Leadership candidates demand SNP membership numbers are published

Ash Regan, left, Humza Yousaf and Kate Forbes have all requested the information (PA)

The three candidates vying to be the next SNP leader have called on the party to publish its current membership figures.

Humza Yousaf, Kate Forbes and Ash Regan have all said the party must release details of how many people are eligible to vote in the contest.

Voting began earlier this week in the race to replace Nicola Sturgeon as the party’s leader and First Minister, with members having the choice of voting electronically or on paper.

However the exact size of the electorate remains unclear.

The Mail On Sunday newspaper reported at the weekend that 78,000 online forms were being sent out, though the party has not commented on the figure.

Ms Regan, the former community safety minister who quit in opposition to the Scottish Government’s gender reforms, said she has written to SNP chief executive Peter Murrell on behalf of Ms Forbes and her own campaigns.

She requested the total number of paid-up SNP members and how many digital and paper ballots have been sent out.

Harassment allegation committee hearing — Ash Regan has written to Peter Murrell to request information on the leadership electorate (Andy Buchanan/PA)

Ms Regan’s letter said: “We have previously reached out to the national secretary, Lorna Finn, with a request for this information.

“However, we have yet to receive a response, which has prompted us to address this matter through a formal open letter.

“As the chief executive officer of the SNP, it is your responsibility to ensure that the leadership election process is transparent, fair, and equitable.

“Providing this information is crucial to fostering trust and confidence among the candidates, their campaign teams, and the party members who are participating in the election.”

A spokesman for Ms Forbes told the PA news agency: “It is standard practice for any election to be made aware of voting numbers in advance. This should be no different.”

Neil Gray, who is Mr Yousaf’s campaign manager as well as being a Scottish Government minister, said: “Yesterday, Humza’s campaign team also asked for the figures to be published and sought assurances this would be done as soon as possible.”

Figures from the Electoral Commission show that in December 2021, the SNP had around 104,000 members.

An SNP spokesman said: “Candidates have already been made aware that responsibility for the leadership election does not rest with any member of staff.”

The candidates have been told that the number of votes, percentage share, and turnout will be published when the result is declared.