The SNP saw its membership slide as the party swung to a huge loss ahead of a crucial election year.
Following a series of scandals, controversial policies and clashes among its leaders the party saw its membership slump by 8,514 to 56,011 as of 1 June this year, down from 64,525 a year earlier, and a peak of 125,691 in 2019.
Newly-released accounts reveal that the party spent £100,790 on the luxury motorhome seized from the driveway of Nicola Sturgeon’s mother-in-law during the enquiry into its finances which led to the arrest of the former First Minister and her now ex-husband Peter Murrell. Ms Sturgeon was later released without charge and he was charged with embezzlement.
Mr Murrell, who was the SNP’s chief executive, provided a loan to the party of £107,620 of which £47,670 has been repaid. However, the accounts show he is still owed £60,000 and the accounts suggest it may not be repaid.
The accounts state: “Due to the absence of agreed repayment terms and the lack of recent communication regarding settlement, there is uncertainty as to when, or if, this loan will be repaid to the former executive chief executive, and whether it may ultimately be waived or written off.”
The accounts show the SNP had a deficit of £455,254 last year compared with a surplus of £661,568 in 2023.
“While we remain by far and away Scotland’s largest political party – with 56,011 members as at 1st June 2025 – we continue to face the challenge of membership numbers declining from historic and extraordinary highs, for a variety of economic, political and other reasons,” say the accounts.
“Not only does this impact on membership income, but also other income streams too.”
At last year’s general election the SNP lost all but nine of the 48 seats it previously held and this will impact on its finances as it reduces its allowance through the parliamentary levy.
Craig Hoy, the Scottish Conservative finance spokesman, said the deficit in the SNP’s accounts showed the party “cannot be trusted to even run their own finances, never mind the ever-growing blackhole they are presiding over in Scotland’s finances.
“It is remarkable that they still owe such a large sum of money to their disgraced former chief executive Peter Murrell and appear to be making no efforts to repay it. Scots will be wondering why they have still not severed all ties with him.
“SNP bosses must also urgently come clean over what is happening in relation to their infamous campervan. It is now worth well over less than half of what they initially paid for it though they claim they expect it to be released in the future.”
Scottish Labour Deputy Leader Jackie Baillie said: “Eyebrows will be raised about the financial sustainability of the SNP when they have such a deep deficit.”
The annual accounts of the SNP Westminster group of MPs have also been published, showing a deficit of £155,803. Last year, the reported deficit was £87,991.
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