Nicola Sturgeon's time is up

[savoloysam]

The SNP lost when Nicola resigned. She clearly has a great sense of timing hasn't she? Perhaps her next role will be the conductor of an orchestra?

 

[cupid_stunt]

The Scottish Times is running with this on their from page today.

SNP fears Nicola Sturgeon arrest is imminent​

Senior members of the SNP are braced for Nicola Sturgeon’s imminent arrest in the wake of detectives interviewing her husband and the party treasurer amid an investigation into party finances.

Senior MPs and MSPs claim it is “inevitable” that the former first minister will be interviewed under caution or as a witness in the coming weeks.

Sturgeon is the only senior SNP official named on the party’s most recent financial accounts who has not been arrested. The former first minister appears on accounts for the 2021-22 financial year as one of three registered officers, alongside Peter Murrell, the former chief executive, and Colin Beattie, the treasurer. It is understood she has not been spoken to by police but has previously said she would “fully co-operate” if required.

BiB - I guess it would make sense for that reason, but it'll still be a bigger shock than the other two arrests for the party.

 

[equationgirl]

I mean yeah, I expect she will be questioned but arresting her, on what they probably currently have? If the other two have been released without charge so far because more information is needed then I'm not sure if there's anything to be gained at this stage.

I'm not saying never address her, just is now the best time to do so?

 

[andysays]

I mean yeah, I expect she will be questioned but arresting her, on what they probably currently have? If the other two have been released without charge so far because more information is needed then I'm not sure if there's anything to be gained at this stage.

I'm not saying never address her, just is now the best time to do so?

Whether or not she's actually arrested soon,, if/when she is interviewed, it will surely be under caution, as cupid_stunt suggests?

(I don't know if there are differences between Scottish and English law in this regard which might mean I'm mistaken)

 

[teqniq]

It's interesting how the OB in Scotland seem to be arresting SNP politicians and then releasing them without charge. It's almost as if there's no evidence of actual wrongdoing to be had, and yet the likes of the Mones are still swanning around over a year after the NCA directed raids on their various properties. It as if there was an agenda being directed from somewhere south of the border.

 

[gosub]

Um, I might be missing something essential but I am honestly baffled by this. I mean, £600,000 is not negligible but compared to Mone and Barrowman, the millions squandered during the pandemic, just about anything the foul Johnson had a hand in, Jenrick, Shapps (well, any of them), Robbing the donation funds and buying a swanky RV is dodge as fuck but the Tory scum have had their noses in the trough since forever...and seemingly consequence free.

The covid act suspended the existing oversight safe guards that exist when it comes to the spending of tax payers money...Hence what happened was 'lawful' the easy access fraudulent loans taxpayers took out maybe not so much.

This though ain't taxpayers money. It's the disappearance of 600k of easily taken advatage of bewildered Brits money.

 

[danny la rouge]

Unsurprisingly:

Colin Beattie resigns as SNP treasurer after arrest Colin Beattie resigns as SNP treasurer after arrest

 

[Ĝasper]

 

[gosub]

As wrong as it is to comment on ongoing Police investigations....if those tea bags are 2 years old they are probably stale

 

[equationgirl]

Unsurprisingly:

Colin Beattie resigns as SNP treasurer after arrest Colin Beattie resigns as SNP treasurer after arrest

Stepping back from the audit committee too...so SNP now has no auditors and no treasurer.

 

[danny la rouge]

Stepping back from the audit committee too...so SNP now has no auditors and no treasurer.

I took that to be the Scottish Parliament’s public audit committee.

Session 6 Public Audit Committee

Public Audit Committee

www.parliament.scot

 

[equationgirl]

I took that to be the Scottish Parliament’s public audit committee.

Session 6 Public Audit Committee

Public Audit Committee

www.parliament.scot

Yes, but the SNP still have no auditors and now no treasurer. I understood the public audit committee to be something else, or have I misunderstood?

I may easily have misunderstood.

 

[bluescreen]

Do you find that line of argument persuasive? It all seems very odd. The resignation of the auditors and the long silence about that certainly raise questions but may be largely the consequence of ongoing police investigation of complaints which were politically motivated in the first place.

 

[danny la rouge]

Yes, but the SNP still have no auditors and now no treasurer

This is indeed the case.

I understood the public audit committee to be something else, or have I misunderstood?

I may easily have misunderstood.

No, you’re right. I think I just read a full stop as a colon or something. That’s on me.

 

[marty21]

I haven't been following this story that closely tbf - is this basically about donations to the SNP which should have been used in campaigning but were instead used for day to day costs ? Or has someone been on the take ?

