The Only Notes That Really Count
Posted on
July 09, 2026 by
Rev. Stuart Campbell
Wings has this evening received a formal legal opinion from Roddy Dunlop KC with regard to the prospects of success of a claim of fraudulent breach of trust by the SNP against donors to the “ringfenced” referendum campaign fundraisers.
We attach it below. We continue to seek more people to join the group – if you donated and aren’t happy that your money was misappropriated, please drop us a line via the confidential Wings contact form. If you’ve already done so, thank you, and stand by to hear from us shortly.
I never paid any money in, but if I did I’d be signing that pronto.
Very interesting and thorough analysis as expected from Roddy Dunlop.But it adds more intrigue into the Branchform investigation by Police Scotland. As far as I understand the outcome of the long investigation into the missing “ringfenced” £600,000 was….nothing to see here.Case closed. But that doesnt in anyway reconcile with Dunlop’s opinion on a potential case of criminal embezzlement.So did PS submit a file to COPFS outlining such a case? Did COPFS then disagree that there was a case (surely unlikely given the strength of Dunlop’s opinion). Or did COPFS agree that there were grounds for a successful prosecution but decided not to pursue it in the public interest. Given that hundreds of thousands of public money were spent on this investigation it all seems rather murky and unresolved.
Spot on. Now, are there powers to force disclosure of the Police and COPFS files? Jimmy Savile’s Police and CPS interactions were disclosed but he was dead by then.
Me too
How fast can an actual Political party be wound up? Well after this there will be no money left to pay the cleaners wage – nevermind the rest.
Well, well. Roddy Dunlop KC agrees with me that the original ring-fenced fund, sensibly invested, would have near doubled in value by now.
Simply by the “magic” of compound interest.
Beats me why that penny has taken so long to drop.
This is an excellent opinion but may not fully and completely cover off what could be the SNP’s line of defence to the criminal charges: that the money was spent on activities advancing the cause of and preparing for a future independence referendum before that referendum was announced. Clearly paying off the Weirs wouldn’t fall into that camp, but it is possibly arguable that the “campaign” includes both the campaign to secure the referendum as well as the potential campaign itself.
I think we know this would be an excuse rather than a reason, but still.
Adrian getting his master’s opinion in first there….just to quell expectations amongst the colonials.
I can see your point, but:
When I received my refund, they admitted it hadn’t been spent on the correct purpose. They refused to return another donation that had been spent correctly (which was fair enough; I’d only asked because I wasn’t sure which crowd-funder I’d given it to – they knew from the reference number, so they were keeping information separate even if the money was all mixed together).
Their decision not to use the same reasoning to deny a refund for the referendum donation is an admission that they distinguish between a referendum campaign (which didn’t happen) and an election or two to try to justify that campaign (which did happen).
This was in 2021, when they were still claiming they hadn’t spent it.
Aye I think the facts of the case probably do lean against the narrative I set out above, but I think where they might try and go is to try and claim that while the use of the funds was sloppy and exhibited poor governance, it wasn’t criminal dishonestly within the meaning of the Ghosh test.
Sorry about “James” posting. The guy is very sick in the head.
@ Aidan at 8.04
That’s covered in paragraphs 19-24 – Ghosh does not apply.
I’m not a lawyer, but it seems pretty clear.
The second element of the Ghosh test is disapplied yes, the point is the test used to determine whether a person is dishonest. That’s where I think they would try and go.
Ignorance of the law is no excuse in any country. If it were, the laws would lose their effect, because it can always be pretended.
Billy Connolly may have been right about our wee pretendy parliament.
It’s a very compelling argument and aligns with my understanding of how the law stood on this matter.
The unknown quantity is where the Crown Office and Police Scotland stand on their responsibilities?
So far, they appear to have put the need to protect their political masters ahead of their duties to uphold the law of the land.
I hope that once senior counsel pick up the baton in the pursuit of justice, that they’ll be afforded more respect by the Lord Advocate and our Chief Constable than has previously been demonstrated by them to the so-called amateur ‘armchair detectives’ who’s dogged tenacity has brought a light to bear on the corrupt practices of our politicians.
