Now Parliament to probe if MSPs used expenses cash to buy stamps that were given to SNP candidates

The SNP is being investigated by the Scottish parliament authorities over the potential misuse of postage stamps bought using MSPs’ expenses.

An allegation has emerged that stamps bought on expenses were passed to UK election candidates for campaigning activities including mailouts to potential voters.

MSPs have up to £5,500 a year to spend on postage and stationery but rules state they ‘must be used only for parliamentary duties and must not be used for any other purpose, including party political purposes’.

Parliament officials have confirmed they are investigating an anonymous complaint submitted to Holyrood’s presiding officer, Alison Johnstone.

A spokesman said: ‘We take the use of publicly funded resources very seriously. Officials are investigating the matter to establish whether there has been any ­misuse of parliamentary resources.’

Latest accounts show the SNP plunged to an £800,000 financial loss as membership numbers slumped and donations dried up.

The SNP Holyrood group dismissed the seriousness of the complaint and told the BBC the rules were ‘crystal clear’.

A spokesman added: ‘We would expect the offices of MSPs of all parties to co-­operate with the Parliamentary Corporate Body. Materials, including stamps, can only be used for parliamentary purposes such as representing constituents and campaigning on their behalf.’ The complainer emailed the presiding officer, saying: ‘I am anonymously sharing a screenshot from the

SNP office managers WhatsApp group chat due to my concerns that several MSPs are using stamps paid for by Scottish parliament expenses to pass to UK Parliament election candidates for campaign activities such as sending target letters to hard-to-reach addresses.

‘I’m concerned about this open discussion involving several members’ offices.’

Leaked messages from an SNP group chat called ‘Office Manager Chat’ details exchanges between staff members about the use of postage stamps.

According to newspaper reports, one staffer asked: ‘Guys, the new stamps. Can they be traced?’ Someone from former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon’s office replied: ‘Like who purchased them and what they’re being used for?’

A third person, said to work for deputy leader Keith Brown, wrote: ‘I asked [name of non-SNP parliamentary worker] at the mailroom and he said no.’

There was another question about tracing stamps back to the person who bought them, to which the consensus was ‘no’, before an employee at Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville’s office added: ‘If they can, then a few people may be up in front of corporate body.’

However, there is nothing to suggest any of the office bearers were aware of any issues regarding stamps.

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