SNP shenanigans continued…

[TheBelmont]

A follow on to…
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/scotsnet/4778465-sturgeons-husband-arrested

Thought I’d get a new thread going as we are perilously close to filling the last and I for one am enjoying watching events unfold in your good company!

buckle up…it’s gonna be a bumpy ride….😁

I think short money only goes to political parties of a sufficient size (not sure how big) so if they jumped ship and became independent they wouldn’t receive any short money as they wouldn’t be large enough…I think that his how it works anyway!

Any new auditor would also need to have assurances about prior accounts, existing assets, b/f balances etc surely? Which, if they have not been signed off properly by previous auditors, and there were inconsistencies not picked up, has the potential to get a bit Enron/Arthur Anderson?

Short Money:

https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/sn01663/

Can they submit late and still get the short money? or part of it?

There doesn’t seem to be any allowance for an extension, it simply says ”As soon as practicable, but no later than two months after 31 March”

and

”2.23) If the requirements imposed by paragraph 2.21 above have not been complied with within the time specified, no further financial assistance under the provisions set out at paragraphs 2.2 to 2.19 above shall be paid until those requirements have been complied with.”

So it looks like if they fail to submit they don’t get any more short money until they do. But what they get once they submit late is unclear; is the loss pro-rata for the rest of the year? At best a delay creates a cash flow problem with salaries due.

https://committees.parliament.uk/publications/7382/documents/77347/default/

@LongWhiteCar you’re absolutely spot on and I would add the horror of the Gupta deal in there. The public are not fully aware of what an utter waste of money that was/ is and verging on criminality.

I would also hope this investigation shines the spotlight onto the numerous charity sector groups who are funded by the SNP and then miraculously change their views and start supporting and lobbying for whatever the SNP wants to do (reported in The Times). It’s like 1984.

And the impact to anyone who dares to question the dear leader. Eg Highland Spring here. https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/why-is-the-snp-gagging-charities/

Thanks for the link @Catsolitude this one had passed me by. So disturbing to read detail on the charities but just wow to the Highland Spring apology. There’s other companies who’ve smiled nicely for the PR stunts. I just wish more people could’ve realised before now😞

Michael Glaikin in Times around 2 years ago was flagging up all the Gupta shenanigans and calling it out for what it was - lacking loan guarantees etc etc .
Mr Gupta said at time “ how easy it was to deal with the Scottish Government”

Now I see Mr Salmond ( of whom I’m not a fan but agree he was set up ) is pushing for an enquiry so more fuel for the SNP bonfire 🔥

I’ve run out of free articles on the spectator this month so can’t read it but looks alarming and sadly unsurprising.

More fun and games to come.

Now that precisely the same individuals who organised the conspiracy to frame Alex Salmond are under heavy police investigation for financial fraud, many people are now prepared to listen who refused to do so before.
I am going forward with a case to the UN Human Rights Committee over my substantial imprisonment for journalism. This will set out what really happened in Scotland – to Alex Salmond, to me, to Clive Thomson, to Mark Hirst and others – on the international stage.

https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2023/04/defence-fund-appeal-united-nations-human-rights-committee/

I struggle to have sympathy for Craig Murray or Alex Salmond even though I do agree with him on his current issues against the SNP. I can’t imagine we would agree on much else.

But how much fun would it be to see the Alphabetties - all pals of Nicola, who perjured themselves in the Salmond trial - exposed?

Oh yes…I’ll not deny…that would be entertaining!

It’s mine now and I ain’t giving it back…

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-65393718

This thread is such a comfort to me- thank you to you all. I’m surrounded by SNP supporters and at times wonder if I’m the one that is hallucinating! It’s utter madness, and has been for years! Why can people not see how much of a shambles this all is. NS lack of memory is extraordinary for someone so young and capable???!!!

I didn't know about the charities, if we give you money dance to our tune. Is there no end to how insidious the snp became. The non return of donations, is that because the pot is empty?.

Probably but he doesn’t want to admit that. They can’t return donations because they have been spent so he is trying to twist it to say it was spent in line with what it was given for. It surprises me they have taken so long to come up with that. I presumed the arrangements under which the money was donated was too tightly draw for them to say ‘all SNP —campervans— is referendum campaigning’.

Strike though and language fail.

*”all SNP campervans activity is referendum campaigning”

Definitely it’s trying to put a positive spin on ‘we can’t give it back because it’s gone and I don’t know or won’t admit what it was spent on’.

This bit jumped out at me from that entry

In August 2021, Sturgeon told a meeting of the party’s NEC that, “We don’t need to talk about the finances. The finances are absolutely fine"

I work in finance. If someone said that to me in a meeting I'd be wondering what it is they don't want people to see. And if it was an employer I'd probably start looking for another job pronto - because when someone says 'everything fine here, nothing you need bother about,' they generally mean the opposite.

Absolutely. Total red flag. If the finances are fine then go through them so everyone else can see that too. If they're not fine then go through them so you can start planning. Why would you not?

I still don't understand though why the motorhome was even bought. By all accounts it has never been used so what is that even about? What am I missing here?!

@guinnessguzzler potentially if the SNP bought the motor home, reclaimed the VAT and allowed it to depreciate on the balance sheet before Murrell then bought it from them, quite a lot of cash could be saved?

😮

Thanks @Catsolitude you see this is the sort of stuff I don't know about, all these weird ways of doing things that somehow make / save you money somewhere. So in these kinds of cases I'm always left wondering what it is all really about. Mind you, the other day someone told me a local sweet shop is for money laundering and apparently everyone else knew but me! I just thought everyone who sold sweets drove round in massive BMWs 😂

If they have as little money as they seem to have, that £100K + cost of the motorhome would have been a very substantial expense, and you'd think that a number of people would have discussed it before the decision was taken. And how would it have been paid for - who has the necessary authorisation to make such an expensive purchase? Wouldn't it have taken 2 people?