Nicola Sturgeon Arrested, Peter Murrell Charged

[DeeTillEhDeh]

1 minute ago, Trogdor said:

A huge chunk of the NEC should follow suit. I'm concerned that the very people who allowed the financial mismanagement and lack of governance are the very ones tasked with fixing it. The NEC should have been a check and balance on the Treasurer & CEO. They failed in that task. Particularly when half the Finance Committee resigned and the NEC actually criticised them for it and white knighted said CEO & Treasurer.

We are all presuming that but there's been absolutely nothing made public what is actually being investigated.  The sooner there are actually charges (or not) the better.

 

 

[Trogdor]

1 minute ago, DeeTillEhDeh said:

We are all presuming that but there's been absolutely nothing made public what is actually being investigated.  The sooner there are actually charges (or not) the better.

The governance issues are real. If they were a charity they would have had OSCR all over them. I'm not sure what the Electoral Commission's remit is here but they also look like they've been asleep at the wheel. Half of your Finance and Audit Committee resigning in tandem with the Treasurer who "couldn't access the accounts" is not normal by any stretch. The fact so many turned a blind eye is a more general worry. I suppose Sturgeon giving it the "nothing to see here" hoodwinked a lot of people who should have known better.

[sophia]

1 minute ago, Trogdor said:

A huge chunk of the NEC should follow suit. I'm concerned that the very people who allowed the financial mismanagement and lack of governance are the very ones tasked with fixing it. The NEC should have been a check and balance on the Treasurer & CEO. They failed in that task. Particularly when half the Finance Committee resigned and the NEC actually criticised them for it and white knighted said CEO & Treasurer.

I suppose it goes without saying that there is now knowledge of the broad extent of the issue within those in the know. There must be, otherwise there would be no admission that there needs to be change. That strikes me as a minimum and something more than change is afoot.

What puzzles me is to what extent was this an open secret. Was is just so closed that the likes of Keith Brown's review was summarily dismissed. Who dismissed it and was the centralised power so overbearing that nobody or no group had the wherewithal to effectively speak up?

As I type, it surely must've been the case that power and information was kept ever so close to a very small cohort, otherwise information would surely have leaked.

Counterfactual I know but instead of the zinger questions Kate Forbes put to Humza Yousef during the hustings, imagine if she asked him about the auditor or the campervan.

[Zen Archer (Raconteur)]

2 hours ago, DeeTillEhDeh said:

Colin Beattie resigns as SNP treasurer.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-65327953

 

Who is/was his depute?

[Trogdor]

Just now, Zen Archer (Raconteur) said:

Who is/was his depute?

I don't think there is a deputy treasurer. If the treasurer is vacant and there is no new appointment the party leader becomes acting treasurer.

When Chapman resigned citing his inability to see the accounts the party (via the NEC) re-appointed Beattie immediately to avoid Sturgeon being acting treasurer. Not sure if Humza will take the role on temporarily or they will appoint someone else? Who'd want it?

[DeeTillEhDeh]

25 minutes ago, Trogdor said:

The governance issues are real. If they were a charity they would have had OSCR all over them. I'm not sure what the Electoral Commission's remit is here but they also look like they've been asleep at the wheel. Half of your Finance and Audit Committee resigning in tandem with the Treasurer who "couldn't access the accounts" is not normal by any stretch. The fact so many turned a blind eye is a more general worry. I suppose Sturgeon giving it the "nothing to see here" hoodwinked a lot of people who should have known better.

The real issue is elected committees (especially in political parties) usually don’t have financial expertise and are almost programmed to shut down lone voices of dissent. 

Proper governance needs an independent body with expertise to provide the necessary checks and balances.

[DeeTillEhDeh]

23 minutes ago, sophia said:

I suppose it goes without saying that there is now knowledge of the broad extent of the issue within those in the know. There must be, otherwise there would be no admission that there needs to be change. That strikes me as a minimum and something more than change is afoot.

What puzzles me is to what extent was this an open secret. Was is just so closed that the likes of Keith Brown's review was summarily dismissed. Who dismissed it and was the centralised power so overbearing that nobody or no group had the wherewithal to effectively speak up?

As I type, it surely must've been the case that power and information was kept ever so close to a very small cohort, otherwise information would surely have leaked.

