London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Oct 27, 2025

Humza Yousaf told of SNP motorhome after becoming leader

Humza Yousaf told of SNP motorhome after becoming leader

Scotland's first minister has said he only discovered the SNP had bought a luxury motorhome after he became party leader.

Humza Yousaf said he was shown a police warrant to seize items from the party, which included the vehicle.

The motorhome was seized from outside a property in Dunfermline last week.

Party sources are reported to have said it was intended to be used as a "campaign battle bus" ahead of the last Holyrood election in 2021.

They told the Daily Record that it would have acted as a "mobile campaign room" if Covid restrictions prevented other forms of mixing, but was never used.

Mr Yousaf was asked during a visit to a Glasgow nursery school when he first learned that the party had bought the Niesmann + Bischoff vehicle, which can retail for more than £100,000.

He replied: "Shortly after I became leader of the party".

The first minister said: "The police of course give us a warrant for items that they are looking to take in their possession.

"I can't go into the detail of that but of course the police have done the responsible thing and I as leader have seen the warrant in terms of the items that they've confiscated, including the motorhome that you referenced."

The Mail on Sunday reported at the weekend that the vehicle had been parked outside the home of Peter Murrell's 92-year-old mother since January 2021. Mr Murrell is married to Nicola Sturgeon, and was until recently the SNP's chief executive.

It was said to have been taken away on the same day that officers searched Ms Sturgeon and Mr Murrell's home in Glasgow, and the SNP's headquarters in Edinburgh. Mr Murrell was arrested before later being released without charge.

Campervans similar to the one seized by police can retail for more than £100,000


Officers are investigating the SNP's finances in response to complaints about how the party spent more than £600,000 of donations that it had received from activists.

Mr Yousaf said the public had "very reasonable" questions to ask regarding the issue of transparency within the SNP.

It has been revealed that the SNP has been without auditors since September. Accountants Johnston Carmichael, which audited its accounts for more than a decade, said the decision to no longer work with the party was taken after a review of its clients.

Mr Yousaf said he had not been aware of the issue until he became leader, adding that "it would have been helpful to have known beforehand" and that "there should have been more transparency around the party finances".

He said he was now committed to finding replacement auditors for the party as soon as possible.

The first minister was speaking the day after the Scottish government confirmed it would be launching a legal challenge to the UK government's block on its gender recognition reforms.

Mr Yousaf said he did not "know the full costs" that would be involved in taking legal action, but insisted that "it's an important principle".

He said: "Spending taxpayers' money on defending the will of the Scottish Parliament, on defending devolution, for me that's important."

He said he would launch the challenge even if it was a bill he "fundamentally disagreed" with, claiming that if he did not do so then the UK government would "veto legislation after legislation" passed at Holyrood.

However, former Supreme Court judge Lord Sumption told the BBC that the Scottish government's position was "weak" and the legal challenge would be "very difficult".

The case for judicial review will initially be heard in the Court of Session in Edinburgh, but is widely expected to end up in the UK Supreme Court for a final decision.

Lord Sumption told the BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland programme: "Section 35 empowers the UK government to stop a Scottish bill becoming law if it modifies the law relating to a matter reserved to Westminster in a way that adversely affects how the law works.

"One of those matters is equal opportunities, and what the UK government says is the Scottish bill modifies the law relating to equal opportunities in a way that adversely affects how it works.

"So if you think about it, the result will be that some UK citizens, if this bill comes into force, will have a different legal gender in different parts of the UK depending on where they happen to be."

Asked if he would resign as first minister if the legal challenge was unsuccessful, Mr Yousaf replied: "No".

