THERE’S more pressure on the SNP’s treasurer after members of the party’s Common Weal Group asked him to explain what has happened to money raised for fighting indyref2.
On Wednesday, Colin Beattie wrote to donors in a bid to “quash rumours” that money supposedly ringfenced for fighting the next referendum had already been spent.
It came after the Electoral Commission published the financial accounts, showing the NP’s had £96,854 in the bank.
That’s despite two major fundraising drives for an indyref2 fighting fund in recent years.
Following speculation on the Wings Over Scotland blog, Beattie wrote to party donors to say that money raised for indyref2 was being held in a “Referendum Appeal Fund”.
He said there was £593,501 ready to be deployed “instantaneously”.
READ MORE: SNP try to 'quash rumours' independence fighting fund has already been spent
However, there were questions over why that money wasn’t shown in the accounts. Former justice secretary Kenny MacAskill told The National: “This is creating more questions than it’s answering. The accounts should be clear.
“People shouldn’t be having to ask. The treasurer shouldn’t be having to put out an explanatory note.”
Now, the leftwing SNP Common Weal Group has asked for more transparency.
Convener Craig Berry said: “The SNP Common Weal Group believes in open, transparent governance. Party members have raised legitimate questions about the party’s accounts. These questions deserve answers.
“We appreciate that the Statement of Accounts does not give a full picture of the party’s current finances.
“We have therefore written to the National Treasurer to request that he provide further information to answer members’ questions.
An SNP spokesperson said: “The SNP’s accounts are independently audited and have been published by the Electoral Commission in the same regulated format for many years.”
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