Supporters of Scottish independence can still trust the SNP, leader Humza Yousaf has claimed – insisting members will still “dig deep” for the party.
Mr Yousaf was challenged over the ongoing police probe into the party’s finances, stemming from how more than £600,000 raised for a second independence referendum campaign was spent.
The SNP has been rocked by the arrest of Nicola Sturgeon’s former chief executive Peter Murrell and current treasurer Colin Beattie, both of whom were later released without charge pending further enquiries.
Asked if he would have the funds to fight the next general election, and if independence supporters could trust the party with their money, the SNP leader told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “They can and should.”
He said: “First and foremost, I have made it clear from the first day that I came into this position that we will have a governance and transparency review. That is very much underway.”
Mr Yousaf also said his party, which he said boasts around 75,000 members “relies on a grassroots membership” to raise funds, before adding: “No doubt our membership will dig deep.”
The first minister added that the party would “without a doubt” have the necessary funds for a general election campaign expected next year.
Mr Yousaf also said he does not believe there would be any reason “out of the ordinary” for a delay in a warrant for the search of Ms Sturgeon’s home and the party’s headquarters being green-lit.
The Scottish Sun said on Monday that a request to search the home shared by the former first minister and her husband, former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell, along with the party’s Edinburgh headquarters was made on March 20.
It took two weeks for the warrant to be approved and sent to a sheriff, the newspaper reported, and it was executed on April 5 – the week after the conclusion of the SNP leadership race won by Humza Yousaf.
Suggestions have been made that the delay aimed to ensure Mr Yousaf’s campaign for the top job was not damaged, but both he and the Crown Office have denied the claims.
The SNP leader told Today: “I don’t believe there will be any particular reason out of the ordinary that it would take that time.”
Mr Yousaf added: “I suppose that would be a question for the Crown, not questions for government or ministers or the first minister – we would never dream of interfering, neither in a live police investigation, but certainly not in a search warrant.”
A spokesman for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) said on Tuesday: “In all matters, Scotland’s prosecutors act independently of political pressure or interference.
“It is standard that any case regarding politicians is dealt with by prosecutors without the involvement of the Lord Advocate or Solicitor General. COPFS understand the interest in this case but to protect the fair administration of justice we urge restraint in public comment.”
Meanwhile, Mr Yousaf said the party’s new auditors are “confident” they can file the Westminster group’s accounts on time.
If the 31 May deadline is missed, the group could miss out on £1.2m of short money – public funds given to opposition parties to support their parliamentary work.
Mr Yousaf said: “We had a conversation with [the auditors] as a party... and certainly the last conversation we had with the auditors, they were confident in meeting that deadline.”
The party struggled for six months to appoint new accountants after the departure of Johnston Carmichael in October, a fact only provided to Mr Yousaf when he became party leader, with AMS Accountants Group hired earlier this month.
