SNP reject rumours they’re ‘moving out’ of Edinburgh HQ
THE SNP are not relocating from their headquarters in Edinburgh, The National can confirm.
It came after rumours started by the Wings Over Scotland blog, which claimed on social media that the party was “doing a bunk from their fancy offices in Edinburgh”.
In a blog post published on Tuesday and titled “Moving Out”, the website’s Stuart Campbell highlighted a listing for office space with commercial property agents FT Linden.
The listing was for the third floor of Gordon Lamb House at Jackson’s Close in the Scottish capital – which is the office space used by the SNP and is listed as their address on their website.
Campbell wrote: “It’s a little surprising that they’re suddenly doing a flit now. We wonder if there might be a downsizing in the offing.”
The Wings Over Scotland blog pointed to reports from August 2021 that said the SNP had spent “more than £670,000 on furnishings, computer equipment and software development in the past year”.
It added: “We have no idea where they are now/are going in the near future, but we doubt it’ll be somewhere ritzier. (Maybe Police Scotland have some slightly-used blue tents available, or will let them move into the campervan.)”
The blog post was shared on social media, with Alba MP Neale Hanvey writing: “Well this is interesting.”
However, the SNP and the letting agents have both confirmed to The National that the party will not be leaving the headquarters.
In a flat denial, a party source told this paper that the SNP had moved into the office in Gordon Lamb House in 2009 and would continue to work from it, with no plans to relocate.
The National was further told that it was standard practice for letting agents to list commercial space ahead of a lease expiring in case new occupants needed to be found.
It is understood that the SNP’s lease expires in two months.
However, it was confirmed by FT Linden that the current tenant (the SNP) has reached a verbal agreement to extend the lease and that will be finalised by solicitors.