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SNP treasurer in the dark about motorhome purchase

Credit: Alamy

It’s a day ending in y, which means another bad 24 hours for the SNP. And as the party’s leading lights all turn on each other like rats in a sack, this morning it was the turn of the party’s former treasurer Colin Beattie to come out swinging. Beattie said earlier that he was not aware of the purchase of the £110,000 motorhome supposedly bought for a second referendum campaign, back when he was in charge of the party’s finances.

Cornered by journalists in Holyrood today, Beattie floundered when faced with a simple question ‘Did you know about the motorhome purchase and did you sign it off?’ The beleaguered beancounter hesitated before insisting ‘No, I did not know about it.’

But with the evening comes a fresh twist: Beattie has issued a statement for clarity, and now says that he ‘was unaware of the transaction at the time of purchase’ and ‘became aware of the transaction via the 2021 annual accounts’.

Steerpike
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Steerpike

Steerpike is The Spectator's gossip columnist, serving up the latest tittle tattle from Westminster and beyond. Email tips to steerpike@spectator.co.uk or message @MrSteerpike

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