First minister Humza Yousaf has mentioned he was unaware the SNP owned a £100,000 motorhome till he turned the get together chief in latest weeks. 

The state-of-the-art automobile was seized final week by detectives outdoors the house of an aged relative of the get together's former chief government, Peter Murrell, whereas the 58-year-old was in police custody dealing with questions over the SNP's funds and funding.

Mr Murrell was launched with out cost pending additional investigations after an 11-hour detention.

Mr Yousaf mentioned: "Of course I have been briefed. The police, of course, give us a warrant of the items they are looking to take in their possession."

Probed on when he turned conscious of the motorhome being an SNP asset, the primary minister mentioned: "Shorty after I became the leader of the party."

As questions proceed to mount over the get together's funds, there's a race in opposition to the clock to seek out alternative auditors for the SNP's monetary accounts after its earlier agency, Johnston Carmichael, stop final September.

The info solely turned public in latest days.

Political events are legally obliged to submit independently audited accounts to the Electoral Commission by July.

Mr Yousaf mentioned: "We are going to try to [meet the deadline] but it's going to be difficult. It is going to be a challenge, but we are going to do our best to meet that deadline."

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Asked whether or not it was unsuitable of former first minister Nicola Sturgeon to not disclose to SNP management candidates the dearth of auditors, Mr Yousaf responded: "Frankly it would have been helpful to know beforehand.

"I feel folks have an inexpensive query to ask the get together round transparency. I've dedicated to a overview of governance with exterior enter."

The SNP leader also revealed he did not know the full costs of mounting a legal challenge against the UK government on controversial gender reforms.

On Wednesday, his administration introduced it was triggering a court docket battle after Downing Street blocked Holyrood's laws, which makes it simpler for youngsters as younger as 16 to legally change their gender.

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Prime Minister Rishi Sunak claims the brand new Scottish legal guidelines infringe on UK-wide equality legal guidelines and his Scottish Secretary, Alister Jack, has due to this fact blocked the reforms from gaining Royal Assent.

Speaking for the primary time because the authorized standoff started, Mr Yousaf mentioned: "We don't know the full costs of the court case."

Content Source: information.sky.com