YOU DON’T KNOW THE HALF OF IT…YOU DO NOW!

When you read this old post which was published originally on the 1st June 2021 it easy to think there is a bit of the prophet about me. I don’t think I could have been clearer that the disappearance of the ring fenced money and denying the elected treasurer access to the books was always going to cause major problems down the road. As the police close in I can prove “YOU WERE WELL WARNED”

Dot Jessiman’s letter had a huge impact. Record numbers of readers to my blog yesterday. People are concerned about the chaos that seems to surround the “ ring fenced money” and other financial matters.

Dot’s brave decision to go public has encouraged others and my story today relates to that new information…what exactly happened at the NEC meeting in March when one of the three members of the audit committee read out on behalf of all three of the auditors their concerns and explanation of why they were resigning?

Now in any normal Organisation an event of this kind would be a serious matter, the NEC under the constitution is the body ultimately responsible for the finances of the Party and an audit report highlighting concerns you would expect to be given proper consideration. Certainly a fair hearing, a willingness to consider the matter. At least an appreciation that the auditors felt something was sufficiently amiss that they had made their best endeavors to uncover the problem. Having been blocked from accessing the information by the Chief Executive they felt they had no alternative but to report it to the ultimate regulatory body within the Party and tender their resignations to emphasise the seriousness of such a serious breach of best practice. They probably had never considered the possibility that the NEC would be happy for this blockage to remain in place. The person they were reporting of blocking them access was the Party Leader’s partner but they were raising practices, not personalities. I would remind readers two of the audit members were the current SNP Lord Provost of Edinburgh, a chartered accountant and also another who is a senior Director of a Group of Companies.

The other of the three auditors was an elected member of the NEC and Allison Graham , delivered a measured and calm report and explanation of their concerns and why they felt, in order to protect their own professional reputations, that they had no option but to resign as the present situation was completely unacceptable and ensured that lacking access to the required information they could not carry out their duties and advise the elected National Treasurer properly.

All hell broke out, nobody wanted to discuss the content of the report, they went bananas because Allison had read it out at the NEC MEETING. Leading the complainers was a Nec Rep from the Highlands and Islands, a Ian Cockburn, who works for the Westminster Leader Ian BLACKFORD in his Dingwall office. Another member of the NEC described his attack on Allison as a mad, bad tempered “rant”, very aggressive and completely unjustified. He was outraged that she had raised the matter at the NEC. When he finished he got widespread support from the Wokies but not just them, a very senior figure, the Party Leader made clear she fully approved of Cockburn’s aggressive verbal assault on the female auditor. She was backed up by, I nearly fell off my seat when I heard about this, Cllr Graham Campbell who boasted about his considerable business experience, his wide experience as a company director/trustee of various bodies emphasising he was the last person to be questioned about transparency or financial probity! The NEC member who supplied me with this information said “My impression was they would not recognise good and proper governance if it hit them in the face”. Cllr Campbell, this self appointed “expert” in financial probity and transparency, then stated Allison should NEVER have been permitted to report this to the NEC. So much for transparency, that didn’t last long!

Now normally this could be dismissed or devalued by the usual tactics of disputing the facts, raising a counter story. Not this time, we live in the 21st century, the meeting was being held on Zoom and one enterprising NEC member, shocked at what was happening to poor Allison took some important screenshots.

The support for the aggressive rant against Allison is highlighted in screenshot one

Support from the Wokies

And best of all the financial expert Cllr Campbell

So there you have it in the clearest form. The NEC wanted it buried. They are not trying to find any answers about the ring fenced funds or anything else. They are sitting round the table armed with shovels, not for digging but for burying any attempt to bring about proper management of the financial assets of the Party, in other terms, members and non members funds.

Now you can keep your head in the sand, be blind to what is happening within the most important vehicle to deliver Scottish Independence. These actions are killing Independence, they are splitting the Yes Movement asunder.

You can decide whether you side with honest transparency and the operation of proper financial governance as has always been the case until recent years or whether you want people who have lost all proper responsibility for the posts they hold, to carry on regardless…until it all comes crashing down, as it surely will.

Now you can understand why three auditors resigned and the National Treasurer Douglas Chapman MP, elected by Conference to sort this mess out, had no option but to resign when he was also blocked from accessing the information he needed as well.

You asked for proof…how much more do you need?

I am, as always

Yours for Scotland

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75 thoughts on “YOU DON’T KNOW THE HALF OF IT…YOU DO NOW!

