish Green party co-leader Ross Greer said his party ‘believed that independence is the best choice for Scotland, not as an end, but as a means to a greater end’.

Later, during an urgent question about the Murrell case, Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton asked Mr Swinney: ‘If we are to believe the narrative account of the former First Minister that this was not a criminal conspiracy, then it follows that this was in fact a catastrophic failure of financial oversight.

‘If his party leadership cannot steward the accounts of the Scottish National Party, why on earth should our constituents trust them with the finances of our nation?’

Mr Swinney said: ‘The issues at the heart of this case are about criminality. They are about the rules being bypassed. That is what the police explanation was about.

‘It is incredibly painful to my party to be experiencing all of this, but we are the victims of criminality, and that is what I make clear to Parliament is the root of this issue.’

In a symbolic 72 to 55 vote, SNP and Green MSPs backed Mr Swinney’s plan to ask the UK Government to transfer referendum powers to Holyrood under a Section 30 order.

Mr Swinney declared: ‘Tonight the democratically-elected parliament of Scotland has spoken. Try as they might, the Westminster parties cannot wish away the movement for Scottish self-determination.’

Downing Street shot down the idea within minutes.

A spokesman said: ‘The UK Government does not support independence or another referendum. Our focus must be on delivery, not division.

‘The Scottish Government has work to do using the powers that it has to get the basics right, from the ferry network to our NHS and helping people with the cost of living.

‘Ahead of 2014 there was agreement across all parties, across civic society in Scotland and across the Scottish and UK parliaments that there should be a referendum.

‘There is no such consensus now.’