Counterfactual I know but instead of the zinger questions Kate Forbes put to Humza Yousef during the hustings, imagine if she asked him about the auditor or the campervan.

Even more likely if it is fraudulent activity and not just mismanagement.

[strichener]

5 minutes ago, Trogdor said:

I don't think there is a deputy treasurer. If the treasurer is vacant and there is no new appointment the party leader becomes acting treasurer.

When Chapman resigned citing his inability to see the accounts the party (via the NEC) re-appointed Beattie immediately to avoid Sturgeon being acting treasurer. Not sure if Humza will take the role on temporarily or they will appoint someone else? Who'd want it?

Murrell was a ting treasurer until Beattie was re-appointed.

[DeeTillEhDeh]

1 minute ago, strichener said:

Murrell was a ting treasurer until Beattie was re-appointed.

Like putting a fox in charge of the chickens.

[Zen Archer (Raconteur)]

4 minutes ago, strichener said:

Murrell was a ting treasurer until Beattie was re-appointed.

That rings a bell.

[sophia]

4 minutes ago, strichener said:

Murrell was a ting treasurer until Beattie was re-appointed.

I've never heard that term before and I hope I'm not acting up when I suggest that you should take more care over spelling lest a pendant feel obliged to comment 

[DeeTillEhDeh]

3 minutes ago, Zen Archer (Raconteur) said:

That rings a bell.

 

[Suspect Device]

Has there been any suggestion of the Murrells making any personal gain out of this yet?

As far as I can see the worst they've done is spend too much cash on a motor home that belongs to the SNP. 

The lack of governance and transparency looks really dodgy but I'm not seeing a smoking gun.

 

Yet.

[DeeTillEhDeh]

2 minutes ago, Suspect Device said:

Has there been any suggestion of the Murrells making any personal gain out of this yet?

As far as I can see the worst they've done is spend too much cash on a motor home that belongs to the SNP. 

The lack of governance and transparency looks really dodgy but I'm not seeing a smoking gun.

 

Yet.

What surprises me is that they didn't arrest all 3 af the same time - by doing it separately it just allows any story to be corroborated by the others.

[Jacksgranda]

1 hour ago, sophia said:

I've never heard that term before and I hope I'm not acting up when I suggest that you should take more care over spelling lest a pendant feel obliged to comment 

Swing and a miss...

[DeeTillEhDeh]

20 minutes ago, Jacksgranda said:

Swing and a miss...

. . . champ . . .

[Trogdor]

2 hours ago, Jacksgranda said:

Swing and a miss...

[ScotiaNostra]

Its all pretty confusing, we have 600K raised for an indy campaign. No campaign happens. People complain to police the money has been diverted where it shouldnt have e.g a General election campaign for the SNP. 

When did the Police actually start investigating this? was it in 2021? or later?

Then we have a strange loan for 110k from Murrell to SNP, nothing illegal at face value for that but seems unusual. 

Then we get the arrests  and a motor home is found that no one else claims to have known was bought and it was bought as a campaign bus but never used and is found on Murrells mums driveway

At same time we find out theres no auditors and they resigned in Sept but again no one else seems to have been aware of this apart from Murrell. 

We know the treasurer resigned and others over a lack of transparency a few years ago, We have some strange comments made by NS over last couple years.

Putting down any questioning of the accounts whenever asked and even more strange was the reply to the question about Murrells loan, where she said she wasnt aware of it, it was from his money and not hers and she had nothing to do with it. Which may be true but looks like someone clearing distancing themselves from something they are aware is dodgy, whether she knew in advance of loan or found out later who knows.

I agree theres no smoking gun yet and I still would be surprised Murrell did this for his own financial gain but its just so dodgy sounding now. I hope the Police investigation clears it up but I wouldnt be confident on that

Edited April 20, 2023 by ScotiaNostra

[StellarHibee]

12 hours ago, DeeTillEhDeh said:

What surprises me is that they didn't arrest all 3 af the same time - by doing it separately it just allows any story to be corroborated by the others.

Because warrants have to be issued for investigatory arrests and they likely came through at different times.

[DeeTillEhDeh]

6 hours ago, StellarHibee said:

Because warrants have to be issued for investigatory arrests and they likely came through at different times.

2 weeks apart?