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This is the second lowest intake seen by the party since 2008, and well below its peak of \u00a34.5m in 2014.<\/p>\n
SNP membership has dropped significantly since the party’s last audit, with the document showing just 73,938 members remaining.<\/p>\n
This is a fall from 82,598 in December, and 30,000 down on the previous 12 months.<\/p>\n
Despite the embarrassment, the party\u2019s national treasurer Stuart Campbell McDonald blames this on \u201cpublic concern about the economy and job security\u201d.<\/p>\n
He says these financial concerns have \u201cunderstandably impacted on membership income in 2022, with the soaring costs of living being given as a reason for cancelling or lowering membership payments\u201d.<\/p>\n
Despite the cost of living crisis affecting the UK across the board, the Liberal Democrats\u2019 accounts – also published today – show its membership rose over the same period; from 94,706 to 97,493.<\/p>\n
Don’t miss… <\/strong> We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info<\/p>\n The party\u2019s auditing was a crisis in of itself, after it emerged in May that their previous auditors, Johnston Carmichael, had quit in September 2022.<\/p>\n It took more than half-a-year for the SNP to find new auditors, with concerns the party\u2019s Westminster group of MPs would lose its \u00a31.2m pot of public funding if the SNP failed to submit audited accounts to the electoral commission by the May 31 deadline.<\/p>\n The auditor crisis came amid the ongoing police investigation into the SNP\u2019s funding and finances, and the arrests of former chief executive Peter Murrell, ex-treasurer Colin Beattie and Nicola Sturgeon.<\/p>\n Alluding to the ongoing party meltdown, the accounts list \u00a364,000-worth of motor vehicles.<\/p>\n The party\u2019s new auditors, AMS, signed the accounts of on a qualified basis, meaning while they were satisfied everything is in order, it has identified issues that needed to be highlighted.<\/p>\n \u201cDuring the course of our audit we identified that original documentation in respect to some items of cash and cheques received for the current and prior year, relating to membership, donations and raffle income, were not kept by the party<\/p>\n \u201cWe have been unable to satisfy ourselves by alternative means regarding the completeness of income in respect of the above limitation in scope.<\/p>\n \u201cConsequently we are unable to determine whether any adjustment to income is necessary in the current year or prior year and the potential impact on opening reserves accordingly.\u201d<\/p>\n
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