SNP says finances are balanced after crisis reports

The SNP has insisted its finances are "in balance" aft reports the enactment is facing a fiscal crisis.

The Sunday Times quoted the party's treasurer telling its ruling assemblage it was struggling to equilibrium the books owed to an exodus of members and donors.

The SNP told the BBC selective quotes had been taken retired of context.

On Saturday the caller person Humza Yousaf dismissed rumours the SNP faced bankruptcy, saying the enactment was solvent.

The SNP's National Executive Committee (NEC) met connected Saturday greeting pursuing a turbulent fortnight which has seen the apprehension of erstwhile main enforcement Peter Murrell and the SNP's offices searched by police.

When Mr Yousaf aboriginal faced questions astir rumours the enactment was facing imaginable bankruptcy, helium replied: "It's not. The enactment is solvent."

However, the Sunday Times reported that the NEC gathering had been told by enactment treasurer Colin Beattie that it was "having trouble successful balancing the books owed to the simplification successful rank and donors".

He besides warned that a apt Westminster by-election successful Rutherglen and Hamilton West successful the coming months could "put the enactment nether pressure", according to the paper.

The SNP said the study was misleading and insisted the enactment was acceptable to contention immoderate imaginable by-election which could beryllium triggered if MP Margaret Ferrier is suspended from the Commons for breaching Covid rules.

"Selected quotes being pulled retired of discourse are not an close practice of the lawsuit presented astatine today's [Saturday's] gathering of the party's National Executive Committee," a spokesperson said.

"The SNP's National Treasurer confirmed the party's finances are successful equilibrium and, arsenic Scotland's largest governmental party, we volition combat immoderate by-election with the volition to triumph - to suggest different is farcical."

Meanwhile,the party's erstwhile Westminster person Ian Blackford besides insisted determination was nary contiguous menace to the party's finances.

Asked if the enactment was solvent Mr Blackford told BBC Scotland's The Sunday Show, helium replied: "Absolutely, categorically, the SNP is solvent.

"The finances are successful balance. We volition beryllium capable to conscionable our obligations and liabilities going forward."

The Ross, Skye and Lochaber MP acknowledged determination had been "a dip" successful membership but added helium was optimistic the enactment would beryllium capable to reverse the decline.

He added: "When each is said and done we person inactive got implicit 70,000 members, members that are paying subscriptions, donations coming in, parliamentarians making contributions.

"As would beryllium mean we volition beryllium looking astatine however we tin rise further funds arsenic well.

"But the enactment volition beryllium acceptable to conscionable each its liabilities and volition surely beryllium acceptable to conscionable the challenge, if it comes, of a by-election successful Rutherglen implicit the coming period."

Last week Mr Yousaf revealed that helium had been unaware until helium became person that the SNP's auditors had resigned much than six months ago.

The steadfast Johnston Carmichael discontinue past September, and determination is interest the enactment whitethorn beryllium incapable to behaviour an audit owed successful July. The enactment has acknowledged difficulties successful recruiting caller auditors.

It was seized by constabulary from extracurricular a spot successful Dunfermline past week arsenic portion of an probe into the party's finances.

Former SNP main enforcement Peter Murrell, who is Nicola Sturgeon's husband, was arrested connected 5 April portion their location and the SNP's Edinburgh officers were searched. He was aboriginal released without complaint pending further investigation.

Mr Murrell resigned from his SNP presumption past period aft misleading statements astir enactment rank numbers were fixed to a journalist.

The constabulary probe follows complaints astir however the enactment spent much than £600,000 of donations that it received from activists to money a aboriginal independency referendum campaign.

Questions were raised aft accounts showed the SNP had conscionable nether £97,000 successful the slope astatine the extremity of 2019, and full nett assets of astir £272,000.

On Saturday the NEC approved proposals for an interior reappraisal of governance and transparency, arsenic good arsenic the assignment of a caller main enforcement done an "open and transparent" outer recruitment process.

Prior to the NEC meeting, 1 committee subordinate had suggested helium mightiness resign unless "forensic auditors" were appointed to analyse the party's finances. A forensic audit is utilized to uncover grounds that could beryllium presented successful a tribunal of law.

Bill Ramsay, the SNP commercialized national radical convener, had said: "I person been raising issues astir the governance of the enactment for immoderate time."

Mr Yousaf was campaigning successful the Rutherglen and Hamilton West constituency connected Saturday, wherever determination is the imaginable of a by-election.

Margaret Ferrier won the spot for the SNP successful 2019 - but was aboriginal recovered to person damaged the estimation of the Commons and placed radical astatine hazard by taking portion successful a statement and travelling by bid aft investigating affirmative for Covid-19. She present sits arsenic an independent.

If she is barred from the Commons for 10 days oregon more, that could trigger a callback petition, which would effect successful a by-election successful the constituency - though 10% of voters determination would request to enactment this for it to spell ahead.