The time is ripe for the arrogant mediocrities that currently constitute the Scottish ‘political class’ to be taken down a peg.
There you go, Crown Office, I think that’s referred to as having one’s feet held to the fire!
I hope the SNP isn’t using the Scottish government legal counsel for advice, this has nothing to do with the Scottish government its the SNP.
Roddy Dunlop KC, making it clear the money wasn’t the SNP to spend other than the purpose it was intended for, the Referendum Fund.
How Sturgeon and her band of haters of anything Scottish have all put their foot in their mouths and I hope they pay the price for it.
It doesn’t pay to run to TV and MSM and give statements about how the funds are still there and when Peter pleads guilty all of a sudden someone found the heart to tell us the truth, well some of it.
John Nicola has played you like a fiddle.
Is this the real reason the SNP has never been committed to Independence?
If the SNP had been honest I know I said honest knowing what we know now no one would call the SNP honest, with the Yes movement and stated they had to simply use part of the money to pay the weirs off but we still going to have the referendum most people wouldn’t have given a flying duck.
The question is when is Swinney going to resign he’s a worried man he’s starting to lose it with everyone inducing himself.
This is better than a Sherlock Holmes who did it.
The SNP will never deliver Independence!!!
I hope this is the beginning of the end for this party who stole of its country men and women for what? The Murrell’s, Scotland worth more than that.
After the Reverend’s dynamiting of the gravy train, how can we stop the usual suspects regrouping (as the North British Devolution if that’s not too much trouble Party?) and running Holyrood, claiming the Short money, etc?
I have filled in your contact form. I gave statement to Branch Form. I hope to have contact from you. My refund claim evidences that our Indy fund donation was recorded separately and they knew to a pound how much my husband and I had paid in.
For everyone saying “the SNP will never…” “if the SNP had done….” etc etc, please acknowledge the fact that all of this mess was AFTER Alex stepped back. I know for a fact (because he told me so), that he hugely regretted leaving the party after the referendum. I regretted his leaving too, I felt that we could have rallied, and ran again, but that wee besom and her glory hunting gang have flattened the dream for a while. I was sad that my folks didn’t live to see Scotland independant, now I fear that I won’t either. Rev C, you have done an incredible job in bringing this shambles to a head, and as someone else already said, holding feet to the fire. People will likely accuse you of breaking up the SNP – but that was already done, years ago, the current crop can’t hold a candle to the party that once was. Fresh start required, brains and stamina required, common sense reinstated, drop the rubbish, start the plans.
“Fresh start required, brains and stamina required, common sense reinstated, drop the rubbish, start the plans”
To that, I would add, zero tolerance for carpet baggers and neanderthals.
Carpet baggers being those who hijack Indy for their own pet hobby horses: The tea towel wearers, the trannies, the rule from Brussels boys, the poot fans. There are plenty of others.
Neanderthals being those who believe Indy is going to be a charter for bigoted ignorance. We can read some of them BTL here daily.
There’s a difference between being a “broad church” for Indy and welcoming in the lowlife rabble and the grifters of Scotland with open arms. Learn that difference, guard the gates accordingly, and make the Indy movement something that every sane, rational, decent Scot will want to be part of.
Plus, of course, something that the many non-Scots who have made Scotland their home will support too.
Because, as part of your “common sense reinstated”, we’re gonna have to acknowledge that Indy will be far easier to achieve with these voters and tax payers onside.
Once the donors who had requested repayment had been refunded we must assume that that total subtracted from the grand total in the Ring Fenced Fund for an Indy 2 Campaign will have to be repaid, with interest, to all the remaining donors. If, for example some £160,000 had been refunded already a balance of £1 million should be refunded. If the SNP cannot repay c.£1 million from funds at hand it would be have to be repaid by the members of the National Executive Council from their savings, investments, property and pensions because they are the legal entity of the party and are jointly and severally liable for its debts in the event of the Party’s insolvency. This might explain the reluctance of members to stand for and compete for election to every vacant seat on the NEC over recent years.