  1. How much longer will the ‘wheesht for indy” and those holding their noses to vote SNP deny reality?

    Nothing can progress with the party running like this.
    Things have gone beyond repairing the issues – the structure needs to be torn down and rebuilt. Those who subscribed to the cult of Nicola and rode the wave up aren’t going to give up easily.
    Anyone who still thinks she’ll deliver independence, or even a referendum is kidding themselves.

    Liked by 24 people

    1. Personally I think the people’s of Scotland should show how they really feel and have a no Confidence vote in the current Scottish Government

      Liked by 3 people

    2. Boris may be dumb as a box of rocks, but unlike the FM he will be surrounded by genuine ‘thinkers’ and experienced political strategists.
      I’ve no doubt that one or more of the latter has already suggested that when the FM next demands a referendum, he simply responds with ‘Okay – go for it’, because that will see Nicla and the Elite go into a messy tailspin !

      ‘Bitter Together 2’ is probably ready, and the previously quiet MSM will simply publish (and keep publishing) everything they’ve sat on for over two years – all the internal corruption, who actually makes ScotGov decisions, the reality behind Salmond’s Judicial Review (and what ‘they’ haven’t published about the subsequent Committee sessions and report), the facts surrounding the criminal case, and a Helluva lot more.

      I/we have no doubt Sturgeon is planning the ‘badge’ the next referendum with the SNP logo, but by the time the next referendum vote is on the horizon, that logo will be completely toxic.

      Liked by 4 people

  2. They must be pretty confident that the NEC members will never be held to account, otherwise why make such a blatantly obvious attempt at suppressing the raising of concerns by the audit committee. If ever a court needed the evidence of collusion then this was it.

    Liked by 20 people

    1. Yes they must be sure they are not financially viable. So is that utter stupidity or do they know. If the latter that is incredibly naive to think that nothing changes.

      Liked by 3 people

  3. Nothing surprises with this mob anymore.

    My only question is, why did Douglas Chapman take so long to resign?

    Sorry, two questions. Why did Douglas Chapman completely ignore WOS public request regarding the missing funds?

    To me, Mr Chapman does not come out of this smelling of roses.

    Liked by 4 people

    1. Chapman was elected just a few short months ago to do a job. I’m sure he stuck at it for as long as he thought there was still a chance of fulfilling the task he was assigned. Waiting until after election is no surprise. Perhaps he thought with the election out of the way he would get more attention, particularly if there are some inappropriate actions that needed resolving. In any case the finance world does not like drama so waltzing out because he was being blocked during an election campaign would not be looked on kindly. I think he fulfilled his role with the probity you’d expect.

      Liked by 7 people

    2. I can not speak for Mr Chapman, but putting myself in his position (I used to have to review commercial accounts for a living) I would have reviewed the books and accounts that were available, identified where there were gaps and questions, begun to ask those questions, and probably having received no immediate response, followed this up several times before reaching the conclusions that none would be forthcoming. That would have taken me a few weeks/months. So I don’t think there is any real issue about the timing in my view.

      Liked by 16 people

      1. Maybe so Tony, but you have to ask when the 3 walked away why he stayed on.

        It may seem I’m having a go at Mr Chapman but I was just curious as to why he stayed so long and also ignoring the open letter from WOS… doesn’t shed him in good light.

        Liked by 5 people

    3. Could it be that there is a course of spending time on ‘due process’ to be followed through and once that had been exhausted his only option was to resign?

      Liked by 8 people

  4. This is what I feared would happen.

    Instead of people with legitimate concern for the cause of independence utilising their skills and knowledge from the professions they work in outwith politics, the SNP now has people who are solely focussed on protectionism within the party, regardless of skills and ability.

    I new their would be a point where the SNP would be left with representatives who do not understand the mechanics of government, but the rot has spread further and quicker into the party itself to the point it soon won’t be able to function because Of the people trusted with party governance.

    Thank you for exposing this

    Liked by 15 people

  5. Presumably, other members will need to be elected to those resigned positions – and they’ll end up just as exposed. Damned if you remain and do nothing; vilified by the membership if you don’t. I wonder how (and when) it will end.

