Headlining across ‘Scotland’s’ MSM today, stories of alleged ‘murky finances’ turn out to be just auditors advising that small donations of under £250 need to have a physical as well as an online ‘paper trail’.
Insiders tell me this merely relates to petty cash and very low value cheques which are payable to SNP and cannot go elsewhere. Also, that auditors were under intense pressure from their professional body and others (political?) not to take on the SNP accounts and had to be extra careful to cover their backs.
Yet this far more serious and really murky behaviour by the Cons, Labour and Lib Dems is not covered, except here by politico.eu:
Britain’s political parties are quietly raking in millions. No one will say where it’s coming from. London — What connects a Lancashire manor house, several exclusive dining clubs, and a bronze sculpture of David Cameron on a bicycle? The answer is millions of pounds in opaque donations to Britain’s political parties.
This is the weird world of “unincorporated associations” — shadowy groups which constitute one of the least-regulated and most-poorly understood aspects of British election finance. Jess Garland, of campaign group the Electoral Reform Society, said they represent a “dangerous loophole in our political financing rules.”
In the past five years alone, donations to British political parties from these little-known entities have surpassed £14 million — a sum almost equivalent to the ruling Conservative Party’s entire outlay during its triumphant 2019 election campaign.
https://www.politico.eu/article/how-to-pump-cash-into-british-politics-without-anybody-knowing-about-it/
What is missing from the above report on ‘British’ political parties? Yes, ‘SNP.’
As we all have long known, the SNP gets very few large donations from the wealthy and relies on numerous small amounts and membership fees from its mass support. It’s kind of democratic.
Talking-up Scotland 'Albatraz' 
I’d noticed this “scandal” plastered in prime spot on both principal HMS James pages, and thought Sheesh, that’s desperate…
Following your post, thought it worth reading https://archive.ph/1puBo which only confirmed suspicions of a low grade smear attempt by a moron unlikely to rise above the rank of sub-LT…
The inserted picture of the raid on SNP HQ by PS has nothing to do with the issue.
Nor has the history of the auditors.
Nor has the ongoing PS investigation.
Nor has the interviews under caution related to the PS investigation.
Nor has the sum PS are investigating in SNP accounts.
Curiously they didn’t mention South Uist getting a red-cross parcel drop to keep them going between ferries… perhaps they thought it wasn’t relevant 🙄
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When will Police Scotland and more especially the Crown Office acknowledge the fact that their now ridiculously long delay in coming to a conclusion on the case involving a complaint against the SNP is being blatantly exploited day after day now – by innuendo or worse – by opposition politicians and oppositional media organisations?
How can this be in the public interest; how can it be in the interest of justice? Why no apparent constraint on third party media speculation; why no apparent constraint on third party comments implying inside knowledge of the investigation; why no constraint on third party comment claiming guilt without providing evidence?
Moreover, justice delayed is justice denied! A conclusion must be reached and soon – lay charges and let a court decide – or not and put an end to this!
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If the police fail to find any criminal activity relating to SNP finances,there will be an outcry from the Anglo establishment about collusion.
As far as they are concerned,the SNP are guilty even if proved innocent.
Fortunately,an increasing number of Scots can see through this and conclude what the real agenda is.
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Spotted a tweet the other day from an individual who wanted to be selected for jury duty in the event of a court case involving our former FM. The individual was expressing the hope of selection in order to be able to vote ‘guilty’ regardless of the evidence.
Yes a nutter but an indication of how the way this affair is being conducted now over an inordinate length of time by Police Scotland and the Crown Office – and pursued by much of the mainstream media and opposition politicians without constraint- is encouraging such comments.
It would be instructive to analyse press – and BBC amplified press -speculation over the past six months regarding the investigation into SNP finances in order to assess how close in aggregate this has come to breaching rules regarding contempt of the legal process.
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AND YET AGAIN THE ENGLISH CRIMINALS TOGETHER WITH THE THEIR
PIMPS AT BBC AND WESTMINSTER
HIDE ALL THEIR BRIBES AND BACKHANDERS
BUT THINK TO BRIBE SCOTS UNIONISTS TO ALSO LIE
TO HELP THEIR WALKING DRUMMING BRETHERN
TO LIE
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The auditors say that that the original paper records are not available for “some” cash and cheque transactions that are recorded on computer. They have not specified the number or value of these items but that has not deterred media speculation.
The media would have been in meltdown if they had found that paper records existed of donations that did not appear on the computer records.
Without more information it isn’t possible to assess the significance of this qualification by the auditors. Could it be that these are quite a large number of rounding up donations of a few pounds each that are often made when returning raffle tickets, paying membership, etc?
