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Original poster

The Fall Out Continues - thread 6

999 replies

TheShadowyFeminist · 26/03/2021 13:32

New 🧵

OP posts:
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Original poster
TheShadowyFeminist · 03/04/2021 10:48

@LizzieMacQueen

I have heard of multiple erroneous (deliberate or not ?) claims though I'm an accountant so perhaps I'm more likely to hear of them. None in my practice .... yet. But it is happening on a large scale.
Can we expect other parties to have something to come it too, do you think?
OP posts:
Original poster
TheShadowyFeminist · 03/04/2021 10:51

@Happinessisawarmcervix

Having told the Fabiani inquiry under oath that she didn’t know who all the complainers were, and if she did know them she didn’t know them very well, the FM is now telling newspapers that she knows some of the women and they are having difficulty seeing Alex Salmond back on the public stage.

She needs to make her mind up. But more than that, she needs to stop trotting out these women as cover for an attack on Salmond.

You're periodic reminder of what sturgeon stated in her 1st campaign interview with Dani Garavelli last weekend:

“The good thing about [Salmond] now having his own party is I don’t have to spend much time talking about him or thinking about him any more.”

She's not very convincing, is she?

OP posts:
happygolurkey · 03/04/2021 12:10

Nicola Sturgeon said at the inquiry she didn't know all of the complainants. She has said she knows some. So am failing to see what the contradiction is.

I'm sure she is relieved Salmond has his own party and she doesn't have to spend 'much time' talking or thinking about him. When she is asked about him in every interview it makes that a bit harder though.

It's bad enough that Alex Salmond, by his own admission, acted inappropriately with his staff. That carefully selected snippets of complainants' private conversations (and others) were then spread about to sneakily portray them as part of a 'conspiracy' (some even read out by his pal David Davison in parliament) is almost even more unforgivable. When looked at by the inquiry in their full context these conversations showed no such thing and were entirely innocent.
But Alex Salmond thinks everyone should just forget about all that get over it and put it all in the past. Thankfully, it looks like the electorate aren't that stupid as polls are showing Alba unlikely to get one candidate elected.

happygolurkey · 03/04/2021 12:17

apologies - hurriedly written - should have read David Davis obviously

WouldBeGood · 03/04/2021 12:39

@happygolurkey he is vile.

What you thinking about the missing £600k?

WouldBeGood · 03/04/2021 12:40

Salmond, I meant

noego · 03/04/2021 13:02

The whole thing stinks........

from HCB, GRA to the AS debacle, to redactions of evidence, the way the investigating committee was treated, to the SNP accounts being kept secret, to the education report not being published or the analysis of the GRA and to now applying for business grants!

This all needs investigating by either the police or the HMRC.

I am disgusted to say the least!

happygolurkey · 03/04/2021 16:33

What you thinking about the missing £600k?

I tend not to rely on Wings Over Scotland and Twitter for my news sources WouldBeGood so I don't know a lot about this. I would think if there was £600k missing, the major papers would be all over it. I did find one piece in The National from last year but that just seems to repeat what sounds to me like rumour and hearsay without offering any evidence.
So I'm not thinking an awful lot about it as, despite your assertion here, it's speculation, not fact

WouldBeGood · 03/04/2021 16:47

It’s missing from the accounts, whichever way you look at it. And three people resigned

StatisticallyChallenged · 03/04/2021 16:53

@WouldBeGood

It’s missing from the accounts, whichever way you look at it. And three people resigned
Yes, the claim was the money was "woven through" the accounts but from recollection there was significantly less available. I'll try to find them
happygolurkey · 03/04/2021 17:02

mmhh...well WouldBeGood if i was worrying about every last 'they wouldn't confirm or deny it so that's peculiar' investigation by Wings I wouldn't get much sleep. If you want to worry though go right ahead.

WouldBeGood · 03/04/2021 17:05

It’s not just Wngs though, is it? The money isn’t in the accounts, obviously anyway. So why not? It was supposed to be ring fenced.

sessell · 03/04/2021 17:07

Private Eye covers the missing £600k in this week's issue, in a story about what they call the 'SNPs murky finances.' The bit that really stood out to me was: "Also requiring an explanation is why the bill for staff salaries rose by 14 percent in the year, while the number of staff on the payroll increased by just one, from 20 to 21."

