SNP’S new treasurer admits that £600,00 ‘ringfenced’ for independence campaigning has been spent elsewhere
Money donated by independence supporters to the SNP claimed to have been “ringfenced” by the party has been spent on other things, the party’s treasurer has admitted.
In a statement following a meeting of the party’s ruling National Executive Committee (NEC), newly-appointed and returning treasurer Colin Beattie admitted the more than £600,000 raised as part of a drive to pay for a second independence referendum campaign had been spent by the party. However, he claimed the money had been “earmarked” by the party, meaning the SNP would spent an equivalent sum on an independence campaign in the future.
The party has previously confirmed it will spend £600,000 on referendum campaign preparations this year.
Mr Beattie returned to the role of treasurer after Douglas Chapman resigned over a lack of transparency around the accounts of the party. MP Joanna Cherry also quit the NEC for the same reason.
The party treasurer said a
total of £666,953 had been raised through referendumrelated appeals between 2017 and 2020, adding that only £51,760 had been spent directly on campaigning for another vote.
The SNP’S accounts show the party has £96,854 in the bank.
In his statement, Mr Beattie explains the party will spend the same amount of money raised on a future independence referendum campaign.
He states funds received are “earmarked” as being linked to a certain purpose, with “amounts equivalent to the sums raised” spent on “the intended purpose”.
Mr Beattie said: “Of course, the SNP is the party of independence and, as such, every penny we spend – directly or indirectly – is in support of winning independence.
"However,throughthisinternal process we will ensure that an amount equivalent to the sums raised from these appeals will go directly to our work to secure a referendum and win independence.”
Police Scotland continue to assess an allegation of fraud around the £600k, but have yet to make a decision as to whether to formally investigate the party.
The allegations have been described by the SNP as being part of a “dirty tricks campaign”.