The Scottish National Party (SNP) is currently facing its biggest crisis in 50 years, according to SNP President and former minister, Mike Russell. The party is currently
the subject of a police investigation into its finances, with former chief executive Peter Murrell being arrested last week over the spending of around £600,000 which was earmarked for an independence campaign. Murrell is also the husband of First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.
In an interview with The Herald newspaper, Russell said that recent weeks had been “wearing” for the SNP. He also said that he did not think independence could be achieved “right now,” and that a new coordinated campaign was needed. Despite this, he remained optimistic, saying that his main focus was to create a new Yes movement that allowed for different visions but conducted in an atmosphere of mutual trust.
Russell acknowledged that the SNP faced a challenge, but said that he had an obligation to the party and the movement for Scottish independence that had been such a massive part of his life for so long. He also noted that there would be a wide-ranging review of the SNP’s governance and transparency, as promised by Humza Yousaf, who was sworn in as First Minister last week.
Yousaf, who recently succeeded Sturgeon as party leader, has promised to address the issue of transparency in the party, and the accountancy firm that audits the SNP’s finances has resigned after working with the party for a decade. Johnston Carmichael, the accounting firm in question, informed the party of their decision before Murrell’s arrest, and the party’s treasurer is now seeking another auditor to comply with Electoral Commission rules.
The police investigation into the SNP’s finances has been ongoing for some time, and the recent developments have caused further damage to the party’s reputation. The SNP has been pushing for Scottish independence for decades, but the recent crisis has led to questions about the party’s ability to govern and its transparency.
Despite these challenges, Russell remained optimistic about the party’s future. He said that a new Yes movement would be able to overcome the current crisis and work towards achieving Scottish independence. However, he also acknowledged that there was much work to be done, and that the SNP needed to focus on building a new movement that was based on mutual trust and cooperation.
The SNP has been a major political force in Scotland for decades, and has been a key player in the push for Scottish independence. The recent crisis has raised questions about the party’s ability to lead the country, but many remain optimistic about the future of the movement. Photo by © User:Colin / Wikimedia Commons /