 

[danny la rouge]

Do you find that line of argument persuasive?

Jim’s a well-known activist and Labour Party member. He has no reason to be defending the SNP. He does write on police matters, especially regarding GRT rights. I’d call him a credible source.

I don’t have the knowledge of how police investigations work to know whether he’s right or not.

It all seems very odd. The resignation of the auditors and the long silence about that certainly raise questions but may be largely the consequence of ongoing police investigation of complaints which were politically motivated in the first place.

There’s for sure a lot of questions to answer for the SNP. There’s been rumblings about the unease over their finances for years now.

 

[danny la rouge]

I haven't been following this story that closely tbf - is this basically about donations to the SNP which should have been used in campaigning but were instead used for day to day costs ? Or has someone been on the take ?

No suggestions of anyone being on the take. The allegation is that donations raised specifically for a referendum campaign were used on general party costs.

 

[marty21]

No suggestions of anyone being on the take. The allegation is that donations raised specifically for a referendum campaign were used on general party costs.

Thanks, pretty much what I thought - and tbf - that doesn't sound that bad - and the cost of the whole Police investigation seems grossly inappropriate over this sort of thing .

 

[BusLanes]

Thanks, pretty much what I thought - and tbf - that doesn't that bad - and the cost of the whole Police investigation seems grossly inappropriate over this sort of thing .

Well it is considered fraud and that's why the police are taking it seriously

 

[two sheds]

You're right but unlike, say, tory ministers giving lucrative contracts to their donors who have no prior experience and with no competitive tender. That's not fraud at all.

 

[JimW]

That's not fraud at all.

Yep, that's corruption and only to be expected, indeed encouraged.

 

[marty21]

Well it is considered fraud and that's why the police are taking it seriously

It is suspected fraud - but at the end of the day, the SNP used it for party rather than campaigning purposes - they didn't buy sports cars , champagne and cocaine .

 

[danny la rouge]

You're right but unlike, say, tory ministers giving lucrative contracts to their donors who have no prior experience and with no competitive tender. That's not fraud at all.

Or BBC chiefs arranging personal loans for you.

I have no sympathy for the SNP. They’re in a mess and regardless of the outcome of this investigation their melt down is a disaster area. But, that’s right, the contrasts in the way this is being pursued is interesting.

 

[marty21]

Or BBC chiefs arranging personal loans for you.

I have no sympathy for the SNP. They’re in a mess and regardless of the outcome of this investigation their melt down is a disaster area. But, that’s right, the contrasts in the way this is being pursued is interesting.

I agree - it now looks like Sturgeon resigned because she knew this was coming - so she had the leaving do she wouldn't have got had she resigned a few weeks later - but this does seem to be a massive deal for some accounting shenanigans - when the Tories misuse of public funds (not donations) is clearly a massive scandal that has been swept pretty much under the carpet.

 

[BusLanes]

It is suspected fraud - but at the end of the day, the SNP used it for party rather than campaigning purposes - they didn't buy sports cars , champagne and cocaine .

Yes I don't disagree it's small beer to other potential crimes a party of government could commit.

But on the other hand 600k of small donations to fund indyref2 campaigning or preparation should not be used to run the SNP's day to day business.

I suspect if I was an Indy support and I was happy with SNP government performance I probably wouldn't be too fussed as a strong SNP in government is surely better than not. But this is also basic accounting and budget setting..so if they fuck this up, or are dishonest about it, what else are they fucking up or being dishonest about?

 

[gosub]

You're right but unlike, say, tory ministers giving lucrative contracts to their donors who have no prior experience and with no competitive tender. That's not fraud at all.

As I said may have been if they hadn't considered covid times special circumstances and changed law accordingly...Nothing stopping next government conducting an audit and barring the iffyer ones from receiving future government contracts but that's about as much as can be done on that

 

[BusLanes]

Well ideally they'd go back to all of the donor's and ask them explicitly if they'd approve of the donations being transferred and if not, return the donations. Hard to do with lots of people but if it was via a crowdfunding website it should all be available.

But that's the run isn't it, do they have the money

 

[two sheds]

yes I thought that, but also not something the tories do (quite possibly the others) with donations that turn out to be from the proceeds of crime.

 

[danny la rouge]

Well ideally they'd go back to all of the donor's and ask them explicitly if they'd approve of the donations being transferred and if not, return the donations. Hard to do with lots of people but if it was via a crowdfunding website it should all be available.

But that's the run isn't it, do they have the money

If they sell the teabags, maybe.

 

[andysays]

If they sell the teabags, maybe.

I wonder what the secondhand value of that motor home is.

"Parked off road, one elderly owner, very low mileage"