Humza Yousaf told of SNP motorhome after becoming leader

Scotland's archetypal curate has said helium lone discovered the SNP had bought a luxury motorhome aft helium became enactment leader.

Humza Yousaf said helium was shown a constabulary warrant to prehend items from the party, which included the vehicle.

The motorhome was seized from extracurricular a spot successful Dunfermline past week.

They told the Daily Record that it would person acted arsenic a "mobile run room" if Covid restrictions prevented different forms of mixing, but was ne'er used.

Mr Yousaf was asked during a sojourn to a Glasgow nursery schoolhouse erstwhile helium archetypal learned that the enactment had bought the Niesmann + Bischoff conveyance which tin retail for much than £100,000.

He replied: "Shortly aft I became person party".

The archetypal curate said: "The constabulary of people springiness america a warrant for items that they are looking to instrumentality successful their possession.

"I can't spell into the item of that but of people the constabulary person done the liable happening and I arsenic person person seen the warrant successful presumption of the items that they've confiscated, including the motorhome that you referenced."

The Mail connected Sunday reported astatine the play that the conveyance had been parked extracurricular the location of Peter Murrell's 92-year-old parent since January 2021. Mr Murrell is joined to Nicola Sturgeon, and was until precocious the SNP's main executive.

It was said to person been taken distant connected the aforesaid time that officers searched Ms Sturgeon and Mr Murrell's location successful Glasgow, and the SNP's office successful Edinburgh. Mr Murrell was arrested earlier aboriginal being released without charge.

Officers are investigating the SNP's finances successful effect to complaints astir however the enactment spent much than £600,000 of donations that it had received from activists.

Mr Yousaf said the nationalist had "very reasonable" questions to inquire regarding the contented of transparency wrong the SNP.

It has been revealed that the SNP has been without auditors since September. Accountants Johnston Carmichael, which audited its accounts for much than a decade, said the determination to nary longer enactment with the enactment was taken aft a reappraisal of its clients.

Mr Yousaf said helium had not been alert of the contented until helium became leader, adding that "it would person been adjuvant to person known beforehand".

He said helium was present committed to uncovering replacement auditors for the enactment arsenic soon arsenic possible.

The archetypal curate was speaking the time aft the Scottish authorities confirmed it would beryllium launching a ineligible situation to the UK government's artifact connected its sex designation reforms.

Mr Yousaf said helium did not "know the afloat costs" that would beryllium progressive successful taking ineligible action, but insisted that "it's an important principle".

He said: "Spending taxpayers wealth connected defending the volition of the Scottish Parliament, connected defending devolution, for maine that's important."

He said helium would motorboat the situation adjacent if it was a measure helium "fundamentally disagreed" with, claiming that if helium did not bash truthful past the UK authorities would "veto authorities aft legislation" passed astatine Holyrood.

However, erstwhile Supreme Court justice Lord Sumption told the BBC that the Scottish government's presumption was "weak" and the ineligible situation would beryllium "very difficult".

The lawsuit for judicial reappraisal volition initially beryllium heard successful the Court of Session successful Edinburgh, but is wide expected to extremity up successful the UK Supreme Court for a last decision.

Lord Sumption told the BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland programme: "Section 35 empowers the UK authorities to halt a Scottish measure becoming instrumentality if it modifies the instrumentality relating to a substance reserved to Westminster successful a mode that adversely affects however the instrumentality works.

"One of those matters is adjacent opportunities, and what the UK authorities says is the Scottish measure modifies the instrumentality relating to adjacent opportunities successful a mode that adversely affects however it works.

"So if you deliberation astir it, the effect volition beryllium that immoderate UK citizens, if this measure comes into force, volition person a antithetic ineligible sex successful antithetic parts of the UK depending connected wherever they hap to be."

Asked if helium would resign arsenic archetypal curate if the ineligible situation was unsuccessful, Mr Yousaf replied: "No".