It may not come to this but folk should prepare for such an eventuality and press for more openness, accountability and democracy within the party.
HMcH
Somehow I doubt Roddy feels particularly chastised by your wee piece of grandstanding..
Anyways peeps, happy birthday tomorrow to the shade of Robert the Bruce circa 1274 most probably at Turnberry.
Dare I say raise a glass or will that kick-off the Unionist hissing and spitting here again?
Probably so what the hell, raise a glass to the hero king!!! 🙂
Ooops! Meant to say: HMcH @ 8.52.
Anyway it’s after his bedtime/ wing lockdown now anyhows..
Waiting for hung-over intemperate rant circa 6.48am from his Hateyness and bestie Bald Eagle! 🙂
Yawn! in muted anticipation..
Ooh errr..
Muham..d has just topped the list of male newborns names in home of Torydom Merry ol’ Engerlund..
Wowsers!
Wailing and gnashing of teeth can be heard here all round from the usual..
Better get procreating “old boys”!
Bet you regret now going all gay now back in the day eh?
Don’t bump it off onto others, you know what you did/ didn’t do..
I know this will be an alien concept, YL, but some of us have to be up with the lark (at 6am) for work in order to put food on the table and pay our taxes – and also to walk the dog before it gets too hot also.
6am is a healthy time to be up and about after a good night’s rest, as opposed to 3am. 🙂
CC @ 6.25
Well hold on there Bald Eagle.
If you literally spring out of bed like the old 70s Ski yoghurt ads at 6am (incidentally for 3 decades I had to get up at 5.40am for the fairly lengthy commute to the Big Smoke and an 8am heads down and actually working start) then why oh why once “clocked on” do you insist on swinging the lead on comments sites like this and undoubtedly other sites instead of actually getting your work done?
Strange one that eh?
And what does the poor dug do when you are “working”, stuck in? Not very fair, that’s why I got a dog only once retired..
What’s the wee rascals name anyway? Being English I suppose it’ll be Muh….ed then?
🙂
… He fires! He misses! Again 🙂
Missus full time housewife mate, and I get to choose my own hours. Good eh? 🙂
That’s what a lifetime of hard graft gets you.
PS: I love “Bald Eagle” 😀
Well hold on there Bald Eagle.
Now let me get this right, if you were having a go, as you are wont to do, at others lifestyles then you would undoubtedly be asserting that your targets wife was on benefits and that they themselves are on a zero hours contract deliveroo gig?
Not very pleasant eh?
Consider another burger flipped for you, and, go easy on all those full Engerlush’s and roasties in dripping eh as Bald Eagle was a wee skinny fellow 🙂
🙂
He’s a 60kg working lines Rottweiler male (our 7th of this magnificent breed). However, his aggression dial is turned to 0 through endless socialisation and nurture, to the extent he is, what the Americans would say, a “goofball”.
We have grandchildren, and I know that if some kid were to wander into our garden, he would do nothing but probably fetch his ball. On the other hand, if a burglar or someone meaning harm were to do the same, well, he’s still a Rottie. 🙂
Don’t you mean “raise a disposable plastic cup”?
I don’t see you as the type who has much in the way of intact glasses, or plates, in his slum.
Probably not much glass in your windaes either.
Anyhoo, YL, you continue to fantasise about rubbing shoulders with Scotland’s royalty.
I see a different picture. Your dishonourable carcass cloven shoulder to groin with one mighty blow from a royal broadsword.
A fitting end to those who would falsely claim kinship with Scotland’s finest. Those whom all virtuous, chivalrous knights would shun – a (tractor – ed) whose solemn word of honour cannot be trusted.
HMcH
Ehhhhhhhhh (thinking)..
Nope.
Wrong again “old boy”..
🙂
HMcH
On the subject of ancestry and your curiously curtailed record going only as far back is 1850 despite the 19th century being a notable one for the censuses:
Apparently 1600 to 2000 criminals were deported to “Australia” in 1850, 75 being amongst the first sent to Fremantle while the rest were offloaded in Tasmania.
Maybe that’ll help your search.
Hoo Roo!