    Liked by 6 people

    1. The concerning bit is they will be replaced by people like those who attacked them – just like the Women’s and Equalities Convenors were replaced by the very people who were voted out in November

      It looks very much like the good, competent (democratically elected) people are deliberately being driven out so they can be replaced by the ba’ heids the sensible members got rid of

      It’s a shambles, but it’s the shambles who are running the country at the moment

      Liked by 11 people

    2. Going on past behaviour, they’ll just appoint the next on the list after the conference election. Even more likely if that name has already been assimilated by the Nicborg. An easy test to check whether someone has been assimilated is a simple question, “what is a woman?”

      Liked by 7 people

  6. It’s horrifying. Appalling treatment of committee members by colleagues for a start. I really hope the dam bursts soon and this all enters the public domain. The longer we have before another election to build up the other pro indy parties and wrestle the power away from the SNP and their mini-me Greens the better.

    I wonder how the both votes SNP crowd will feel when they realise the extent of the rot? I’ll never vote SNP again. Well I suppose if the adults got back in control but I suspect it will be a tainted brand by then. There won’t be a hell hot enough if Sturgeon has scunnered Scotland’s chance of indy…

    Liked by 17 people

  7. Douglas Chapman could have resigned before the May elections. That he did not will stain him forever.

    I believe there is a great deal of regret on the “both votes SNP” side. For obvious reasons. This will stain all the MSPs pushing this position ( I wouldn’t trust any SNP MSP to stand up for Scotland).

    The disgraced lord woolf and his underling have resigned. I think this indicates the way things are going.

    Police Scotland have obfuscated for too long and have lost any trust they had left. They are being forced to act by more and more complaints and the revelation of details hitherto kept from the public.

    The perjurors in the Alex Salmond trial are becoming known to more and more folk ( by word of mouth). And the sordid stitch-up is slowly being revealed.

    Stonewall are on the back foot due in no small part to all those fabulous women who would not wheesht.

    I think the forthcoming olympics will bring the absurdities of the controlling genderwoowoo faction to the public’s attention. And then the game is up.

    God, Karma, the fates or the greek harpies are coming to get them…And they know it.

    History will judge sturgeon and murrell . And it wont judge them kindly.

    Another great article Iain. And another nail in the wokeratti coffin.

    Liked by 17 people

    1. I wish you were right, but fear that having stitched up the justice system and the police system as well as the media (witness the smothering of Alba publicity) the current SNP has found the delay, obfuscate and obstruct tactics they have used in any situation that threatens exposure to be so effective that they will continue to use them and will continue to succeed to smother any opposition. Owen Jones’ book The Establishmenht and How They Get Away With It seems to have been digested by the SNP ‘leadership’ with devastating effects for Scotland. Borisism isn’t just working in Westminster, sad to say.

      Liked by 11 people

      1. Quite right, Iain. As I commented to an earlier post, I would have done the same thing and given the same amount of time. He did the Job he was supposed to do but has been frustrated in his efforts to clarify the gaps in the “books”. People trying to tar him should think carefully what they are saying.

        Liked by 7 people

      2. I agree. I think this is a classic case of damned if he does. . . The fact is, he said he would give it six months, he had. I’m sure he did his best, but let’s face it, he was up against as were all the other ‘real’ SNP that the members put in to try and sort the mess out. The Nicborg just let them in the back door as ‘affiliates’ aka assimilates.

        Liked by 5 people

    2. Astonished: you say history will judge Sturgeon and Murrell. Well it might, but we could aw be deid by then.

      We require them and their facilitators to be in the dock facing charges relating to their respective stewardship of country and party. This essentially must come to pass within the current parliamentary term.

      They both, apparently by their recent activity, believe prosecution through the courts will protect the Nation from all ill.
      Now is the time for our Nation to adopt and prosecute that belief on behalf of the victims left in their wake.

      Liked by 11 people

  8. Dearie me, what an absolute bourach. Am I shocked and surprised, yer havin a larf, right. There are none so blind as those who will not see. Whit’s to be done, well, I don’t think there is anything to be done now but wait for the implosion, as it will sooner or later. My own preference would be sooner, but then, I don’t get a say as I’m with Alba not SNP.

    I still can’t quite come to terms with how all of this has happened. I’ve read Iain’s articles and sometimes felt my jaw hit the desk. A once well run, transparently governed party has come to this. So very sad, but I don’t think many folk realised that the reins had been handed over to a scheming blackhearted wee besom. Not even Alex until she shafted him. Oh well, we live and learn is what they say.

