Ex-SNP treasurer ‘beggars belief’ over motorhome claim

Colin Beattie says he 'didn't know' about motorhome purchase

The SNP’s former treasurer’s claim that he did not know a £100,000 motorhome was bought by the party “beggars belief”, the Scottish Tories have said. Colin Beattie today insisted he was not aware of the purchase of the luxury campervan.

Mr Beattie was speaking to journalists at Holyrood for the first time since being arrested last week in the police investigation into the SNP’s finances.

The Midlothian North and Musselburgh MSP, who stepped down as treasurer following his arrest, was released without charge pending further investigation.

As part of their investigation, police have seized a Niesmann + Bischoff campervan which was bought by the party but apparently never used.

Asked if he knew about the purchase of the motorhome, Mr Beattie said: “No, I didn’t know about it.”

But the Scottish Tories said Mr Beattie’s claim that he did not know about the campervan “beggars belief”. 

The party also renewed calls for new First Minister Humza Yousaf to suspend Mr Beattie, former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell, who was also arrested and released without charge pending further investigation, and Nicola Sturgeon while the police probe is ongoing.

Scottish Conservative Chairman Craig Hoy said: “This causal admission from Colin Beattie beggars belief. He’s effectively saying ‘Motorhome? What motorhome?’

“He has serious questions to answer over this bombshell revelation. How on earth could someone who was Treasurer, when the accounts featuring this six-figure purchase were signed off, now claim he was never aware of it?

“The murkiness surrounding the scandal-ridden SNP increases by the day.

“Claims like this make a complete mockery of Keith Brown’s remarks at the weekend that the SNP was one of the most transparent parties in the UK.

“Humza Yousaf should have long since suspended senior SNP figures like Peter Murrell, Nicola Sturgeon and Colin Beattie while this investigation is ongoing, but he has failed to show any signs of leadership.

“The SNP are rotten to the core and engulfed in chaos, meaning the real priorities of the people of Scotland – such as the cost-of-living crisis and the state of our NHS – are being completely ignored as a result.”

Mr Beattie also denied that the SNP is in financial difficulty, insisting: “The SNP is in the black.”

Asked if the party is “not going bust”, Mr Beattie said: “We’re a going concern, definitely.”

Later on Tuesday, the SNP’s Westminster leader Stephen Flynn was asked about the motorhome as he spoke at an Institute for Government event in London.

He said he became aware of the purchase “when it was printed on the front of a newspaper”.

The Police Scotland investigation into the SNP’s finances, which centres on how more than £600,000 in donations to the party earmarked for an independence referendum has been used.

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