John Swinney has been accused of secrecy after failing to publish SNP membership figures this year. The current number has been kept under wraps amid fears of a further drop over the Peter Murrell embezzlement scandal.
Membership Decline and Transparency Reforms
The SNP enjoyed a massive surge in membership after the independence referendum, with the total coming to around 120,000. But the figure has dropped dramatically since then and has proven to be a source of damaging headlines for the party. In 2023, then chief executive Murrell and one-time SNP media chief Murray Foote quit over a row about membership numbers. The party initially denied losing 30,000 members, but later admitted the number had fallen from 104,000 to 72,186.
The double resignation ushered in transparency reforms including a commitment to publish the membership numbers twice a year. However, the last time the SNP released the figure was last year when the number stood at 56,011. No updates have been provided in 2026.
Impact of Murrell Scandal
Party sources have speculated that there could have been a further fall this year given Murrell admitted to embezzling over £400,000 of SNP funds. The former SNP CEO was jailed for over five years last month for a crime spree lasting twelve years.
Alex Neil, a former SNP Health Secretary, said: “The SNP needs to keep their promise on membership numbers and a failure to publish will raise suspicions of a further fall. It is better to be honest and transparent than fly and secretive. Just as the SNP is opposing an inquiry into the Peter Murrell scandal, not publishing the membership numbers is missing an open goal. The SNP leadership needs to get a grip as they are currently on trial with the Scottish public.”
Internal Criticism and Party Response
A party source said: “It seems slack of John not to get on the front foot when it comes to the membership numbers. He has made a big thing about overhauling governance, but has walked into a secrecy row. He should get it sorted pronto.”
An SNP source said the figures would be published in “due course”. Despite facing internal criticism over the delay, the SNP’s commitment to openness in this area is not matched by other parties. Neither Scottish Labour nor the Scottish Conservatives publish their membership figures. The Scottish Greens had 9,235 members as of December last year, while Reform are believed to have over 12,000 recruits.
