It seems that the acrimonious civil war embroiling the SNP isn’t merely restricted to Scotland. For amid growing questions about the party’s finance structures, a new front has opened up down in London, with Stephen Flynn, the party’s leader at Westminster, turning on his predecessor Ian Blackford.
Flynn admitted to Good Morning Scotland on Monday that his group of 45 MPs is currently struggling to appoint auditors, following the decision of the party’s long-time accountants Johnston Carmichael to cut ties. That is significant because the SNP must submit an auditor’s certificated by 31 May or risk losing its annual sum of more than £1 million of ‘Short money’ – taxpayer funding from the House of Commons reserved for opposition parties. Tick tock!
With the nationalists already allegedly strapped for cash, Flynn turned his guns on his predecessor, whom he ousted back in December. He told GMS that he was not properly informed about Johnstone Carmichael quitting their decade-long role as the SNP’s accountants until 10 February, six months after the firm withdrew its services. Flynn said:
I became fully aware of the situation in February, as I said to you, I received an email from our finance officer who advised me that back in September the party’s auditors had opted not to continue and we need to find our own.
But Blackford has come out swinging, telling the BBC this afternoon that Flynn had contacted him on 7 April to say that a new auditor was being appointed to the SNP’s Westminster group. ‘Let me be quite categoric,’ he tweeted, ‘that I was phoned on 7 April by Stephen and told this information.’ When questioned on whether he had indeed told his predecessor this, following a speech in London this afternoon, Flynn did not give a straight answer, saying:
I think it’s important to reflect that when we’re talking about this, obviously there are a lot of staff involved. I don’t want to be speculating about that in too much detail until I have certainty. Is it the case that we’ve been working to secure an audit firm? Absolutely it’s the case. Am I hopeful that we’ll be able to do that? Absolutely. Does that equate to having an audit firm in place? Does that equate to having certainty that I will be able to meet the deadlines which have been placed upon us by the House of Commons? No. I’m not going to provide a categorical assurance in relation to that.
‘Is Ian Blackford lying then?’ Flynn was pressed again, and again he dodged the question, replying firmly:
There’s a big difference between stating we are likely to secure an audit firm and having an audit firm.
And how exactly does all this square with what Ian Blackford said to the BBC last week? Blackford was asked on the Sunday Show if he had told Stephen Flynn about the auditors quitting in December when he replaced him as Westminster leader. He replied that:
The person that has responsibility under my guidance, under my leadership for staff matters, for financial matters was my deputy Kirsten Oswald. And a very firm and detailed briefing was given to Stephen and his team at that point.
Not much of a full and detailed briefing was it? Blackford also claimed that he was confident a new auditor would be appointed by 31 May – something which Flynn conspicuously refused to commit to. That’ll make for an awkward next all-party meeting in Portcullis House….
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