The former chief executive of Yes Scotland has criticised a social media post from the group’s account that mocked claims of missing money. Aamer Anwar, representing Blair Jenkins, said the allegations are false but not a laughing matter.
Background of the Allegations
Pro-independence activist David Henry filed a police complaint about £1.5 million allegedly unaccounted for in the campaign group. Yes Scotland was the official body for the independence referendum and attracted millions in donations.
The controversy follows former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell pleading guilty to embezzling over £400,000 of party funds between 2010 and 2022. Murrell, husband of Nicola Sturgeon, was jailed for over five years last month. Although Murrell had no formal role in Yes Scotland, former campaign figure Ian Dommett recently claimed he controlled the group.
The Social Media Post
On Saturday at 9:05 pm, Yes Scotland posted on X: “It’s been a while. Some would say a generation or so ago. Woken up excited to hear that there is £1.5M missing. Must have been in the sofa given to a recycling charity after the referendum. Reward of two ‘Yes’ mugs to anyone with info leading to its recovery. DMs are open.” This was the account’s first post since referendum day in 2014.
Jenkins' Response
In a statement issued by Anwar, Jenkins said: “Mr Jenkins has been made aware of a message posted from the official Yes Scotland account on X, which seems to make light of recent allegations that £1.5 million is ‘missing’ from the organisation’s accounts. As far as Mr Jenkins was concerned, the Yes Scotland social media account was closed some 12 years ago. The message was posted without the knowledge or approval of Mr Jenkins. The false allegations of ‘missing money’ have caused extreme anger and distress for Mr Jenkins and his family over the last two weeks. To be clear Mr. Jenkins does not regard such allegations as a laughing matter.”
Financial Ties and Impact
Although Yes Scotland was legally separate from the SNP, the latter bailed out the former with an £825,000 transfer of funds. The row has intensified amid ongoing scrutiny of SNP finances following Murrell’s conviction.
