The financial dealings of Yes Scotland, the organisation behind the 2014 Scottish independence campaign, are once again under scrutiny. A formal complaint has been lodged with Police Scotland, alleging that £1.5 million generated by the group remains unaccounted for.
The complaint was submitted by David Henry, an individual who previously raised concerns about the SNP's finances and contributed to the Operation Branchform investigation, which led to former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell being convicted of embezzlement. According to Mr Henry, Yes Scotland Ltd's accounts from 2016 onwards show a zero balance, despite earlier records indicating a £1.5 million sum that now appears to have vanished.
Yes Scotland Ltd, established by Alex Salmond in 2008 to champion the independence cause, has not been operationally active since 2014. Its most recent dormant accounts, published last year, reflected a zero balance. The SNP has stated that Yes Scotland Ltd was an "entirely separate organisation" from the party itself.
The latest development follows Peter Murrell's imprisonment for embezzling over £400,000 from the SNP across a five-year period. Operation Branchform uncovered Murrell's illicit activities, and Scottish Labour's deputy leader, Dame Jackie Baillie, described the current allegations as "incredibly serious". She called for greater transparency from the SNP and a full financial audit.
Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay suggested that Murrell's crimes were facilitated by what he termed the SNP's "toxic culture of control and aggressive aversion to basic levels of scrutiny." He argued that First Minister John Swinney's reluctance to support an independent inquiry demonstrates a failure to learn from past mistakes, reinforcing the need for police to thoroughly investigate these latest claims. An SNP spokesperson reiterated that Murrell's criminal actions were uncovered by a comprehensive police investigation, which identified the SNP as the victim of embezzlement.
Source: Police Scotland, The Sunday Mail, Scottish Labour, Scottish Conservative Party, Scottish National Party