🙂
The only notes that really count…are the ones that come in wads. Indeed.
I contributed, more than I could afford at the time, but I’ve got zero evidence now that I ever did. Ochone.
If you paid by bank transfer and your address and bank details have not changed then the SNP should be able to repay you. They use SAGE packages to record everything ! The onus is on them as the SNP Hierarchy created this bourach in the first place !
If you look at the events of the last few years it’s obvious that when the SNP cleared out the competent and independence supporters within the party structure they lost anyone with a grip on reality.
eg:
1. Biological facts became a matter of opinion.
2. Basic arithmetic became a fuzzy concept only understood by the high heid yins and not the mere mortals on the accounts committees
3. Legal obligations became an inconvenience and did not apply to the because they owned the COPFS attack dogs.
What were they smoking?
Thought I’d see what AI makes of political betrayal and it’s consequences. It basically boils down to how strong denial of reality is and loyalty to a group is. Breaking free of strongly held beliefs is a difficult and often a slow long drawn out process. AI used the word decontamination to describe this process, very indicative of just how difficult it is, especially if the evidence is withheld or not acted upon by those charged to do so. The only underlying question is whether the SNP is reformable or not, and that will depend on how deep the betrayal went, how systemic it was (is), and how much of it is brought into view and suffers the imposition of legal consequences.
As for continuing to vote for the SNP, to a very significant extent it is quite likely that the only major reason that so many have continued to vote for the SNP is because of the lack of any alternative. For more than a few, a case of better the devil you know. TINA has served the SNP well since 2014.
AI on TINA –
When there is literally no alternative candidate or party to vote for, voters experience deep political entrapment and systemic alienation. Without a viable exit option, the psychological and behavioral response shifts from choosing a “party” to managing total systemic political disillusionment (betrayal).
AI on political betrayal –
When a person finally accepts that their political party has betrayed them, they undergo a profound psychological shift known as political disillusionment. This process is often painful, mimicking the stages of grief, but it ultimately leads to a completely rebuilt worldview. Here is what happens when reality takes place:
The Initial Crash/Emotional Grief: Individuals experience deep anger, shame, and sadness for being “fooled. Identity Crisis: A period of feeling lost occurs, as the old framework for right and wrong is gone. Existential Void: The immediate loss of a predictable worldview creates intense mental anxiety.
Social Realignment Tribal Fractures: Relationships with hardcore party loyalists often strain or completely break. The “Traitor” Label where former peers may attack them, labeling them as sellouts or weak-willed.
A political party reaches the point of absolute abandonment when its corruption shifts from transactional (individuals breaking rules for personal gain) to systemic (the party’s core purpose becomes self-preservation and resource extraction instead of governance). At this threshold, voters realize the party can no longer be reformed from within. end of AI.
It seems the moral of all this in relation to the SNP could be summarised as – since the SNP since 2014 have become a fake party of independence and if voters are going to either struggle to give up genuine support for the SNP, or will continue to vote for them due to TINA, then the only way to break the political deadlock of not having a genuine party for independence, is for the SNP to be destroyed due the legal consequences of it’s hubris.
In that case – roll on the legal challenges.
Any suggestions for the timeline over which all of this will work out?
It’s looking like many of us will be deid before it ever happens.
The sooner, the better
Does anyone have the timeline of when:
The Weirs called in their loan
The referendum fund was announced
I think the referendum fund raising kicked off in March 2017.
Were the Weirs paid back their loan in 2018? Christine Weir seems to have expressed disquiet about some SNP policies. It may be the 2016 commitment to reform gender identity was the concern for Mrs Weir.
Makes you wonder if the intention of raising the fund was actually to repay the Weirs.
Wouldn’t that be intentional fraud?
Wee question – I donated but got my £25 refunded in 2019. In theory that’s a couple of years where the SNP misused that donation. The financial cost to me is trivial and at a best a few pence of interest. Do you want cases like mine to join the action?
Id say you should join
You were defrauded, the fraud clearly caused you distress since you were upset enough to go to the trouble to try to get your money back. Id explain with detail to the Rev and counsel can take forward as appropriate.
