The sleaze-ridden Scottish National Party has destroyed any remaining hope of Scots voting for independence. Voters will never support breaking away from the United Kingdom if they suspect the party is rotting from within, argues David Williamson.
The revelation that former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell – the estranged husband of ex-First Minister Nicola Sturgeon – embezzled more than £400,000 has exposed corruption at the heart of Scotland's dominant party. The stolen funds were used to purchase a motorhome, coffee machines, video games, and a host of luxury items.
Scottish Parliament Rejects Inquiry
This is a time for a cleansing of the stables, but the Scottish Parliament has rejected a call for an inquiry into issues raised by Murrell's crimes. Instead, there will be a probe into the financing of political parties. While this is an important subject, it looks as if the SNP is running scared of scrutiny.
The tragedy for the SNP is that while it has held onto power since failing to persuade the country to vote for independence in the 2014 referendum, this new ruling class now looks decidedly grubby. Voters will wonder whether Murrell was the only bad apple. How deep is the rot? What is there to hide?
Poll Shows Majority Would Vote No
YouGov polling in March showed that 56% of Scots would vote No in a new independence referendum. People look at the regime in Edinburgh and do not like the idea of handing this ruthless team greater control over their lives.
Scottish Labour had proposed the inquiry into Murrell's wrongdoing, but the SNP swung behind a Green amendment which instead called for an independent review into party political finances. Labour's Anas Sarwar condemned this as a sleazy attempt to hide from scrutiny, and many citizens will concur.
SNP's Progressive Image Tarnished
The SNP has sought to portray itself as a progressive party of inherently superior virtue. It has pursued policies which have made headlines, triggered legal showdowns, and then hit the rocks. The plan to appoint a named person to safeguard the welfare of every young person from birth was seen by critics as an intrusion into family life and scrapped in 2019. Moves to make it easier to change legally recognised sex were also derailed.
Meanwhile, there are deep concerns about educational performance, a terrifying rate of drug deaths, and infrastructure project fiascos. The SNP can take comfort that it is less unpopular than its rivals – Sir Keir Starmer has played his part in thwarting a Labour revival in Scotland – but it emerged as the largest party last month with just 38% of the constituency vote.
Need to Rebuild Trust
Labour in Westminster quickly discovered how difficult it is to lead a Government when only a minority of the electorate voted for you. The SNP needs to use this new term in power to rebuild trust, but public cynicism will only deepen if the party closes ranks and stamps on scrutiny.
A miserable future awaits Scotland if the nation's politics is defined along nationalist and unionist lines, as demonstrated over many decades in Northern Ireland, with the tribes defending their own fiefdoms and responding to criticism with whataboutery. The SNP's dream of leading Scotland into a happier future will perish if voters suspect the party is rotting from within.
