The political party founded by Alex Salmond is on the verge of collapse just 16 months after the former First Minister’s death - and will likely field NO candidates in May’s Holyrood election.
Alba party leader Kenny MacAskill told members that the nationalist group was in financial turmoil and questioned the party’s viability in future.
He also launched a scathing attack on its former General Secretary Chris McEleny – one of Mr Salmond’s closest aides - as well as it’s only MSP Ash Regan, who quit the party in October.
Just two weeks ago the party had announced a raft of hopefuls for the upcoming elections, including former SNP MP Angus MacNeil and former MSP Tommy Sheridan, who was jailed for perjury in 2010.
In a letter to supporters Mr MacAskill said: ‘I have to advise that it looks likely that we will not be able to register and therefore even to contest the election.
That brings also into question the viability of a Party which neither has financial resource nor the ability to contest elections.’
He said there was an ongoing police probe into reports of financial irregularities in the party, which ‘have come to light since the dismissal of the General Secretary for gross misconduct’.
The former justice minister added: ‘Matters are with the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, and I expect matters to progress further shortly.
The late former First Minister Alex Salmond founded Alba in 2021
Mr Salmond's niece Christina Hendry vowed not to let her uncle's legacy be destroyed
'This was compounded by Ash Regan MSP, our former colleague, who despite being advised of the concerns we had, instead chose to give employment to the former General Secretary thus giving credence to his denials of misconduct.’
Mr Salmond’s niece Christina Hendry said she was ‘frustrated’ with the decision not to put forward any candidates for election in May and vowed not to let her uncle’s legacy be ‘discarded’.
She also issued a challenge to other members to help her continue the party if the current leadership were unable to do so.
She said: ‘The decision to de-register the party should not rest with a handful of members in the leadership team…
‘This party belongs to the members, and it is up to the members to take it forward. I, along with any other party members who want to work together, will ensure the party continues...
‘I am not prepared to stand by and watch my Uncle Alex’s legacy discarded and the cause of independence abandoned.’
Mr McEleny was dismissed from Alba just four months after Mr Salmond’s death, but was later employed by Edinburgh Eastern MSP Ms Regan to help with her constituency work while she remained an Alba politician.
He is currently in the midst of a bitter employment tribunal against his former party for wrongful dismissal and denies any wrongdoing.
Alba leader Kenny MacAskill said the party was in financial turmoil
A friend of Mr McEleny said the claims were ‘smears’ and told the Scottish Mail on Sunday: ‘Throughout his tenure as General Secretary, Kenny MacAskill was chair of the party’s finance and audit committee, and the party was serviced by a professional accountancy firm. Chris is completely content that the finances of the party under the leadership of Alex Salmond were both sound and compliant.’
Ms Regan said the situation facing her former party was 'heartbreaking' and said: 'It is heartbreaking to watch the party built by Alex Salmond being run into the ground by failed leadership.
'Members were let down. Warnings, including mine, were ignored, and under Kenny MacAskill, this once-hopeful party has been needlessly and inexplicably damaged.'
Alba was founded in 2021 by Mr Salmond after he was acquitted in a High Court trial over allegations of sexual misconduct. At its peak the party had two sitting MPs and an MSP, albeit defections, and up to 8000 members.
Just two weeks ago the party had announced a raft of hopefuls for the upcoming elections, including former SNP MP Angus MacNeil and former MSP Tommy Sheridan, who was jailed for perjury in 2010.
Shadow Scottish Secretary Andrew Bowie MSP said: ‘For Alba, the winding-up process began shortly after Alex Salmond passed away.
‘He was a formidable opponent as Nicola Sturgeon found out.
‘But Alba, like the Greens, stood aside for the SNP at every election and didn’t make an impact at the ballot box.
‘Now of course we have Reform, another one-man band with pro-independence candidates, who would be happy with an SNP majority in May.’