Difficult to reconcile this compelling advice with the conclusion of the COPFS regarding Branchform.
The usual caveat from postcolonial theory applies, following on from the increasingly dubious events over the last decade or so, more especially since ‘colonialism was imperiled’ (post 2014), resulting in ‘the colonizer revealing his fangs’, in that:
“The native seldom looks for justice in the colonial framework” (Fanon).
‘Colonialism is force’ (Memmi), efter aw; hence the term ‘Crown forces’, with ‘repressive measures’ so often applied against native communities in problematic colonial situations.
I was looking forwards to the bit about the green cheese.
Still, the day is yet young.
Try not to post the bits about colonialism arising from fascism, and fascism arising from colonialism, on the same day, Alf.
People might read them and notice.
‘Colonialism is force’ (Memmi), efter aw; hence the term ‘Crown forces’
So sayeth the esteemed professor.
He yet again shows his total inability (which must have been a considerable problem for an alleged academic) to understand logical argument.
He is claiming that the term ‘Crown forces’ results from ‘Colonialism is force’.
Mince.
The phrase simply means ‘forces having allegiance to the Crown’.
It’s all England’s fault.
The highest legislative authority over Scotland is England’s House of Commons, House of Lords and King; and Scotland is their plaything.
Yea as I said – it’s all England’s fault.
“It’s all England’s fault.”
Not entirely.
Westminster can only govern the UK as a whole because its two sovereign members are formally represented in it. Those representatives are not the single uniform body of UK MPs the parliament treats them as, for the simple reason that neither of the two kingdoms that negotiated the Treaty chose to give up their respective sovereignties, and nothing in the Treaty says that either did so, and nothing in it states that England’s representatives are entitled to overrule Scotland’s representatives on any basis.
So Scotland’s MPs had and have no damn business submitting to them in the first place, because they represent an entirely different and still sovereign territory from the one that England’s MPs represent.
Scotland as a nation was never inherently subordinate to England, and the Treaty didn’t change that because no-one involved in the negotiations had the authority to agree any such subordination on Scotland’s behalf, and the highest authority in Scotland did not consent to the Treaty’s terms. That is a matter of official recorded fact.
The Westminster establishment has always presumed either that Scotland had never possessed sovereignty, which is outright bollocks, or that it was inherently subordinate to England’s sovereignty, which is outright bollocks too, or that Scotland had surrendered its sovereignty to England, which is also outright bollocks.
It also presumed that England’s vastly greater MP numbers were authoritative in their own right. But that only ever worked on the basis of a simple majority vote in the new British parliament’s chambers, a voting system for which there is no agreement in the Treaty, and cannot therefore legitimately be enforced in the Union’s parliament, so this is also outright bollocks.
Scotland’s MPs must never allow any English MP majority decision they disagreed with to be passed by the UK parliament as if the Union had agreed it, since the Scottish half of the Union had NOT agreed it.
England’s MPs cannot and do not represent the Union on their own, and it’s long past time they were loudly called out on it.
Yes, it is.
link to academic.oup.com
“Profound changes to mortality trends and inequalities were observed across both nations and all cities in the decade up to 2020, including increases in death rates among the 20% most deprived populations of almost every city. For deaths at all ages, this was particularly evident in Leeds, Liverpool, Edinburgh, Dundee, and Glasgow. For 0–64?years, Scottish cities stood out. With few exceptions, both absolute and relative inequalities increased in the same time period. COVID-19 further increased death rates and inequalities. The analyses provide a hugely concerning picture of worsening mortality and widening inequalities across England and Scotland. When viewed in the context of the evidence for the impact of UK government austerity policies on population health, they represent a wake-up call for both current and future UK governments.”
Man alive, is there nothing that you, Alf and a few others don’t blame the English for…? I mean, fuck me, who knew that people have a duty of care to themselves and their health, so y’know, maybe don’t eating fatty foods laden with salt, drinking enough to sink a battleship, smoking 20 tabs a day and/or doing feck all exercise wasn’t such a great plan for longevity and good health? The government – good or bad – cannot fix EVERYTHING (even assuming they wanted to, which they probably don’t); maybe as grownups it’s up to individuals to take control of their own lives?
