SNP membership continues to plummet as 10,000 leave in a year

The SNP’s membership has continued to plummet as newly released figures show the party has lost 10,000 activists over the last year.

The party’s accounts to the Electoral Commission show it retained 64,525 members as of June this year – down from 74,889 in April last year.

The SNP membership has almost halved from its peak of 125,000 in 2019.

It means the membership has fallen under the leadership of Nicola Sturgeon, Humza Yousaf and John Swinney.

But the SNP said it remains “by far” the largest political party in Scotland.

“Our membership has fallen from recent historic highs,” the party said in its report.

“In addition, our members continue to face the same cost of living pressures as everybody else.

“This impacts not only on membership income, but on donations and fundraising income too.

“The party continues to seek to pre-empt cancellations by offering membership payment options such as skip, holiday or reduced giving.”

The loss in membership follows a turbulent few years for Scotland’s governing party, which has been through three leaders in three years.

It also faces an ongoing police investigation into its finances which has seen the arrests of Sturgeon, her husband Peter Murrel and former treasurer Colin Beattie.

All were released last year without charge but Murrell, the party’s former chief executive, was re-arrested and charged with embezzlement.

The party haemorrhaged support at the General Election with 500,000 fewer ballots than the last election.

It returned nine MPs to Westminster – down from 48 in 2019.

Politics

SNP still owes Peter Murrell £60,000, party accounts reveal

The former chief executive loaned the SNP more than £100,000 in 2021.

The SNP’s accounts show the party has shed the more than £800,000 deficit it accrued in 2022. It now has a surplus of £661,568.

But it still owes Murrell £60,000 following his £107,620 loan to the party in 2021

SNP spokesperson said: “The SNP is the largest political party by far in Scotland – with a membership greater than all other parties combined, committed to our mission of delivering for people across the country by building a better future as an independent country.” ENDS