Nicola Sturgeon urged to speak out «in the interests of the party». Photo: Jane Barlow/Pennsylvania
Auditors SNP accounts have been shut down as sources warned that Nicola Sturgeon's silence on the party's scandal was becoming a «festering wound.»
On Friday, it was reported that Johnston Carmichael, an accounting firm that had worked with the party for more than a decade, quit due to a police investigation into the party's finances, in which Ms. Sturgeon's home was ransacked and her husband Peter Murrell was arrested. /p>
While the firm declined to disclose the reason for the exit, citing client confidentiality, the move was seen as a sign of a deepening crisis over SNP's financial position.
One senior supporter, Keith Forbes, who nearly lost the SNP lead, said: “If a chartered accountant firm says it doesn't want to audit, there's usually a serious disagreement with the client. Perhaps there is some inaccuracy or inconsistency.
“In general, there are so many questions that need to be answered and they will not go away. They will fester like a festering wound. Until they are answered, the new First Minister will be the victim of collateral damage.
“Nicola Sturgeon and Peter Murrell need to start answering all of these questions. What the hell is going on?»
They warned that the furor would continue for several months if Ms Sturgeon, the former First Minister, and her husband remained silent and the SNP could not begin to recover. She withdrew from the climate change event she was scheduled to attend on Thursday and went into hiding, and Mr. Murrell's whereabouts are also unknown.
The SNP has until July 7 to submit its next report to the Board of Elections or face possible sanctions.
Referring to the departure of the auditors, the source added: “This is a major event. Nicola Sturgeon, Peter Murrell, John Sweeney and Liz Lloyd — these people made up the inner circle.
“It's time for the four to speak out in the interests of the party. They got us into this mess and they need to get us out of it. There are more and more people in the party who are getting angrier and angrier and angrier every day as they watch the party they love explode and face destruction.”
On Thursday, Humza Yousaf, the leader of the SNP, insisted the party was in «good financial condition» but admitted that he «want it to be better.»
It is understood that the auditors retired prior to the arrest of Mr. Murrell, who had been SNP's chief executive for more than two decades.
The police investigation into party finances includes questions about how some £600,000 in donations were spent that were solicited for independence referendum campaigns that never materialized. Complaints were filed with the police after members noticed allegedly hidden money «disappeared» from accounts.
The £107,620 interest-free loan that Mr Murrell made to the party in May 2021, also allegedly wanted by the police. According to the latest public financial disclosures, the balance of £60,000 remains outstanding.
In recent years, the SNP has struggled to attract large donations, leaving the bulk of its income dependent on membership dues. . However, membership has fallen by about 30,000 since the last 2021 reports were published.
The party then had about 104,000 members, with an annual membership income of £2.5 million. As of last month, there were only 72,169 members.
Reports for 2021 showed SNP income of £4.5m and expenses £5.2m. In these reports, Johnson Carmichael stated that it was working with the SNP to avoid fraud or misrepresentation.
An SNP spokesperson said: “It would be inappropriate to comment on any live police investigations, but the SNP has been fully cooperating with this investigation and will continue to do so.
“At a meeting on Saturday, the SNP's governing body, NEC, agreed to review governance and transparency. This will be reviewed in the coming weeks.”
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