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Daily Record
Daily Record
Politics
Peter Davidson

Joanna Cherry quits SNP NEC over 'transparency and scrutiny' row

Joanna Cherry has quit the National Executive Committee of the SNP just days after the party treasurer resigned.

The Edinburgh South West MP took to Twitter to announce she was stepping back, claiming she was prevented from improving "transparency" and "scrutiny" within the party.

Her decision comes just days after Dunfermline and West Fife MP Douglas Chapman stood down from his role as treasurer.

In his resignation tweet on Saturday he cited a lack of information and support which prevented him from carrying out his fiduciary duties.

Earlier today, Cherry tweeted: "I’ve resigned from the NEC of @theSNP.

"A number of factors have prevented me from fulfilling the mandate party members gave me to improve transparency & scrutiny & to uphold the party’s constitution.

"I won’t be making any further comment at this stage."

It comes as Deputy First Minister John Swinney was questioned on the BBC Scotland’s The Sunday Show about whether Police Scotland was investigating “£600,000 of SNP funds that was raised by activists and campaigners and perhaps diverted elsewhere?”, Swinney replied: “Not to my knowledge, no.”

On Saturday evening, Chapman tweeted: "Despite having a resounding mandate from members to introduce more transparency into the party’s finances, I have not received the support or financial information to carry out the fiduciary duties of National Treasurer.

"Regretfully I have resigned with immediate effect."

Last month, Police Scotland sources told the Scottish Mail on Sunday the force had investigated complaints into the SNP, but found “no immediate evidence of fraud”.

The party said at the time the allegations were part of a “dirty tricks campaign” and “utterly baseless”.

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