A senior figure in the SNP has said the party faces its biggest crisis in 50 years amid the police investigation into its finances.
19.03.2023 - 10:29 / dailyrecord.co.uk
A catalogue of SNP lies exposed by the Sunday Mail yesterday led to the resignation of party boss Peter Murrell.
The chief executive and husband of first minister Nicola Sturgeon was forced out after ordering a flat denial of our report that 30,000 memberships had been cancelled.
The exclusive was described as “malicious and wholly untrue” but Murrell - who is also being investigated over fraud allegations - now admits it was 100 per cent accurate.
Today we can reveal the rotten culture at SNP HQ that saw accurate stories repeatedly denied to cover up and protect reputations.
All of the stories were true and resulted in police interviews and top level resignations.
Murrell’s departure has plunged the race to replace Nicola Sturgeon into chaos - sparking fears the process is now so tainted ballots will need to be reissued.
Two leadership candidates, Kate Forbes and Ash Regan, have questioned the independence of the election.
They believe rival Humza Yousaf - the current health minister and close confidant of Sturgeon - is the establishment favourite and could have been given unfair campaign assistance.
Murrell’s resignation came less than 24 hours after the party’s media chief Murray Foote resigned over the scandal about lying to the Sunday Mail over membership numbers.
He revealed there had been “serious issues” with statements he had issued in “good faith” on behalf of party headquarters.
In a statement yesterday afternoon, 58-year-old Murrell admitted he was to blame.
He said: “Responsibility for the SNP’s responses to media queries about our membership number lies with me as Chief Executive.
“While there was no intent to mislead, I accept that this has been the outcome. I have therefore decided to confirm my intention to step
A senior figure in the SNP has said the party faces its biggest crisis in 50 years amid the police investigation into its finances.
Stormy Daniels has described the moment Donald Trump allegedly took off “most of his clothes” in a hotel room. The former US president has been arrested and arraigned over so-called hush money payments to the adult film star in 2016.
Police packed up evidence from the home of Nicola Sturgeon and Peter Murrell following a two-day search as the probe into finances at the Scottish National Party continues.
Police cars remain stationed outside Nicola Sturgeon and Peter Murrell’s home for a second day as investigations into the funding and finances of the Scottish National Party continue.
Police have been pictured removing large numbers of boxes and bags from the SNP HQ in Edinburgh as they continue an investigation into the party's finances.
Police have cordoned off Nicola Sturgeon's home after her husband Peter Murrell was arrested in connection with an investigation into the funding and finances of the Scottish National Party.
Nicola Sturgeon's husband Peter Murrell has been arrested in connection with an investigation into the funding and finances of the Scottish National Party.
Nicola Sturgeon's husband Peter Murrell has been arrested in connection to an ongoing SNP funding and finances investigation.
reported by Bloomberg, the show would be based directly on J.K. Rowling’s best-selling novels, with each season focusing on one book in the seven-book series.The potential series would not be based on an in-universe spin-off, such as the “Fantastic Beasts” films.The concept of one season per book suggests that the franchise would be an ongoing, years-long project from Warner Bros.Rowling is in preliminary talks to join the project as a producer and would have a degree of creative involvement, though she would not be the primary creator or showrunner of the series.Once Rowling is officially on board, the project is expected to look for a writer.There have long been talks about a “Harry Potter” television series, with rumors first sparking in January 2021 — although Warner Bros.
EXCLUSIVE: Joseph Baena and Ludovica Frasca have joined the cast of Josh Webber’s family holiday film Athena Saves Christmas, which is currently shooting in California’s Lake Arrowhead area for a late 2023 release.
Lorraine Kelly admitted she wishes "more politicians were human beings" following Nicola Sturgeon's last ever interview as First Minister of Scotland.
Police investigating fraud allegations at the SNP are probing high value transactions including vehicle purchases made by the party.
Patrick Harvie has signalled the Greens could quit their coalition deal with the SNP if the next first minister backslides on opposing new oil and gas drilling.
Addie Morfoot Contributor Three projects pitched at CPH:FORUM – the industry program of CPH:DOX, the Copenhagen-based documentary festival – have been awarded cash prizes. They are Robin Petré’s “Only on Earth,” Iryna Tsilyk’s “Red Zone” and Yegor Troyanovsky’s “Cuba & Alaska.” The filmmakers were awarded at a ceremony in the Danish capital on Thursday. Petré’s “Only on Earth” garnered the Eurimages Co-Production Development Award worth €20,000 for best pitch. The docu, produced by Signe Skov Thomsen, and Malene Flindt Pedersen, depicts a journey deep into one of Europe’s hottest fire zones, Galicia, where wild horses roam the mountains under the watch of local cowboys. These horses are excellent at fire prevention, but now they are vanishing in the clash between humans and nature.
Paul Grant has died at the age of 56, his family has confirmed.The actor, who famously played an Ewok in the Star Wars film Return of the Jedi alongside Mark Hamill and Harrison Ford, had been found collapsed outside King's Cross Station in London on Thursday afternoon.The father of three, who also had a turn as a goblin in the Harry Potter film series, was pronounced brain dead after being rushed to hospital. His family has since confirmed that his life support machine was switched off on Sunday 19 March. His daughter Sophia Jayne Grant, 28, paid tribute to her father, saying she was "devastated" by the news.
Nicola Sturgeon 's sister has said she would "rather vote Tory" than SNP leadership candidates Kate Forbes and Ash Regan.
EXCLUSIVE: Cranked Up Films has acquired North American rights to the comedy The Country Club starring John Higgins of SNL trio Please Don’t Destroy, with Archstone Entertainment taking foreign rights. The film marking the directorial debut of Fiona Robert, who also stars, is set for release in June.
Kate Forbes has pledged the Scottish Government cabinet will undergo a “refresh” if she is elected First Minister - as her campaign trail came to Perthshire this week.
Naman Ramachandran Writer, producer and script editor Cassandra Johnson-Bekoe has joined U.K. independent production company DARE Pictures in the newly created position of head of scripted development. Johnson-Bekoe was previously senior development executive at Daniel Kaluuya’s production outfit 59%, overseeing the company’s slate and generating new IP across international and regional markets. Prior to this she worked in scripted development and her credits include “Ted Lasso” season 2 (WarnerBros/Apple+), “Riches” (Greenacre Films for ITV), “Secret Invasion” (Marvel Studios) and “The Chemistry of Death” (Cuba Pictures Ltd, for Paramount+). Reporting into DARE CEO Derren Lawford, Johnson-Bekoe will focus on developing the company’s scripted slate, as well bringing with her an original slate of IP and working on new drama and film projects with a view to taking them from pitch to commission with a particular emphasis on the U.S. and African markets. She will identify and develop relationships with emerging and established storytelling talent.
Ed Meza @edmezavar Spanish filmmaker Félix Viscarret, known for tackling such heavy subject matter as the Basque conflict (“Patria”), crime in the Cuban capital Havana (“Four Seasons in Havana: Winds of Lent”) and psychological drama (“Staring at Strangers”), has made perhaps his most personal film yet with a touching and engrossing story of fatherhood and the pitfalls of success. In “Not Such an Easy Life,” 40-year-old Isaías (Miki Esparbé), a once promising young architect, is struggling to balance career and family, wanting to raise his young children while desperate to achieve the fleeting professional success he once enjoyed as he strives against more ambitious rivals.