    Most of all I feel sad for my country, but look back at our history. It was not the enemy that usually defeated us, but our own folk. The greedy, power hungry, with their hands held out for the cash. There’s a name for these folk, traitors for that is what they are.

    Oh just before I go, I see that now Joanna Cherry has resigned from the NEC> My, my, my.

    Liked by 19 people

    1. I’m trying to remember. Didn’t Joanna Cherry get a record number of votes when she was elected to the NEC?

      I really do hope that she will give up on the SNP and join Alba.

      Liked by 14 people

      1. Reading this article, I think Ms Cherry may well be getting her ducks in a row rather nicely.

        Some decisive legal action options would have to be taken from inside membership, though some can happen from outside or in the name of sympathetic supporters she has inside the party.

        Liked by 4 people

    2. ” how all of this has happened”

      Postcolonial literature offers a useful template for all that is happening, and more. Everything from a dominant national party and its ‘pampered bourgeoisie elite’ making their own ‘accommodation with colonialism’ which serves to delay or may even thwart independence, to the brutal application of what remains a colonial justice system. This is all explained in the writings of Cesaire, Memmi, Fanon etc.

      Liked by 10 people

  9. A terrible thought, but I can’t shake it:

    If I was a PM wanting to flatten independence for the foreseeable future, I would grant a section 30 as soon as possible.

    They would be facing a party that is degenerate, broke and bereft of vision(let alone thought).

    That party would be like the dog who caught the car.

    That party would have to face a deep pocketed, far more organised and ruthless opposition. Our current FM (even if she had the slightest inclination) is not cut out for that sort of fight.

    Fairweather friends would disappear and the perjury level loyalists would provide even more evidence of being worse than useless.

    The FM’s area of excellence is office politics, and even that is limited in scope to two; the cabinet and jackson’s entry.

    After reluctantly accepting the gold standard they have professed to demand, yet never pursued, they would offer only the the most vapid,desultory and doomed to fail campaign.

    All of which,depressingly, might suit both sides all too well.

    Liked by 8 people

    1. I agree Paul , the ” granting ” of a S30 at a time of it’s ( UK State ) choosing ie when the SNPG is in total disarray , may well be the strategy . It would also explain the , otherwise inexplicable , MSM /Unionist silence on what could have been devastating focus on the blatant corruption surrounding the ” Alex Salmond ” case and deeply divisive HCB/GRA legislation prior the H.E .

      Are they holding all this ammunition in reserve to be deployed at a time of maximum impact/damage ?

      Liked by 9 people

      1. Most Scottish media is under Sturgeons control, half the UK media loves using her to attack Boris.

        What difference does it make anyway? Sturgeon and her cabal stitched Salmond up, lied to the inquiry, got the Lord Advocate to defend their failure to comply with a search warrant and broke the ministerial code.
        What happened next? Sturgeon rides through unscathed and the media circus moves on to Boris’s wallpaper.

        Liked by 10 people

      2. I think you overestimate any co-ordinated strategy here as I really don’t think there is any. The English-based media are not that interested in the internal wranglings of the SNP because their readership isn’t (and frankly, why would they be – they cannot vote for the SNP and so have no say in Scottish politics – it is all rather remote). And when you say ‘Unionists’, it is merely a description of a viewpoint that covers a very wide range of perspectives as to why people have that view, not some secret cabal planning the final defeat of Scottish nationalism. The much more interesting and important question is why the Scottish media is so quiet on all this because one thing you can be sure of is it were happening to Labour or the Tories, i.e. union-wide relevant parties, the England-based media would be all over it, even though by and large they are Tories rags. There are two reasons for the latter – the press is not so in hoc to the establishment and it would sell copy big time.

        Liked by 2 people

    2. NO her area of Excellence is being the ON the TV Every Day having a free Non Party Political Broadcast

      Sounding Sensible and Reasonable and gathering the flock of sheep into the fold.

      And boy did that work/ Yes BIG TIME

      Sars2 – Covid19 the gift that keeps on giving for NS

      Liked by 1 person

  10. The destruction of my loyalty to the SNP took some time. It began with the accusations against Alex Salmond, yet I hung back, preferring to await the outcome of the case. And even when Alex was proven to be totally innocent, though angry that for some reason certain women had made false accusations against him I still did not blame “my” Party. But when Alex was called before the Fab Committee he was so obviously truthful and totally lacking in spite that Sturgeon’s 8 hour bland performance demonstrated that of the professional liar. Only then did a light switch on full beam within my thick skull and killed my loyalty stone dead.

