SNP ruling body 'shouted down to 'hide the truth' about finances

Members of SNP’s ruling body who raised concerns about party’s finances were ‘shouted down and hounded out of office’ in a bid to ‘hide the truth’, Nationalist MP claims

• MP Joanna Cherry has condemned the ‘menacing atmosphere’ within the SNP
• Ms Cherry said Sturgeon’s husband is ‘lucky’ his membership wasn’t suspended

Members of the SNP’s ruling body who raised concerns about the party’s finances were ‘shouted down and hounded out of office’ in a bid to ‘hide the truth’, a Nationalist MP has claimed.

The SNP civil war escalated yesterday as prominent MP Joanna Cherry condemned the ‘menacing atmosphere’ and how people who asked questions were treated by the party.

She also said Nicola Sturgeon’s husband Peter Murrell, the former SNP chief executive, is ‘very lucky’ not to have had his membership suspended – and claimed the party could be guilty of ‘unlawful discrimination’ because it treated others differently when they faced a police probe.

Writing in the pro-independence National newspaper, Ms Cherry said she was elected to the SNP’s national executive committee (NEC) in November 2020 after promising to improve transparency and accountability.

She said: ‘From the moment we set out our manifesto for change we were attacked and traduced by a small but determined cabal of fellow party members including councillors, parliamentarians and other NEC members whose actions were condoned by the silence of the leadership.

The SNP civil war escalated yesterday as prominent MP Joanna Cherry  (pictured) condemned the ‘menacing atmosphere’ and how people who asked questions were treated by the party

‘Those of us elected by the membership were concerned about the party’s finances and governance. 

‘Yet from the moment we were elected, our efforts to get answers were frustrated. Worse, we were shouted down and hounded out of office. 

‘I have sat on several other management boards and I have never witnessed business conducted in such a menacing atmosphere … it looks to have been a deliberate attempt to hide the truth of what was going on.’

Ms Cherry also said concerns were raised at a December 2020 meeting that the 42 members of the NEC could be held financially liable if anything went wrong with the SNP’s finances – but no answer was given. 

Mr Murrell was arrested last week and questioned for more than 11 hours, before being released without charge pending further investigation into allegations of fraud within the SNP. 

The claims relate to how a £600,000 fund raised for an independence referendum campaign was spent.

Ms Cherry said Mr Murrell is ‘very lucky that his SNP membership has not been suspended pending the outcome of the police investigation’.

She highlighted the case of Michelle Thomson, who had been ‘thrown under the bus at the first hint of trouble’.

Ms Cherry also said Nicola Sturgeon’s husband Peter Murrell (pictured: right), the former SNP chief executive, is ‘very lucky’ not to have had his membership suspended

Ms Cherry said Nicola Sturgeon’s husband Peter Murrell, the former SNP chief executive, is ‘very lucky’ not to have had his membership suspended

Ms Thomson, who was Edinburgh West MP at the time, was suspended by the SNP in 2015 when police launched an investigation into a solicitor she used for property transactions, after he faced allegations of mortgage fraud. 

Police subsequently dropped the case without pressing charges.

Ms Cherry said: ‘This difference in approach is neither fair nor in accordance with the principles of natural justice… It might even amount to unlawful discrimination.’

An SNP insider said: ‘Joanna’s personal views were never an issue when she was on the NEC. 

‘It was the toxic nature of her bullying attacks against other members that made the meetings intolerable.’

Ms Cherry said in response: ‘Time will reveal who the real bullies are in the SNP. I am confident that I acted with integrity throughout my time on the NEC and events have vindicated the repeated concerns I raised about finance, governance and the liability of NEC members. 

‘I will continue to stand for the truth regardless of these petty smears and nonsensical accusations.’

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