Yes Scotland, the official pro-independence campaign group for the 2014 Scottish independence referendum, has broken a twelve-year silence on social media to mock claims that £1.5 million in donations went missing. In a post on X at 9:05 PM on Saturday, the group jokingly offered a reward of two Yes-branded mugs for information leading to the recovery of the cash, suggesting it must have fallen down the back of a sofa donated to charity after the referendum.
Background of the Allegations
The allegations were made by pro-independence activist David Henry, who filed a police complaint with Police Scotland regarding unaccounted funds from the Yes Scotland campaign. Henry claims that £1.5 million is missing and has raised questions about a £3.5 million donation from the Weir family, as well as an £825,000 transfer from the Scottish National Party (SNP) to Yes Scotland. He has called for full transparency and scrutiny of the campaign's finances.
Yes Scotland, which was legally separate from the SNP, has pushed back strongly against the allegations. The group's first post on X since the day of the 2014 referendum was a clear attempt to dismiss the claims as unfounded. The post read: "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."
Political and Legal Context
The row over Yes Scotland's finances comes in the wake of the conviction of former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell, who pleaded guilty to embezzling over £400,000 of party funds between 2010 and 2022. Murrell, the estranged husband of former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, was jailed for over five years last month. Although Murrell had no formal role in Yes Scotland, former campaign group figure Ian Dommett recently claimed that Murrell effectively controlled the organization.
At a press conference last week, Henry stated that he had handed over "detailed evidence" to detectives, including email exchanges and Yes Scotland documents already in the public domain. He emphasized that the financial discrepancies were obvious, saying: "You do not have to be Columbo to spot the unaccountable sums of money." He added: "The bottom line is it doesn’t add up. We need all the accounts opened up."
Impact and Reactions
Yes Scotland's mocking response has drawn attention to the ongoing debate over the campaign's finances. The group's first tweet in twelve years was seen as a strategic move to deflect criticism and maintain a light-hearted tone despite the serious nature of the allegations. The post has garnered significant engagement on social media, with many users both supporting and criticizing the group's approach.
The police have not yet commented on the status of Henry's complaint. Henry has stated that it is now up to the police to investigate the evidence he has provided. The allegations have also reignited discussions about the transparency of campaign financing during the 2014 referendum, with some calling for a full independent audit of Yes Scotland's accounts.