    So, knowing how hard it was for me to dismiss my loyalty to the Party I can understand why others take so long to accept that the SNP, with the current leadership, is finished.

    Liked by 21 people

    1. Fully understand your position, I left the SMP as a paid up member last year. I would only say this, though. The SNP as a broad party is one I can still support – it is the current leadership cabal that is the issue. IF they depart, the SNP can be resurrected. If not, then Independence supporters have ALBA or ISP as alternatives. (Full openness here, I joined ISP before ALBA came along, but have remained a member and have not [yet] joined ALBA. Whilst I am an Alex supporter, I’m not sure if his “marmite” perception will be to their long term benefit)

      Liked by 3 people

      1. Tony: ousting the present leadership will not cut the mustard. The party is captured by these people and they are everywhere, including within the membership and every arms of government, including the Scottish Civil Service (supposed to be a disinterested organization) and the Crown Office and Police Scotland (if the recent treatment of Marion Millar is anything by which to judge – (Graham Linehan running an petition for her on The Glinner Update site). Graham, one of the Father Ted originators, is not receiving as much work as he did since he was cancelled by the pseudo, virtue-signalling wokerati for speaking up on behalf of women and their right to safe spaces, and for refusing to have the language he uses dictated by this fascist cabal.

        It will take a complete coup to change matters. That is why the best thing that anyone who can no longer stomach what is happening is to move to ALBA pronto. This happened in Ireland pre 1916 (for different reasons, obviously) when the party of Parnell lost the impetus to bring forward home rule. Sinn Fein and the IRA rose out of that disenchantment, and the drive for Irish independence started in earnest. No one wants to go through what Ireland did: armed conflict with the British State; civil war; and partition.

        That is why we have to get this right, but the SNP is not getting it right. Not by a long chalk. Joanna Cherry has resigned from the NEC now, too. These pseudo wokerati have destroyed the party, aided and abetted by some very senior figures. They should hang their gullible, mendacious heads in shame for what they have allowed to happen – because they know better. Oh, yes, they know better. Few of our elected representatives are going to come out of this as clean patties, the elder ones in particular, who stood by and let all of this happen. However, we are also talking about the Unionist parties, too, except, perhaps, the Tories, who, if anything else are at least making a stand against this. If Scotland and Wales fall to the pseudo wokerati, England will be next – the real prize.

        WordPress.com / Gravatar.com credentials can be used.

        Liked by 7 people

  11. I am convinced that an early push for independence under the present SNP leadership would be the worst thing that could happen. They have nothing in place to support it and their mediocrity and incompetence would be bound to lead to failure. And worse, if successful, it would be very difficult to prise them away from power and I for one would be very concerned at the kind of independent country they would create. I believe we will have to wait for ALBA to firmly establish its identity as the main Independence Party – which one would hope it can do within a very few years.

    Liked by 7 people

  12. First of thanks to those brave folk for passing on information as to what’s actually going on within the SNP, we’re so grateful, and secondly to you Iain for posting it.

    I should say I’m shocked, that we all should be shocked at what’s going on but, I think recent events surrounding the SNP have kind of dulled this latest surprise.

    I can only hope that this comes to a head, and that Sturgeon and Murrell are brought down for they cannot keep on treating the party faithful as pariahs when they’re only trying to do their jobs properly. I hope the outing of the missing ringfenced money brings down Murrell and Sturgeon, I’m sure there’s others within the party that would like see this happen and allow the party to get back on track.

    Liked by 9 people

  13. Imagine an NEC taking an attitude that things can’t be raised at their meeting, that highlight issues.
    Is this the same councillor Campbell that told other NEC members that ‘their facial expressions didn’t resonate with admiration for Nicola’? His financial expertise probably follows the same route as the ring fenced account. It gets inter woven into accounts, never to be seen again, if the stories of his ‘start ups’ are in any way 1% right.

    Liked by 8 people

  14. It is lways the cover up that is worse than the original
    Sturgeon’s actions at the meeting align with her hounding of Salmond. trying to protect murrell is going to bring them both down

    Liked by 7 people

    1. “ The line from the FM “Well said, Ian”. That’s the killer line.”
      ———

      Spot on.

      But don’t be surprised if there is some innocuous phrase in the rant of Blackford’s stooge she can later claim to be applauding.

