Scottish Parliament Investigates SNP Following Allegations of Misused Resources
First Minister John Swinney has expressed confidence that no public funds have been used improperly in the Scottish National Party’s (SNP) election campaign. This assurance comes as Scottish Parliament officials investigate allegations that stamps bought with parliamentary expenses were used by SNP candidates for campaigning purposes.
Swinney stated, “I have been assured that no parliamentary stamps provided by Parliament have been used to support election purposes.” His comments followed a Sunday Mail report revealing a message from Swinney’s office manager in an SNP staff WhatsApp group chat, suggesting that the “stamp fairy is very useful when it comes to campaigns.”
An anonymous complaint prompted Holyrood’s presiding officer, Alison Johnstone, to initiate an investigation. The Scottish Parliament confirmed it is looking into whether parliamentary resources were misused.
A WhatsApp group chat among SNP MSP staff discussed whether the stamps could be traced back to the purchaser. MSPs are permitted to spend up to £5,500 annually on postage and stationery through the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body (SPCB). The parliament’s rules explicitly state that these resources “must be used only for parliamentary duties and must not be used for any other purpose, including party political purposes.”
SNP’s Manifesto Commitment and Independence Referendum
John Swinney also addressed questions about the SNP’s manifesto commitment to negotiate a second referendum on Scottish independence if the party wins a majority of Scottish seats in the upcoming election. Despite opposition from both the Conservatives and Labour, Swinney emphasized that the matter lies with the Scottish electorate.
“This is really in the hands of the people of Scotland,” Swinney remarked. “In 2021, the people of Scotland elected a parliament committed to holding an independence referendum.