Nicola Sturgeon denied knowing the SNP was in financial trouble before stepping down as leader today, calling the party’s current unrest 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 investigating missing donations worth more than £600,000.
Police also searched their family home in Glasgow and party headquarters in Edinburgh.
It came as former SNP treasurer Colin Beattie – also arrested last week – revealed he was unaware the party had spent £110,000 on a motor home.
The vehicle was discovered by police in the home of Mr Murrell’s 92-year-old home and seized.
Arriving at the Scottish Parliament this afternoon, Mrs Sturgeon said: ‘I understand the opinion some people may have that I knew this was all about to unfold and so I walked out.
“Nothing could be further from the truth. In my worst nightmares I could not have foreseen what would have happened in recent weeks.’
The former prime minister also said she has not been questioned by police in connection with the investigation into the party’s finances.
Arriving at the Scottish Parliament this afternoon, Mrs Sturgeon said: ‘I understand the opinion some people may have that I knew this was all about to unfold and so I walked out. “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 investigating missing donations worth more than £600,000.
Police investigating the finances of the SNP seized the luxury motorhome at the home of ex-CEO Peter Murrell’s mother earlier this month
Ms Sturgeon added: ‘What I will say upfront is that I am not going to go into details that affect a live police investigation.
“There are many questions I would like to answer and I hope I will answer them over time, but it would be wrong and inappropriate to go into detail about 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 declined to comment on the camper. The vehicle was apparently purchased to be used as a combat bus post-Covid but was never used.
Jackie Baillie, deputy leader of the Scottish Labor Party, said: ‘Nicola Sturgeon may have asked some questions, but she hasn’t provided any answers.
“Her attempt to downplay the extraordinary chaos we are seeing in the SNP is an insult to the intelligence community of the public.”
Mr Beattie, who stepped down as treasurer after being arrested last week and released without charge, denied any knowledge of the mysterious purchase when speaking to reporters himself today.
The latest comments came as Humza Yousaf admitted the SNP will struggle to complete its bills by the end of next month.
On a visit to London last night, the SNP leader admitted that it will be “challenging” to arrange accountants in time to meet a May 31 deadline. If the issue is not resolved, £1.3 million of public funding from Westminster could be at risk.
SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn said yesterday that the party is doing “everything possible” to meet the deadline, but that it is proving difficult to find auditors for the group.
He revealed that he only became aware of the lack of auditors on February 10, despite becoming leader of the group in December.
Separate bills must be submitted for the Westminster group by May 31 to receive around £1.3 million in ‘Short Money’ – public funding for opposition parties to carry out their parliamentary work.
Colin Beattie, who stepped down as treasurer after being arrested last week and released without charge, denied any knowledge of the mysterious purchase
The ‘short money’ allocation of taxpayers’ money for opposition parties will be increased by the general CPI rate for December
The SNP as a whole also has no accountants, meaning the Electoral Commission can take action if bills are not submitted on time.
Mr Sunak told Mr Yousaf to focus on people’s real priorities as he was determined to block another referendum and SNP gender reform.
During the talks, the Prime Minister said all levels of government in the UK should work together on issues such as the cost of living crisis.
The Prime Minister used talks in Mr Sunak’s office in parliament to demand a section 30 order that 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 British government’s decision to block gender reform, which he has confirmed he will challenge in court.
He also demanded an exemption from the UK Internal Markets Act for his Deposit Return Scheme (DRS), which has been postponed until March next year.
The pair clashed during SNP overseas tours, with Mr Sunak defending Foreign Secretary James Cleverly’s decision to write to British ambassadors demanding measures to prevent Nationalist ministers from promoting independence abroad.
The meeting was described as an ‘informal discussion’ and therefore did not take place at number 10.
Mr Flynn was asked about the Westminster group’s difficulty in finding auditors when he appeared on the Good Morning Scotland radio programme.
He said, “I thought it would be a relatively easy process to start looking for new auditors. That has clearly been proven not to be the case.’
