It was discovered that the vehicle, which can retail for more than £100,000, was seized by the police last week along with other items from the party. The motorhome was reportedly meant to be used as a “campaign battle bus” during the 2021 Holyrood election, but was never deployed due to Covid restrictions. SNP leader Humza Yousaf only became aware of the purchase after being shown a police warrant to seize the vehicle, following complaints about the party’s finances.
This revelation adds to concerns about the SNP’s transparency, particularly as it has been revealed that the party has been without auditors since September. The previous auditors, Johnston Carmichael, decided to stop working with the party after a review of its clients. Yousaf claims he was not aware of the issue until he became leader, and has committed to finding replacement auditors as soon as possible. The lack of auditors and the purchase of the motorhome raises doubts about the SNP’s financial management and accountability.
The SNP’s finances are currently under investigation by the police, following complaints about how the party spent more than £600,000 of donations from activists. Yousaf acknowledged that the public has “very reasonable” questions to ask about transparency within the party, and called for greater openness around its finances.
In addition to the financial issues, the SNP is currently embroiled in a legal battle with the UK government over gender recognition reforms. The Scottish government has confirmed it will be launching a legal challenge to the UK government’s block on the reforms, which have been passed by the Scottish Parliament. Former Supreme Court judge Lord Sumption has described the Scottish government’s position as “weak” and the legal challenge as “very difficult”, and the case is expected to go to the UK Supreme Court for a final decision.