      By now her well paid SPAD’s will have identified several.

      Liked by 6 people

  15. And now Joanna Cherry QC MP has quite the NEC to join the long list.

    With the SNP Supreme decision making body now deserted by representatives elected by the members leaving only the coterie of the corrupt and rotten what place now for democratic members.

    This is a party with no functioning democracy and a largely zombie membership. Headed by Sturgeon and aided and abetted by her husband the thoroughly rotten creep that is Murrell there is now no reason for most to remain in the SNP.

    Great damage has been done to our now corrupted and politically biased mechanisms of state such as the Police, the Crown Office Prosecution Service, and senior civil servants. And more damage will be done as legislation to censor and punish free speech becomes extant. This is going to be a rough ride unless ordinary people resist th3 cancer that is now well established.

    My own view now is that unless the SNP must be replaced and my own view is that Alba is the vehicle with which to do it. We know who the rotten apples are. We know where they stay. And so in less than a week with two senior MPs following the previous exodus of member elected representatives from the NEC isn’t it time that they too followed on into Alba.

    The SNP is now our enemy. And like the mafia it has the mechanisms of government on its side and is now a gang to counter independence. We need to replace it before it finishes us and the fight for independence.

    MacAskill, Hanvie – soon to be joined by Chapman and Cherry?

    Liked by 7 people

    1. Members up for a challenge, could challenge the legitimacy of the leadership & NEC in Court.

      Precedent is FCofS against UFCof S, court of Session, 1900. Departure from founding principles & breaches of the constitution. A minority, won. The existence OF that precedent may help safeguard against interference in legal action by Scot gov?

      SNP is likely bankrupt & reputation damaged beyond saving.

      But that route WOULD remove electoral commission registration, right to use name & logo & any remaining assets, from the clique/leader/NEC.

      Which would benefit wider society, country & indy movement.

      Liked by 4 people

  16. 100% correct Ian yet again! Nicola sturgeon and her woke crew are damaging the independence cause. When I think how you marched for justice in 1986 and campaigned tirelessly for independence, along with so many other genuine indy supporters, the way sturgeon has manipulated the SNP makes me sick!

    There is no doubt in my mind, she has been turned by the british state! She always was a ruthless individual driven by selfish ambition, but she really has crossed the line. The independence movement now see it! Her modus operandi is to stop independence.

    The dirt now on the SNP is huge! the brit nat media have been keeping their powder dry! They have been given plenty amo by the woke sturgeon crew!

    WGD… We know you are reading this blog… SHAME ON YOU FOR YOUR SILENCE!

    Liked by 8 people

  17. The SNP leadership is now, beyond any doubt, putting party before country. I can only hope more members of the SNP recognize that fact and act upon it: resigning their membership and/or joining Alba; supporting websites like this one and writing letters to local and national media outlets.

    Perhaps more importantly I hope MSPs and MPs recognize that the SNP needs radical reform and a radical change to its current lacklustre approach to independence.

    Independence, first and foremost.

    Liked by 8 people

  18. As far as the missing crowdfunded money goes, it looks like we need a lot of people who contributed to it to raise a complaint with the Police. Seems at the moment they have Sean Clerkin’s complaint and not much else? They are apparently still ‘looking into whether they think there is anything to investigate’ at the moment, which means they are doing zilch.
    The shenanigans sadly come as no surprise to me looking at the way the party has gone over the last couple of years. This sort of behaviour was apparent in our branch/CA where you were vilified for raising questions about finances, never any accountability about the amount of money spent during a campaign, told to go and look on the electoral commission website for the audited accounts and expected to simply go along with whatever the treasurer said. Sadly all too many were willing to do just that. It was the beginning of the end for me and I left the party before much of the recent burach had started. I thought then that they had turned into New Labour but shockingly they appear to be even worse.

    Liked by 8 people

  19. This debachle has led me to ask for a refund of the £100 I donated to the referendum campaign fund I made in 2017. I received a reply after only 2 hours saying I will be refunded tomorrow. I wonder where these refunds will be reported in the accounts.

    Liked by 10 people

  20. “These actions are killing Independence, they are splitting the Yes Movement asunder.”

    Is that not the goal, Iain? The SNP becoming a devolution party would explain the corporate media’s lack of curiosity regarding the disappearance of the referendum fund. The continuing references to mandates and a referendum are equivalent to Mr Blackford’s repeated assurances that Scotland would not be dragged out of the EU – “full of sound and fury signifying nothing.”

