THE SNP’s deputy leader has been accused of living in a parallel universe after claiming the party was “one of the most transparent in the UK”.

In recent weeks, it has emerged that the SNP misled the media about losing almost a third of its members, and failed to disclose for six months that its auditors had resigned.

Police are investigating if £660,000 raised for Indyref2 was spent on other things, and senior figues have been questioned by detetectives.

It also emerged today that the SNP paid former Westminster leader Angus Robertson £33,000 extra a year in a deal kept secret from most of his MPs.

READ MORE: Angus Robertson paid 'secret £33,000 extra' as SNP Westminster leader

However appearing on BBC Scotland’s Sunday Show, depute leader Keith Brown said the party was open, and said it was adding new members despite its “internal challenges”.

Former chief executive Peter Murrell, who is married to Nicola Sturgeon, and then treasurer Colin Beattie have both been arrested, questioned and released without charge. 

Mr Beattie, MSP for Musselburgh, quit as treasurer on Wednesday, the day after his arrest.

Cumbernauld MP Stuart McDonald became the new acting treasurer yesterday.

Mr Brown, a former justice secretary, repeatedly refused to comment on a “live police investigation”, but did talk about the party’s management.

He said: “What I would say is, of course, the SNP have internal challenges. 

“What [new leader Humza Yousaf] has done right away is to initiate a governance and transparency review. 

“We've just seen the replacement of the national treasurer. 

“So action has been taken to make sure that we meet these internal challenges, and in the meantime we are one of the most transparent parties in the UK.”

Questioned on the point, Mr Brown noted Scottish Labour and the Scottish Tories did not publish their membership numbers, whereas the SNP did publish theirs. 

When it was pointed out that, while the other parties may not publish their membership, it was only the SNP which had misled people about losing 30,000 of its members.

Mr Brown said: “The SNP have told you what their membership is. You can’t just gloss over the fact they [other parties] haven’t misled us [on party numbers], they haven’t told you.

“We are the most transparent, most successful party … in Scotland.

“We have to increase that transparency. It's my ambition – and I know that it’s Humza’s – to make sure that we are the most transparent party in Scotland and that we set the standard for transparency and shame the other parties.”

Mr Brown said some problems flowed from the SNP’s five-fold surge in membership after the 2014 referendum, which was not matched by a scaling up of the party’s operation.

The latest public membership figure is 72,186, down from 103,000 in December 2021.

Mr Brown said that despite recent difficulties, overall membership was rising. 

He said: “We’ve seen upticks in membership across the country.”

Asked how many, he said: “I don't have all the figures from all the different parts of the country yet. I would also just balance that by saying, Yes, we have lost members as well.

“But the balance is showing an increase in membership.”

In an earlier interview with Sky News, Mr Brown admitted he had not been told until recently that party auditors Johnston and Carmichael had resigned last September.

Mr Yousaf previously said he wasn’t told until he became leader in late March. 

READ MORE: Green MSP Ross Greer sneers on TV at former SNP minister Fergus Ewing

Scottish Tory chairman Craig Hoy called Mr Brown’s remarks “bizarre” given the SNP was “addicted to secrecy”.

He said: "Keith Brown must be living in a parallel universe to claim that the SNP are one of the ‘most transparent’ political parties in the UK. 

"If the shocking events of the last few weeks have proved anything, it's that the SNP’s addiction to secrecy goes even deeper than anyone thought.

“The SNP is in meltdown and Keith Brown’s attempt to dismiss the arrests of his party colleagues as merely ‘internal challenges’ is simply laughable.

“If Humza Yousaf and the SNP are truly committed to increasing transparency, then senior party members like Mr Brown have urgent and legitimate questions to answer.

“While any claims that the First Minister is taking decisive action to get his party under control will continue to ring hollow until he finally suspends those associated with the police investigation – including Nicola Sturgeon.”

Scottish Labour Deputy Leader Jackie Baillie added: “The truth that both Mr Brown and the Scottish public know is that a culture of secrecy and cover-up has been allowed to fester at the heart of the SNP.

“From police investigations, to secret pay-outs to top SNP MPs with public money, the truth couldn’t be clearer - Humza Yousaf’s party are lining their pockets while Scots pay the price.

“The only thing missing is a duck moat. 

“Scotland deserves better than the arrogant and sleaze-ridden SNP.”