The SNP's annual accounts for 2025 show membership fell by almost 10% to around 51,000, down from 56,011 the previous year. The party also vowed to recover the full amount embezzled by its former chief executive, Peter Murrell, who was jailed in June.
Membership decline and financial recovery
Membership stood at about 125,000 in 2019 but has plummeted in the early 2020s. Despite the drop, the party recorded a surplus of £509,903 for 2025, compared to a deficit of £383,707 in 2024.
This improvement was largely achieved by cutting staffing costs, increasing levies on branches, and not contesting any national elections. SNP national treasurer Peter Grant said the surplus represents a significant improvement, made possible by difficult cost-cutting decisions in 2024.
Recovering embezzled funds
Grant also addressed Murrell's conviction, noting that the accounts do not reflect his jailing. Murrell pleaded guilty in May to embezzling over £400,000 from the party and was sentenced to more than five years in prison.
A hearing under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2000 is scheduled for September 2026. Grant said the party will seek to recover the full amount embezzled from Murrell.
Political context and outlook
Grant described 2025 as a continuation of the SNP's recovery from the disappointing 2024 General Election. Under John Swinney's leadership, the party campaigned across the country, setting the stage for an outstanding victory in the 2026 Scottish Parliament Elections.
The SNP continues to form the Scottish Government with Swinney as First Minister. Grant said the focus at Holyrood is to protect public services while mitigating the cost of living crisis, within the context of the SNP's primary purpose of returning full powers of an independent nation to the Scottish Parliament.
