The SNP spent more than £100,000 on the campervan that was seized from the driveway of Nicola Sturgeon’s mother-in-law, the party’s financial accounts have revealed.
The luxury vehicle, which was confiscated two years ago by Police Scotland as part of Operation Branchform, remains impounded and is now worth less than half of its original cost.
Financial accounts for last year show the party spent £100,790 on the motorhome, but that has since depreciated to £41,284 as of 31 December 2024.
Treasurer Stuart McDonald said: “This asset has been impounded by authorities since April 2023 and has not been available for the party’s use since that time.
“The party retains ownership of the motorhome and expects its future release.”
The SNP said the cost is based on the assumption that there has been “no additional impairment beyond normal depreciation” while in the custody of the national force.
The 2024 accounts, published by the Electoral Commission this week, show a £455,254 deficit – compared to a surplus of £661,568 the year before.
Mr McDonald explained: “It is important to point out that a deficit of this nature is not unusual during a parliamentary election year – for example 2021, 2017 and 2016 all saw similar or greater deficits incurred.
“It is also important to point out that significant steps have been taken to improve financial performance, and the one-off costs of some of these steps account for much of that deficit, but have already delivered significant savings since.”
Decreasing membership numbers, staff redundancies, and the loss of MPs at last year’s general election were said to have impacted the party’s finances.
Membership has fallen to 56,011 as of 1 June 2025, down from 64,525 the same time last year and less than half of its peak of around 125,000 in 2019.
Membership fees stood at £1,833,039 in 2024, down from £2,093,967 the previous year.
However, donations surged from £369,308 in 2023 to £937,167 in 2024 – the highest level since 2017.
Nicola Sturgeon with estranged husband Peter Murrell. Pic: PA
The accounts show the party still owes former chief executive Peter Murrell £60,000 following a loan of £107,620 in 2021. The party repaid £47,620 the same year.
Mr Murrell, the estranged husband of former first minister Ms Sturgeon, has been charged with embezzlement, with a further court date to be set.
Ms Sturgeon was also arrested as part of the police probe into the SNP’s funding and finances, however the investigation was later dropped with no further action to be taken.
The campervan was seized from the driveway of the Dunfermline home of Mr Murrell’s mother.
In regards to the loan, Mr McDonald said: “There is no formal loan agreement in place, no interest is charged on the outstanding balance, and no specific repayment terms have been agreed.
“The former chief executive has not formally requested repayment of the outstanding balance.
“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 chief executive, and whether it may ultimately be waived or written off.”
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The annual accounts of the SNP Westminster group of MPs were also published, showing a deficit of £155,803.
The accounts were independently audited by MMG Chartered Accountants, which identified no “material uncertainties”.
Craig Hoy MSP, the Scottish Conservative shadow finance secretary, 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”.
An SNP spokesperson said: “The SNP is the largest political party in Scotland by far and it is very encouraging to see extraordinary levels of donations over the course of last year – the highest since 2017.
“Our success relies on all of our members and supporters who contribute in whatever way they can.
“We are approaching the 2026 election ahead in the polls and ready to take our positive vision of Scotland’s future as an independent country to the people.”
