Nicola Sturgeon tearfully denied knowing that the SNP was in trouble financially before quitting as leader as she branded the party’s current turmoil her ‘worst nightmare’.
The emotional former first minister spoke to reporters as she returned to Holyrood for the first time since her husband, Peter Murrell, was arrested by police probing missing donations worth more than £600,000.
Police also ransacked their family home in Glasgow and the party headquarters in Edinburgh.
It came as former SNP Treasurer Colin Beattie – also arrested last week – revealed he was was unaware that the party had spent £110,000 on a motor home.
The vehicle was discovered by police at the home of Mr Murrell’s 92-year-old home and impounded.
Arriving at the Scottish Parliament this afternoon Ms Sturgeon said: ‘I understand the view that some people might have, that I knew this was all about to unfold and that’s why I walked away.
‘Nothing could be further from the truth. I could not have anticipated in my worst nightmares what would have unfolded over the past few weeks.’
The former first minister also said she has not been questioned by police in relation to the probe into the party’s finances.
Arriving at the Scottish Parliament this afternoon Ms Sturgeon said: ‘I understand the view that some people might have, that I knew this was all about to unfold and that’s why I walked away. ‘Nothing could be further from the truth.’
The emotional former first minister spoke to reporters as she returned to Holyrood for the first time since her husband, Peter Murrell, was arrested by police probing missing donations worth more than £600,000.
Police probing the SNP finances seized the luxury motorhome from ex-chief executive Peter Murrell’s mother’s house earlier this month
Ms Sturgeon added: ‘What I will say up front is that I’m not going to go into any detail that impinges on a live police investigation.
‘There are many questions that I would want to be able to answer and in the fullness of time I hope I will answer but it would be wrong and inappropriate for me to go into any detail of what the police are currently investigating.’
She added that ‘now is not the easiest time’ and that she had been working from home.
Ms Sturgeon also refused to comment on the campervan. The vehicle was apparently bought to be used as a battle bus after Covid, but never used.
Scottish Labour deputy leader Jackie Baillie said ‘Nicola Sturgeon might have taken some questions but she has given no answers.
‘Her attempt to downplay the extraordinary chaos we’re seeing in the SNP is an insult to the public’s intelligence.’
Mr Beattie, who stepped down as treasurer after being arrested and released without charge last week, denied any knowledge of the mysterious purchase when he spoke to reporters himself today.
The latest comments came as Humza Yousaf admitted the SNP will struggle to finalise its accounts by the end of next month.
Colin Beattie, who stepped down as Treasurer after being arrested and released without charge last week, denied any knowledge of the mysterious purchase
The ‘short money’ allocation of taxpayer money for Opposition parties is due to be uprated by the headline CPI rate for December
On a visit to London last night, the SNP leader conceded it will be ‘challenging’ to arrange auditors in time to meet a deadline of May 31. Failure to resolve the issue could put at risk £1.3million of public funding from Westminster.
The SNP’s Westminster leader Stephen Flynn said yesterday that the party is doing ‘everything possible’ to meet the deadline, but finding auditors for the group is proving difficult.
He revealed he only became aware of the lack of auditors on February 10, despite becoming the group’s leader in December.
Separate accounts need to be submitted for the Westminster group by May 31 in order to receive around £1.3million in ‘Short Money’ – public funding for opposition parties to carry out their parliamentary work.
The SNP as a whole is also lacking auditors, meaning the Electoral Commission could take action if accounts are not submitted on time.
Mr Sunak told Mr Yousaf to focus on people’s real priorities as he stood firm on blocking another referendum and SNP gender reforms.
During the talks, the Prime Minister said all levels of government across the UK should work together on issues such as the cost of living crisis.
The First Minister used the talks in Mr Sunak’s office in Parliament to demand a section 30 order which would allow Holyrood to legislate for an independence referendum and accused the UK Government of ‘attacks on devolution’.
Mr Yousaf, who was in London as a financial crisis engulfed his party, condemned the decision by the UK Government to block gender reforms, which he has confirmed he will challenge in the courts.
He also demanded an exemption from the UK Internal Markets Act for his Deposit Return Scheme (DRS), which has been delayed until next March.
The pair clashed on SNP overseas trips, with Mr Sunak defending Foreign Secretary James Cleverly’s decision to write to UK ambassadors demanding measures to stop Nationalist ministers pushing independence abroad.
The meeting was described as an ‘informal discussion’, which is why it did not take place at No 10.
Mr Flynn was asked about the Westminster group’s difficulty in finding auditors as he appeared on the Good Morning Scotland radio programme.
He said: ‘I thought it would be a relatively straightforward process to go and secure new auditors. That’s obviously proven not to be the case.’