LIFE IS ABOUT CHOICES
But yeah. The “Inglis”
“Profound changes to ethnicity were observed across both nations and all cities in the decade up to 2020”
There you go, sam, fixed it for you.
You’re gonna ignore the flood of poverty-stricken third-world migrants, keen to avail themselves of whitey’s generous benefits and free health care, until your dying breath, eh, sam?
Like all the others pushing that agenda, you have to pretend ever more vociferously that the flood makes no difference to anything.
But it does. From crime, through life expectancy, to women’s rights, and our basic freedoms, it changes EVERYTHING.
“Man alive, is there nothing that you, Alf and a few others don’t blame the English for…?”
Well, I suppose we should add here the ongoing loss of £150+ billion a year from Scotland’s GDP as ‘the cost of colonialism’:
link to yoursforscotlandcom.wordpress.com
….and the highest energy prices in the world:
link to yoursforscotlandcom.wordpress.com
….not forgetting the 80+ colonial conflicts Scots have been dragged into since the end of WWII.
….Scottish cultural dislocation and ‘the torture of colonial bilingualism’ (Fanon).
….a colonial mindset:
link to yoursforscotlandcom.wordpress.com
etcetera etcetera
You’re using your own material as supposed citation?
Good grief. Woeful mindset, outlook and complete lack of credibility.
Haven’t seen the torture of colonial bilingualism for a wee while, Alf. Buy it a dram with my blessing.
Can I just say how much I admire and respect Rev Stu, yourself, and all the other posters who put themselves through the torture of bilingualism so that they can write, day after day after day, in the King’s English.
The pain thresholds of those guys and gals must be superhuman.
One word to the highest energy prices in the world:
confused.com
You’re gonna have Scotland’s offline voters eating out of your hand, but then again, they’re never gonna get a chance to read your online posts. That’s a conundrum I’ll leave you to solve.
But a wee word of advice in your shell-like, Alf. If you want people to take your £150+ billion claim as gospel, don’t lie about things, such as leccy prices, that people can easily check for themselves.
HTH.
I think the SP made a complete arse of it without any assistance from Westminster.
Blaming them for everything is just trying to avoid the fact that we did most or all of the damage all on our own.
SNP offer refunds for people who donated to ‘ring-fenced’ indyref2 fund.
Wee Peem gas offered to repay, meantime he is in the gaol.
You’ve had the effect the SNP hoped no one would notice and just move on. Well done Wings.
But like your KC stated, just because you pay the money back that isn’t good enough.
Someone been taking the time out and visiting wings and taking head of what been said. The summons has had a massive effect but isn’t to late for the NASTY SNP.
In the National it states “SNP spokesperson offered to refund anyone who had donated to the supposedly ring-fenced funds.” I notice there is no mention of who the spokesperson is.
Odd.
It was as recently as 26th May 2026 that HR passed a motion requesting WM to transfer the powers needed to hold a second Indy referendum.
John Swinney said on that date “Today is the start of a process that I believe will lead MW to a Yes to a referendum, and Scotland to a Yes to Indy”.
So WTAF is going on?
Why are funds ingathered to support that promised referendum now being surrendered?
Back in May, was Swinney lying through his teeth?
I Donated, but, sadly I ended up trusting the SNP. silly now in hind sight but like so many, I was duped.
Lots of comments from the supposedly learned professor. Of course, nothing that we have not seen umpteen times before. What I find strange is that when you ask him a direct question you NEVER receive a response.
I have come across a few ‘academics’ in my time and have found them to be great at telling others what and how to do anything but for some reason they find it very difficult to do anything themselves.
Those who can do, DO. Those who can’t TEACH. Those who can’t teach, LECTURE.
The SNP, should have obtained, and declared, the names and addresses of any person who donated over £50 to this fund (when they pochled it for the day to day running of the SNP) in order to prevent foreign interference in UK politics.
Those are the Electoral Commission Rules.
Bet they didn’t