    Liked by 8 people

  21. The situation is going to get a lot worse shortly as financially this cannot be a sustainable position especially as the SNP are haemorrhaging members and therefore membership money!

    What happens when outgoings exceed income and the overdraft/ loans dry up?

    As members of the NEC the FM, her husband and their cabal are legally liable for any debts owed by the Party.

    If the SNP becomes bankrupt they in turn became bankrupt, then they would cease to be MSPs, MPs or even Company Directors in private life, since an undischarged bankrupt cannot hold any of those posts!

    I believe I read somewhere that ordinary members may too be liable for any SNP debts in the event the Party folds.

    Does anyone know if this is the case?

    Also any idea who is likely bankrolling them – Big Pharma, Anti-Russia, Pro-Israel lobby groups, Westminster Short Money etc. or are they just maxxing out overdrafts and credit cards to pay the hefty monthly wages bill?

    Liked by 4 people

    1. >>What happens when outgoings exceed income and the overdraft/ loans dry up?

      A mystery benefactor steps in to save the day, but there will be certain… conditions.

      Liked by 2 people

      1. Aye, Craig that’s what I think too.

        Like when Blair tried to loosen the Trades Unions grip on Labour.

        My concern is that the SNP must be really desperate and will accept any strings as long as they get the money pronto.

        I suspect it’ll be a sell off of Scottish assets and support of Neo Liberal warmongering.

        Wouldn’t surprise me if the funders of the whole trans agenda aren’t throwing cash at them already!

        Liked by 2 people

  22. Apart from the terminally naive, those for whom the holding of a political thought can never happen, does anyone else actually believe that what we are witnessing within the SNP isn’t being manipulated as part of a black-ops operation?

    Such a thing could never happen here, of course. Aye, right!

    Liked by 4 people

  23. Hi Iain

    What’s all this that we read about the Police stating there was nothing wrong with the “ring-fenced” (lost) 600K??????

    Just what is going on here????????????????????????????????????

    YFS
    Catrina Shand

    Sent from Outlook

    ________________________________

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  24. Surely if you ask a question about why the money (£600k) isn’t visible in the accounts and there is no immediate answer the alarm bells should be ringing. Ask again and still no answer the involve the police. Why wait.

    Liked by 3 people

  25. It would appear that Scotland is riddled with the worst kind of public Servant. Councils, MPs, MSPs the legal system, church, education, trade unions any institution, you name it, none can be trusted act in Scotlands behalf. The country appears to be endemically riddled with free loaders, charlatans, cheats, and liars who are only out to feather their own nest. All of whom happily sell Scotland down the swanny 24 7 365. There can be few other countries in the world with so many forelock tuggers acting against the population and beholden to a foreign power.

    Liked by 6 people

    1. “none can be trusted act in Scotlands behalf”

      Scotland is arguably no different from any other colony, in that:

      “Colonialism will use two types of natives to gain its ends; and the first of these are the traditional collaborators – chiefs, caids and witch-doctors. Colonialism secures for itself the services of these confidential agents by pensioning them off at a ransom price. Colonialism will also find in the lumpen-proletariat a considerable space for manoeuvring…. and the oppressor will be extremely skilful in using their ignorance and incomprehension which are the weaknesses of the lumpen proletariat”. (Frantz Fanon)

      Liked by 4 people

      1. well said Alf, there are many co-opted Scots who make a handsome living out of gatekeeping for the union, without these folk the union would collapse. They care not that their country is asset stripped and treated as a play thing for Westminster do as it pleases.

        Liked by 6 people

  26. Without understanding standing orders I don’t know whether what was done was permissable. A selection of screenshots without the broader context is meaningless and just plays to the gallery.
    I speak as someone who contributed to the fund in question and have no concerns at all about it’s whereabouts.
    I also have spoken to an NEC member who has there own take on what is going on and they are also not concerned.

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    1. You have the right not to be concerned as long as you appreciate the right of the many who are not and who expect straight answers to what has happened to their donation and can’t get those answers.

      Liked by 9 people

    2. Why is the NEC member not concerned? There is no obvious place where the money has been ring-fenced – or even woven – in the SNP accounts. It. Is. Not. There.