It seems the permanent secretary wasn't the only one to get an exceptional pay rise during a difficult year (hers from the SG pot not SNP of course). Even more extraordinary, with just £96k 'cash in hand and at the bank', the SNP doesn't seem in the best position to grant such largesse. Makes you wonder what would prompt a raid on ring-fenced monies for pay rises/offs at such a time, followed by a cover up of the finances.

forfucksakenett · 03/04/2021 17:08

@WouldBeGood

It’s not just Wngs though, is it? The money isn’t in the accounts, obviously anyway. So why not? It was supposed to be ring fenced.
@WouldBeGood why do you expect @happygolurkey to know?

A bit strange to target her for answers. Presumably she just knows as much as the rest of us?

WouldBeGood · 03/04/2021 17:10

Not targeted! Just asking as @happygolurkey was saying how sleazy Alba are (with which i agree). So I was interested to know a supporter’s take on the missing money.

happygolurkey · 03/04/2021 17:17

It’s not just Wngs though, is it? The money isn’t in the accounts, obviously anyway. So why not? It was supposed to be ring fenced.

well you know more than I do. tell you what, let me know how much you chipped in WouldBeGood and your pay pal details, and I'll refund you the money myself Grin

WouldBeGood · 03/04/2021 17:20

I should know better

forfucksakenett · 03/04/2021 17:22

@WouldBeGood

Not targeted! Just asking as *@happygolurkey* was saying how sleazy Alba are (with which i agree). So I was interested to know a supporter’s take on the missing money.
What's it got to do with Alba?

I'm in agreement with @happygolurkey. I feel like if there was truth to this then it would be everywhere. They could be biding their time right enough and it might break properly closer to the election?

Wings is unreliable. His obsessive hatred drives him. He's ever more krank like by the day.

SempreSuiGeneris · 03/04/2021 17:31

Anyone who's ever dealt with earmarked donations for charities (usually church teaset fund or somesuch when they need a new carpet) knows that "woven through" is not the done thing.

If that's the excuse then I expect the story to grow. If they can justify having already spent it and argue the spending furthers the cause then at the very least you would expect transparency.

Bit of a pattern since when acting as SG they seem to think playing fast and loose with repurposing Covid support is also hunky dory.

sessell · 03/04/2021 17:35

@ffs I've just said it is also in Private Eye, which is a UK national news magazine. Private Eye stories are often leaks from fleet Street journalists who need to persuade their editors. So I'd expect it to hit the broader mainstream very soon. PE is also thorough re litigation, so it's a legit story and gathering pace.

Original poster
TheShadowyFeminist · 03/04/2021 17:46

For the doubters or those able to decipher accounts, here's the National (pro Indy/SNP) article archived on the 'woven through) £600k Link to archived article and the actual accounts published for 2018-2019 with the electoral commission Link to SNP electoral commission Statement of Accouts 2019

This is from the National "The paperwork reveals that the party has just under £97,000 in the bank, despite two major fundraising drives for an indyref2 fighting fund.
However, the SNP treasurer, insists that there is £593,501 in the "Referendum Appeal Fund" which is ready to be deployed "instantaneously".

And this an extract from the email the SNP sent members, quoted in the article, where they say the money is 'woven through' the accounts: "Like all other political parties, the SNP does not separate out restricted funds in annual accounts. Any such donations are woven through the overall income figures each year."

And yes, this is from wings but it's a copy of the email the SNP sent members where the National quotes are from:

Link to SNP email on funds

Hope that helps clarify where the information can be verified that wings has been speaking about.

£600k isn't a small sum by any stretch of the imagination so if someone can explain the accounts to me, that shows where the £600k is, that would be great. 👍

If there is something questionable about the accounts, sure the electoral commission would be the 1st to look into any suggestions of the funds being used but not for the intended purpose?

OP posts:
Blurberoo · 03/04/2021 17:52

Could this have anything to do with the silence from the media? www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/news/politics/scottish-politics/2204167/scottish-government-to-invest-3-million-in-scottish-newspaper-advertising/

happygolurkey · 03/04/2021 17:58

I'd expect it to hit the broader mainstream very soon.

well we'll know all about it then won't we and WouldBeGood won't have to rely on me to explain it.

I'm asked what I 'think' about it - I'll 'think' about it when I know it's fact!! Don't think that's unreasonable

LizzieMacQueen · 03/04/2021 18:07

I just had a quick scan of the accounts. They pay a lot to have them audited so you'd think they'd be robust enough.

The funds might be in other assets/ 'prepayments & accrued income' = £879,488 ?

forfucksakenett · 03/04/2021 18:21

@happygolurkey

I'd expect it to hit the broader mainstream very soon.

well we'll know all about it then won't we and WouldBeGood won't have to rely on me to explain it.

I'm asked what I 'think' about it - I'll 'think' about it when I know it's fact!! Don't think that's unreasonable

Yes agreed @happygolurkey !