SNP accountants QUIT after arrest of Sturgeon's husband in cash probe

Now the SNP’s accountants QUIT as arrest of Nicola Sturgeon’s husband amid probe into missing £600k plunges the party into more chaos and sparks calls to RE-RUN the leadership election

• Accountancy firm severed ties with the beleaguered party this morning 
• Allies of Kate Forbes, runner-up in the SNP leadership election, call for a re-run

The SNP’s external auditors quit today amid a police probe into missing donations that has plunged the party into chaos.

Accountancy firm Johnston Carmichael severed ties this morning, days after police raided the beleaguered party’s headquarters, arrested Nicola Sturgeon’s husband and searched the couple’s home.

It is the latest blow to Humza Yousaf and his splintered party, as he faced astonishing demands to re-run the leadership election that put him in power in Scotland less than a fortnight ago.

The First Minister last night lashed out at ‘conspiracy theories’ from critics who questioned whether Ms Sturgeon, his close ally, knew action was imminent against Peter Murrell when she resigned.

Mr Murrell, 58, was arrested and released on Wednesday, with police spending two days examining the family home in Glasgow in scenes that have rocked Scottish politics.

Detectives are probing what happened to more than £600,000 in donations made to the party to fund a second independence referendum when he was chief executive. 

An SNP spokesman said: ‘We can confirm that Johnston Carmichael will not be providing audit services to the SNP this year.

‘The national treasurer is undertaking a tendering process for alternative provision and we have advised the Electoral Commission of that position.’

Peter Murrell, 58, was arrested and released on Wednesday, with police spending two days examining the family home in Glasgow in scenes that have rocked Scottish politics.

Detectives are probing what happened to more than £600,000 in donations made to the party to fund a second independence referendum when Mr Murrell was chief executive

Allies of Kate Forbes, pictured with Humza Yousaf, last night suggested that the SNP leadership election should be re-run in light of recent events. One told The Telegraph: ‘There has been a material change in circumstances. For people to argue it should not be re-run means the party establishment had no knowledge about this, but that is quite unbelievable.’

Mr Yousaf was elected leader of the SNP and voted in as First Minister after beating Kate Forbes last month. 

But critics have questioned whether Ms Sturgeon or Mr Yousaf was aware police action was imminent when she stepped down.

Allies of the runner-up last night suggested that the election should be re-run in light of recent events, with one telling The Telegraph: ‘There has been a material change in circumstances. For people to argue it should not be re-run means the party establishment had no knowledge about this, but that is quite unbelievable. 

‘People [within the SNP] will want to avoid a re-run because Kate Forbes would win, but Humza is going to be left holding this particularly ugly baby.’

Last night Mr Yousaf said claims police are ‘in cahoots’ with the SNP over the timing of Mr Murrell’s arrest are a ‘conspiracy theory’.

Speaking to media at his official residence, Bute House in Edinburgh, he said the last few days have been ‘difficult and bruising’ for the party. 

Scottish Tory constitution spokesman Donald Cameron said Mr Yousaf had not previously raised issues about governance of the party publicly and accused him of trying to ‘distance himself’ from Mr Murrell in recent statements.

‘These belated calls for transparency and about how the SNP should be run simply will not wash,’ Mr Cameron added.

Asked if the leadership election would have been impacted by Mr Murrell’s arrest had it happened while it was taking place, Mr Yousaf said: ‘To me, that sounds like a bit of a conspiracy theory that somehow we are in cahoots with Police Scotland.

‘The timing of an investigation is absolutely for Police Scotland, that’s not determined by anybody else.’

Mr Yousaf was candid about the impact the arrest of Mr Murrell, and the sometimes testy leadership election which preceded it, would have on support for his party and for Scottish independence, but said it could present an opportunity for the ‘next generation’ of the party to shine.

‘There’s no doubt the last few weeks and the events of yesterday have been difficult and bruising for the party,’ he said.

‘But there’s also an opportunity – with a new leader in place and a new chief executive in place, generally a next generation coming through.

‘You’ve seen that with my Cabinet, you’ve seen, of course, the Westminster leadership in terms of Stephen Flynn and Mhairi Black.

‘There’s a huge opportunity for us to re-energise, to refresh, and to make sure we are being as bold and as ambitious as we possibly can be for the people of Scotland.’

The First Minister also said Ms Sturgeon would not be losing the SNP whip.

A spokesman for Johnston Carmichael said: ‘As a regulated organisation, we adhere to our obligations on client confidentiality and do not discuss client business.’ 

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