The SNP's ruling body is meeting today to discuss how to improve the party's transparency and governance later. 

The National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting today comes against a background turmoil for the SNP, with an ongoing police probe into party finances, and questions over a £110,00 motorhome. 

First Minister Humza Yousaf has said the public has "very reasonable" questions to ask over transparency. 

The Herald:

What’s going to be discussed?  

Questions are swirling around the SNP’s finances after complaints about how the party spent more than £600,000 of donations that it had received from activists. 

The money was supposed to have been ‘ring-fenced’ for a future independence campaign, but has never been spent in full.  

New leader Humza Yousaf has maintained he has been in the dark over many of the details about rhe SNPs cashflow – and was unware the SNP's auditors had resigned more than six months ago. 


READ MORE: SNP hid resignation of auditors for six months, Humza Yousaf reveals


Mr Yousaf said Johnston Carmichael resigned "around October" of last year and would not be able to conduct an audit due in July. 

And on Thursday, Mr Yousaf said he had only recently learned that the SNP had bought a luxury motorhome. It was seized by police from outside a property in Dunfermline last week. 

The Herald:

Seems he’s been tossed a bit of a hot potato... 

Indeed – the NEC meeting comes after former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell, Nicola Sturgeon's husband, also arrested and their home was searched as part of the police investigation. He was later released without charge. 

Accountants Johnston Carmichael, which audited its accounts for more than a decade, said the decision to no longer work with the party was taken after a review of its clients. 

Party members have many questions about what’s been going on behind the scenes. Mr Yousaf has vowed to increase transparency.  

What have NEC members been saying?  

One NEC member has now suggested he might resign unless "forensic auditors" are appointed to examine the party's finances 

Bill Ramsay, the SNP trade union group convener, told the BBC: "I have been raising issues about the governance of the party for some time. 


READ MORE: SNP is 'not paying Peter Murrell's legal fees' amid police fraud probe


"In June last year, as the world was moving out of governance restrictions imposed by Covid, I was making calls for more transparency. 

"I forced a vote to ensure that members of the NEC could see how other members were voting." 

He added: "If the call to appoint forensic auditors is not moved forward, I will have to seriously consider whether I can continue on the NEC."