      Seriously, the SNP, based on its latest published accounts, is skint. In fact, it’s worse than skint, unless someone pulls a loose thread and the 600,000 quid unravels. Why anyone on the NEC should be, apparently, so sanguine about it is rather baffling, given the financial implications. If I were an SNP member I would be demanding answers.

      Is it possible that the NEC member is not as financially literate as he might be? I spend my life as an accountant and tax adviser. Most of my clients are not sufficiently financially literate to be engaging in the transactions they do.

      Liked by 4 people

      1. There is and all this ill informed speculation is dangerous. Without giving too much away I trust the person I spoke to.
        My point isn’t that there’s nothing to see here, it’s that articles like this combined with a barage of tweets doesn’t actually clarify anything.
        There’s another battle going on here and it’s not really about £600,000. The question is who is a friend and who is having their chain yanked!?

        Like

      2. Don’t know if you think you are helping. You are asking everyone to trust somebody you won’t name! You don’t tell us what they said to give you any confidence. You sound a real soft touch to the plotters and smearers. Here is a hint, talking to one NEC member and believing what they say does not overturn the mass of evidence that shows the money is missing.

        Liked by 5 people

      3. Well Skip, if you were an SNP member demanding answers you’d just have to join the queue.

        Members play no part, have no status in this New SNP. They can’t propose motions and have them taken to conference, they can vote and elect representatives to sit on the NEC for those representatives to be ignored and sidelined, and they can ask as many questions as they like – but I like NEC members they’ll get no answers.

        The SNP is no longer a democratically functioning party.

        Liked by 4 people

      4. James, you mean there’s an obvious place for the 600,000? Show me. I have been through the accounts going back to 2014 several times, looking at things from different angles and I can’t find it. I know others, more skilled at that than I, have studied the accounts as well. There are only a few places in the accounts where the cash (and the credit entry to balance) can be.

        I think the most plausible explanation is the one Stuart Campbell discussed at length a few months ago – being used to repay the Weirs.

        Liked by 4 people

    3. The NEC member who ‘has their own take’ on what’s going on… is he called Peter by any chance. And does his wife work, as line manager, to the Lord Advocate… ie head of prosecutions?

      Liked by 3 people

    4. Whenever I was concerned where money had gone, I quickly learned not to rely on assurances, but the numbers.

      Assurances without seeing the numbers usually mean you should get very concerned.

      Liked by 2 people

  27. James , I’m afraid I cannot accept your assurances. If there is no problem then the SNP can clearly state where the money is residing and open their books to the Finance committee.
    When the opportunity is afforded to those folk and the vanishing thousands accounted for we can all breathe easy and accept that we have been hyper ventilating over an ‘error’ a ‘conspiracy’ if you will but until that day when all is seen to be open and above board , beyond query , then suspicions will grow and grow.

    Liked by 3 people

  28. I applaud Iain and all the other bloggers who are doing their utmost to expose the rank corruption and lies within the SNP , but on reading the many comments here and elsewhere I am convinced we will not see independence in my lifetime , the reason being we are too trusting and gullible , we have many on here applauding and excusing Douglas Chapman and Joanna Cherry and intimating that there are still good people within the SNP , my question is WHERE are these good people , what has Douglas or Joanna done to PROTECT the people of Scotland , WHAT has Douglas , Joanna and all those supposed GOOD SNP people done to expose the rank corruption and cancer that has taken over the SNP party , let me enlighten you ( NOTHING , NADA , ZILCH ) they have sat by and LET the evil consume the party whilst looking after themselves socially and financially , NOT ONE of them has spoken out publicly about the endemic corruption and evil that IS the party , so consequently those GOOD people are complicit and happy at what is happening against REAL independence supporters who ARE SPEAKING OUT
    ( FIRST THEY CAME FOR AND I DID NOTHING )
    you shall know them by their deeds and they are silent

    Liked by 1 person

  29. The following is something I haven’t noticed above. It seems worth reminding folk.

    I am a member (actually an entry-level Fellow) of a Professional Body. It is concerned with technical/scientific matters, not financial or business administation, but I would expect equivalent or stricter rules to apply there, too. It is a long time since I read the T & Cs: I recall a requirement to inform higher management if I found something disadvantageous or dangerous to the company and/or to my fellow employees, with an over-riding obligation toward the public. I forget the actual words, this is how I proceed.

    I am retired: I do voluntary work, and do so with the same underlying responsibility.

    I believe a similar obligation and responsibility may have guided the three who resigned. Though I think further speculation is wrong.

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