SNP officer offered help to activists over grants

An SNP national officer coached independence activists to apply for coronavirus business grants “for the indy cause” then encouraged them to donate some of the cash to his own campaign group.

Dr Tim Rideout, now on the SNP’s national policy development committee, asked for a “wee donation” to the Scottish Currency Group if activists were able to successfully claim £10,000 from the government scheme.

He is convener of the group of “people working towards the introduction of a Scottish currency as soon as practicable after Independence Day”.

Business support grants were introduced last year to help local firms hit by the pandemic.

We revealed this week how SNP branches in Arbroath and Montrose have been ordered to pay back £20,000 of business support they should never have been given because the rules do not permit grants to political parties.

In a post on the Scottish Currency Group Facebook page on July 8, Dr Rideout said it would be a “criminal waste” for Yes supporters to miss out on claiming the cash and boasted of making £50,000 “for the indy cause” in a single day through the scheme.

He wrote: “If you have any connection to any Yes group that either owns or is the tenant of shop premises, an office or similar then please ensure they have submitted an application for the Covid-19 business support grant of £10,000.”

Dr Rideout, who was an ordinary SNP member at the time and works as a cartographer, offered individual support to Bill Golden, of Forfar Yes Hub, including information on what documents he would need to apply and how to resolve issues with the premises name and rates.

He wrote to Mr Golden: “If you get the £10k, perhaps you might consider a wee donation to the Currency Group. At the moment I pay for everything and I have not been able to sell any maps at events since March.”

Mr Golden replied: “I’m sure my committee would look on this favourably.”

A week later Mr Golden updated the group, confirming his application had been successful, along with Brechin Blether-In and that he had been told hubs in Arbroath and Montrose would also be submitting bids.

Mr Golden did not respond to a request for comment, but Dr Rideout stated: “Neither me personally nor the Scottish Currency Group received any money from any SNP branch, or indeed any Yes group in Angus.”

Dr Rideout posted again to the Facebook group on December 28, telling hubs they are able to apply for £3,000 for each four-week period their council area remains in Tier 4 coronavirus restrictions.

He stated that he is directly aware of more than half a dozen Yes hubs which successfully obtained the earlier £10,000 grants.

After we approached Dr Rideout for comment, the posts and comment threads were deleted from the Scottish Currency Group Facebook page.

He said: “Yes groups are not a political party and therefore they are not excluded from claiming the grants available where they meet the requirements for occupying retail premises recorded as liable to business rates and the group is correctly recorded as the owner or occupier on the valuation roll.

“Having visited a number of such premises over the years, they all provide services such as selling goods, providing food and drink, running exhibitions, offering community events and similar. All of those activities are included in the list of activities eligible for the Covid grants. I am aware of nothing other than political bias in the council that would rule out a Yes club from that list.”

Dr Rideout later said “no group that obtained a grant chose to take up my suggestion that they make a small donation to their fellow pro-independence Scottish Currency Group” and that no one donated to him personally.

Scottish Labour North East candidate Michael Marra called on the SNP to “undertake an urgent investigation”.

Arbroath and Montrose SNP branches made successful £10,000 business support grant applications to Angus Council in July but have now been asked by the council finance chief to refund the cash as grants cannot be paid out to political parties.

Shadow Scottish secretary Ian Murray said: “It is obscene that SNP branches thought it appropriate to line their own pockets with public money.”

Arbroath West and Letham SNP councillor Alex King, who is treasurer of the local branch, said he became aware of the business grant through making an application for a charitable organisation for which he is a treasurer.

An SNP spokesman said: “Arbroath branch has returned the funds in full.

“Montrose branch was advised last week that the payment was made in error and is in the process of contacting the council to do likewise.”

IN FOCUS: Dr Tim Rideout, who is convener of the Scottish Currency Group.