The Scottish independence movement's handling of finances has been thrown back into the spotlight after Yes Scotland was forced to hand over its accounts to the police following a complaint about unaccounted-for income. The organisation, which spearheaded the 2014 referendum campaign, is at the centre of an investigation into allegations that it failed to disclose £1.5m in donations.
The complaint, lodged by David Henry, claims that Yes Scotland received this substantial sum but did not account for it in its financial records. However, lawyers representing former chief executive Blair Jenkins have firmly denied these allegations, asserting that all income has been accurately recorded and accounted for.
This is the second time concerns about the SNP's finances have led to significant consequences; David Henry's initial complaints led to the conviction of former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell, who admitted to misusing £400,000 of party funds. Yes Scotland has pointed to its audited referendum returns as evidence that it received over £2.6m in donations and spent more than £1.4m during the campaign.