As the practice of rounding up purchases by cash or cheques with donations is common perhaps a few other organisations will have to revue their record keeping practices in the light of this qualification by the SNP’s auditors.
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The constant drip drip of allegations, innuendo and speculation is clearly designed to chip away at support for the SNP and independence. After all the opposition only need to sew doubt in the soft yesses or undecided, the confirmed or committed yes and no voters are unlikely to be swayed. The goal would seem to be to reduce support just enough to ensure the SNP lose a few seats at the next election, even a couple will be fodder for the no support for a new independence referendum, kicking the can yet further down the road.
This is why I think there is danger in promoting a broader indy vote rather than a vote for the SNP. No matter if Alba managed to get a couple of folk elected or the greens (also under consistent attack) got a few more – Westminster, the unionist press and Holyrood opposition parties (probably including Alba) will use any drop in SNP support as an argument for lack of indy support, incompetent governance etc. The unionists will do anything to avoid any formal means of ascertaining where support for independence stands. If a majority is confirmed they would then find it much harder to ignore calls for a second referendum on democratic grounds so any method of gauging support has to be either avoided or muddied enough to cast doubt on results
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Realising what I’d originally observed being promoted by HMS James Cook was an earlier version by about 12 hours (still lurking in conjunction with the new version on the Scotland/Politics page) thought to compare – The new one “SNP changes recording of donations after audit papers missing” is numbered 66076059, the earlier one “SNP auditors say some financial records are missing” is 66065164.
Having seen 66065164 had previously been archived I simply loaded it https://archive.ph/bnP8W but noticed it didn’t match what was on the BBC/Politics page under the same number.
Rather than obliterate the original by re-archiving it, thought it would be fun to see what had been changed ‘on the fly’ for the versions of the same “story”.
The older version has a pic of PS loading a van during the SNP offices ‘raid’ removed in the newer version, inserting instead –
– “First Minister Humza Yousaf, the SNP leader, declined to say how much money was involved in the missing documents.
He added: “The important thing is that there’s certainly a recognition from me as leader of the SNP that governance and financial oversight could absolutely and should absolutely be improved, and we are already taking steps to make those improvements”. ”
– Analysis by Philip Sim
Aside suspicions the Auditors were leaned on because it was SNP, it is entirely possible auditors are imposing ever more stringent auditing standards.
However laudable this is, I imagine this will be shrinking sphincters in other political parties where it’s not just sums under 250 which are have no traceability.
Will the BBC in Scotland be quite so diligent in reporting these as they have the SNP, giving them prime promotion on their web-pages complete with Analysis by Philip Sim ?
Stop laughing at the back…
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So if I set up a dodgy shadowy “organisation”, get money into it from foreigners, corrupt businesses etc then it gets less scrutiny than a cheque sent by me to the SNP. Shows exactly how much of a problem the UK has with corruption.
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How I feel too.
Do you ?
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Yet nothing on Garage and his PayPal donations that so excited the Electoral Commission as donations of up to £499.99 were being made with no way of confirming their source. The EC were concerned that large amounts of dubious foreign money was going to the party with no scrutiny.
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John I know it is the Sunday Post but interesting.
45 Years ago
July 2 1978
NEW ROW OVER A9 HAZARDS
An article about the A9 so here is the thing.
1974-1979 Labour
1979 for years Tory. 1979 Devolution blocked
1997 Devolution for Scotland
1998 First Scottish Government where we had Lab in power then was it Lib/Lab where our Lord J sent all that money back to London.
We then come to 2007 and have the SNP and they are taking all the blame for the A9 troubles I hate these Unionist press saying its all the SNP fault but I should not be surprised.
If you can bring yourself to check it out I cant find it on the online edition.
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The Camper van chaos. The ‘investigation’ costs more from malicious complaint. Now over £600,000. Now that is something to complain about. The Rangers fiasco, the Alex Salmond show trial, Craig Murray in jail. Costing £Billions. A total waste of public monies that could have been better spent.
A total farce. The monies were donated to the SNP from choice, if folk want the money back they could ask for it. Who ever made the complaint is supposed to support Independence. What an own goal. Letting unionists agents get away with it. Support for Independence increasing. Humza is doing well. Fighting off the opposition. Telling it how it is in reality. The SNP + Independence supporters still strong. A good leader. Everything happens for a reason. Ithas worked out well.
The Police budget should be cut. To stop them wasting public monies. Or acting as agents of the Crown who they swear alligence to. Often recruited from the Army.
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