By Jim Mennie

Following Peter Murrell’s guilty plea for embezzling over £400,000 from SNP funds, opposition parties and sections of the media have called for a public inquiry and the “return of funds to donors”.

A petition launched by SNP donors in 2024 made one clear point: donations to the SNP are voluntary, unrestricted gifts under UK law. Thousands of us who donated have already said publicly and privately that we do not want our money back. In fact, donations to the SNP have increased since the case concluded.

This short ‘Have Your Say’ gives every member and donor the chance to record their own views directly. It is not about re-opening the court case or criticising the party. Its only purpose is to show the SNP National Executive, the membership team, and the public what actual donors think.

Link https://meidasscotland.eaction.org.uk/HaveYourSayDonations

We asked SNP members & supporters what they think about the recent calls for donation refunds. Out of 209 responses so far, the results in summary are;-

• 98% are current SNP members
• 96% do NOT want their money back
• 96% oppose the calls for refunds
• 91% say the calls are “politically motivated and unhelpful”
• 69% say they are now more likely to donate
• Many have already donated more than usual Donations were voluntary. 
• We stand by them.
• The focus should be on stronger financial controls — not refunds.

Top responding constituencies:

Gordon and Buchan — 15

Aberdeen North — 9

Dundee Central — 9

Edinburgh North and Leith — 9

Argyll, Bute and South Lochaber — 7

Dunfermline and Dollar — 7

East Renfrewshire — 6

West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine — 6

North Ayrshire and Arran — 5

Data Handling

We record your name, address, and SNP membership number only if you explicitly opt in. These details will be collected securely via iParl and forwarded collectively and in bulk on a weekly basis to the SNP Membership Team only. No individual data will be published or shared externally.

If you prefer, you can skip the HYS and go directly to the official link for donations to the Scottish National Party (SNP) which is: https://www.snp.org/donate/ 

This is the main donation page on the party’s official website (snp.org). It allows one-off or monthly donations and includes clear notes that you’re donating to a political party (with UK Electoral Commission rules applying for larger gifts).