The crisis engulfing the Scottish National Party deepened dramatically on Monday with the arrest of its treasurer.
The police move sent political tremors rippling south to Westminster as a major reshaping of Scotland’s politics could sway the outcome of the next General Election. The arrest of SNP treasurer Colin Beattie, 71, also piled further pressure on ex-party leader Nicola Sturgeon.
News broke shortly after 9am of the latest twist in the police probe into the SNP.
A Police Scotland statement said: “A 71-year-old man has today, Tuesday, 18 April 2023, been arrested as a suspect in connection with the ongoing investigation into the funding and finances of the Scottish National Party. The man is in custody and is being questioned by Police Scotland detectives. A report will be sent to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service.”
On Tuesday evening, police said Mr Beattie had been released without charge pending further investigation.
The arrest of Mr Beattie, who also serves as a member of the Scottish Parliament for Midlothian North and Musselburgh, is the second in relation to the investigation into how more than £600,000 in donations to the party earmarked for an independence referendum had been used.
Earlier this month, former party chief executive Peter Murrell was arrested and questioned for more than 11 hours before being released without charge “pending further investigation”. Mr Murrell is Ms Sturgeon’s husband.
Officers spent two days searching their Glasgow home and the SNP headquarters in Edinburgh. They also seized a luxury motorhome from outside a house in Dunfermline.
The SNP has 45 seats at Westminster, the Tories six Scottish MPs, and Labour just one. Pollsters believe that if the SNP implodes, Labour could pick up three seats for every one gained by the Tories.
If Sir Keir Starmer gained 15 to 20 seats in Scotland, which until recently looked unlikely, it would open up an easier possible path for him to No10.
He would still need to make seismic gains in other parts of Britain including in the former “Red Wall” constiuencies. But a weakened SNP would make it harder for the Tories to target voters by warning that a vote for Labour could lead to a coalition between it and the SNP, as happened during the 2015 General Election.
Labour, whose deputy leader Angela Rayner was in Scotland campaigning with Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar yesterday, and the Tories quickly seized on the latest arrest.
Scottish Labour deputy leader Jackie Baillie said: “This is yet another deeply concerning development and the Police Scotland investigation must be allowed to proceed without interference. For too long, a culture of secrecy and cover-up has been allowed to fester at the heart of the SNP.”
Russell Findlay, Conservative member of the Scottish Parliament for West Scotland, tweeted: “While Nicola Sturgeon avoids Holyrood following the arrest of her SNP boss husband, SNP treasurer and MSP Colin Beattie has now also been arrested as part of Police Scotland’s investigation into SNP finances.”
The former Scottish First Minister is staying away from Holyrood this week, the party confirmed, after a video of her seemingly playing down worries about the party’s alleged money troubles emerged.
The arrest of Mr Beattie, above, also overshadowed new SNP leader Humza Yousaf setting out the priorities for his Scottish premiership in his first major policy statement at Holyrood since he took over from Ms Sturgeon after he narrowly won the leadership election.
He will deliver a statement in the Scottish Parliament on his government’s priorities for the next three years on Tuesday afternoon.
