PEOPLE in Scotland would take a “dim view” of Westminster politicians “interfering in internal SNP matters”, Stephen Flynn has said.
The Economy, Tourism and Transport Secretary made the comments in response to calls for a public inquiry at either Holyrood or Westminster following Peter Murrell pleading guilty to £400,000 of embezzlement from the party’s funds.
The Aberdeen Deeside and North Kincardine MSP was pressed on calls by Scottish Labour for a public inquiry into the embezzlement.
Flynn said that he was struggling to understand how a Westminster committee, whose purpose is to scrutinise the UK Government, would have the remit to investigate the internal process of the SNP.
The Scottish Affairs Committee chair Patricia Ferguson confirmed the group would consider the calls for an inquiry after Tory shadow Scottish secretary Andrew Bowie said there is now a “compelling argument” for a Westminster inquiry.
First Minister John Swinney has refused to support one at Holyrood.
Asked if there should there be a further inquiry either at Holyrood or Westminster, Flynn told LBC: “Look, I spent six and a half years at Westminster, and someone's going to have to explain to me how the remit of either the Public Accounts Committee or the Scottish Affairs Committee would go into the internal workings of a political party.
“And perhaps why if they are doing it to the SNP finances, that would extend to a lot of political parties if they want to have a holistic view.”
Asked if maybe they should also look at other political parties, Flynn added: “I’m not going to make that suggestion, I’m simply trying to understand how Westminster committees who are sent up to scrutinise the work of the UK Government departments would be able to do that, that’s for them to explain.
“I think the public here in Scotland would take a dim view of politicians in Westminster seeking to interfere in the internal SNP matters in this regard.
“And I’m quite sure that they’ll be making those decisions now.”
Asked for his response to the revelations of Murrell’s embezzlement, Flynn said that he put trust into the SNP and “particularly” the former chief executive, and that he and other SNP members had been “betrayed”.
He added: “I’m livid about that. I think party members who’ve grafted in their jobs and in their life and have given the little that they had to the party because they believe in something will rightly be upset and angry as well about his behaviours.
“I am comforted by the fact that a number of years ago now the party undertook a governance review. I am reassured by the outcome of that, the fact that we have the transparency and checks and balances in place within party headquarters and to the National Executive Committee (NEC) in relation to party spend.”
Noting that the process was started by former SNP leader Humza Yousaf and implemented by his successor John Swinney, Flynn added: “That reform agenda of our internal organisation has happened. I’ve got to have confidence that a situation like this can never arise again.”
Asked if he was confident that an embezzlement of party funds could never happen again, Flynn said: “I'm as convinced as I possibly can be. And you know I take that from the fact that the party has been wrestling with this for a few years. We did the governance review. The first minister has implemented change, positive change.”
It comes after the First Minister admitted that the £600,000 independence fighting fund has been spent, stating that it was “part of the resources available” within the SNP for campaigning.
Questions over the funds sparked Operation Branchform, the police probe that led to the revelations of Murrell’s £400,000 embezzlement from the SNP.
