The Scottish Labour leader, Anas Sarwar, has accused the Scottish National party of being politically bankrupt and deceitful, as further questions emerged about Nicola Sturgeon’s role in discussions over party finances.
Sarwar told a Labour rally in Glasgow the SNP was rapidly losing its right to govern after Sturgeon’s party endured a divisive battle to succeed her as leader, followed by a series of dramatic developments in the police inquiry into SNP finances.
“The festering wounds in the SNP are open, replacing cover-up and secrecy with incompetence and delusion,” Sarwar said, in a speech given in the Glasgow Pollock constituency of the first minister, Humza Yousaf.
“This is a distracted and divided government that is disastrous for Scotland,” Sarwar added.
In emerged on Monday that Sturgeon would be absent from the Scottish parliament this week, instead taking part remotely via the internet, after emails surfaced suggesting Sturgeon had resisted proposals to hire a fundraising manager for the SNP two years ago.
It is thought those emails are being studied by detectives investigating the party’s handling of more than £600,000 in donations ostensibly given for a second independence referendum. That money has never been separately accounted for in party accounts.
Sturgeon’s spokesperson denied suggestions the former first minister was considering stepping down as an MSP; she said Sturgeon wanted to avoid her presence at Holyrood overshadowing a major policy speech by Yousaf, her successor, on Tuesday.
“In order to ensure the focus of this week is on the new first minister setting out his priorities for the people of Scotland, Ms Sturgeon has always intended to participate remotely and intends to return to Holyrood in the near future,” the spokesperson said.
The Sunday Mail released a video of Sturgeon taking part in an online SNP national executive council meeting in 2021 in which she said her party’s finances had “never been stronger”.
“There are no reasons for people to be concerned about the party’s finances, and all of us need to be careful about not suggesting that there is,” she said. Three months later, Police Scotland launched a preliminary investigation into those finances.
Sturgeon’s husband, Peter Murrell, the SNP’s former chief executive, was arrested at their home in Glasgow this month “as a suspect” in that investigation and was released later that day without charge, pending further inquiries.
Sturgeon has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and so far no SNP official has been charged, and no other official interviewed under caution.
It also emerged that Colin Beattie, the party’s treasurer, told the SNP’s executive committee on Saturday it was having “difficulty balancing the books” because of a 30% fall in SNP membership and the costs of the police inquiry. Yousaf said, however, the party remained solvent.
The crisis has significantly derailed Yousaf’s attempts to reinvigorate the party and relaunch his government after a bruising leadership contest, where his competence and Sturgeon’s policymaking came under concerted attack from his rivals.
After a series of opinion polls, including some carried out after Yousaf succeeded Sturgeon, have shown that Scottish Labour is rapidly catching up with the SNP. Some put the gap between the parties at just five points; during Sturgeon’s heyday, that gap was 20 points or more.
Labour expects to win a swathe of Westminster seats held by the SNP at the next general election.
It is preparing for a byelection in the key target seat of Rutherglen and Hamilton West after the Commons standards committee recommended the sitting MP, Margaret Ferrier, is suspended for 30 days after being found guilty of knowingly travelling while infected with Covid.
Ferrier has until 4pm on Monday to submit an appeal against the committee’s decision. If she is suspended by the Commons for 10 days or more, her constituents can lodge a recall petition and force a byelection if at least 10% of local voters call for one.
