"Why is this relevant to Chiswick?"It's not. At least, no more relevant than, say, a thread about a TV documentary on Paul O'Grady?Anyhow, to answer the OP's question, my own, entirely speculative explanation possibly runs as follows.For years the SNP were riding high, enjoying success after success. And with it came increasing membership, and the subscriptions which followed, plus large donations from wealthy backers. When combined with legitimate central government funding for political parties this meant the party's coffers will have been bulging.In turn, the party will likely have increased its spending - jobs, offices, campaigning etc, maybe even taking out loans on the back of it, when interest rates were low?Until they started experiencing setbacks - eg Salmond quitting, the ferry building scandal, the Trans debate, internecine rivalry etc, and a pause to the surge for Independence, as Labour finally began to get their act back together.Meaning subscriptions and donations fell, while interest rates went up and there being less money about generally. At this point the financially responsible thing would have been to make cutbacks - lay off staff, close offices, reduce campaign spending etc. However, this would have been politically damaging, so instead they tried to tough it out. But when their finances continued to decline, the cuts would have been even worse, so instead some "creative accounting", Father Ted-style, saw them move money between accounts to try to disguise shortfalls.One of those accounts may have held the £600k(?) donated to launch the next Indy Ref campaign, and if so, there will have been a problem. Namely, that it is against electoral law to raise money for one specific political purpose, then spend it on something else.Meanwhile, one or two wealthy donors who, seeing that no campaign was ever launched, may have asked for their money back, which the Party may not have been able to do promptly. If such speculation is correct, then it might even have caused an individual such as the (privately wealthy) Party Chairman, Mr. Murrell, to "lend" the Party £100k to tide them over?At which point this highly unorthodox loan came to the attention of the authorities, who launched an investigation, which in turn led to the arrest and searches we've seen this week.All highly speculative on my part, of course, and I trust that a more natural explanation for thse events will emerge in due course, to demonstrate that all the actions of the leading players have been entirely above board.Breaking News: The SNP's auditors have today announced their resignation. All entirely coincidental, no doubt.
Richard Cathcart ● 1261d