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
UK Announces £1.08 Billion Budget for Offshore Wind Auction to Boost 2030 Capacity
UK Seeks Steel Alliance with EU and US to Counter China’s Over-Capacity
UK Struggles to Balance China as Both Strategic Threat and Valued Trading Partner
Argentina’s Markets Surge as Milei’s Party Secures Major Win
British Journalist Sami Hamdi Detained by U.S. Authorities After Visa Revocation Amid Israel-Gaza Commentary
King Charles Unveils UK’s First LGBT+ Armed Forces Memorial at National Memorial Arboretum
At ninety-two and re-elected: Paul Biya secures eighth term in Cameroon amid unrest
Racist Incidents Against UK Nurses Surge by 55%
UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves Cites Shared Concerns With Trump Administration as Foundation for Early US-UK Trade Deal
Essentra plc: A Closer Look at a UK ‘Penny Stock’ Opportunity Amid Market Weakness
U.S. and China Near Deal to Avert Rare-Earth Export Controls Ahead of Trump-Xi Summit
Justin time: Justin Herbert Shields Madison Beer with Impressive Reflex at Lakers Game
Russia’s President Putin Declares Burevestnik Nuclear Cruise Missile Ready for Deployment
Giuffre’s Memoir Alleges Maxwell Claimed Sexual Act with Clooney
House Republicans Move to Strip NYC Mayoral Front-Runner Zohran Mamdani of U.S. Citizenship
Record-High Spoiled Ballots Signal Voter Discontent in Ireland’s 2025 Presidential Election
Philippines’ Taal Volcano Erupts Overnight with 2.4 km Ash Plume
Albania’s Virtual AI 'Minister' Diella Set to 'Birth' Eighty-Three Digital Assistants for MPs
Tesla Unveils Vision for Optimus V3 as ‘Biggest Product of All Time’, Including Surgical Capabilities
Francis Ford Coppola Auctions Luxury Watches After Self-Financed Film Flop
Convicted Sex Offender Mistakenly Freed by UK Prison Service Arrested in London
United States and China Begin Constructive Trade Negotiations Ahead of Trump–Xi Summit
U.S. Treasury Sanctions Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro over Drug-Trafficking Allegations
Miss USA Crowns Nebraska’s Audrey Eckert Amid Leadership Overhaul
‘I Am Not Done’: Kamala Harris Signals Possible 2028 White House Run
NBA Faces Integrity Crisis After Mass Arrests in Gambling Scandal
Swift Heist at the Louvre Sees Eight French Crown Jewels Stolen in Under Seven Minutes
U.S. Halts Trade Talks with Canada After Ontario Ad Using Reagan Voice Triggers Diplomatic Fallout
Microsoft AI CEO: ‘We’re making an AI that you can trust your kids to use’ — but can Microsoft rebuild its own trust before fixing the industry’s?
China and Russia Deploy Seductive Espionage Networks to Infiltrate U.S. Tech Sector
Apple’s ‘iPhone Air’ Collapses After One Month — Another Major Misstep for the Tech Giant
Graham Potter Begins New Chapter as Sweden Head Coach on Short-Term Deal
Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa Alleges Poison Plot via Chocolate and Jam
Lakestar to Halt External Fundraising as Investor in Revolut and Spotify
U.S. Innovation Ranking Under Scrutiny as China Leads Output Outputs but Ranks 10th
Three Men Arrested in London on Suspicion of Spying for Russia
Porsche Reverses EV Strategy as New CEO Bets on Petrol and Hybrids
Singapore’s Prime Minister Warns of ‘Messy’ Transition to Post-American Global Order
Andreessen Horowitz Sets Sights on Ten-Billion-Dollar Fund for Tech Surge
US Administration Under President Donald Trump Reportedly Lifts Ban on Ukraine’s Use of Storm Shadow Missiles Against Russia
‘Frightening’ First Night in Prison for Sarkozy: Inmates Riot and Shout ‘Little Nicolas’
White House Announces No Imminent Summit Between Trump and Putin
US and Qatar Warn EU of Trade and Energy Risks from Tough Climate Regulation
Apple Challenges EU Digital Markets Act Crackdown in Landmark Court Battle
Nicolas Sarkozy begins five-year prison term at La Santé in Paris
Japan stocks surge to record as Sanae Takaichi becomes Prime Minister
This Is How the 'Heist of the Century' Was Carried Out at the Louvre in Seven Minutes: France Humiliated as Crown with 2,000 Diamonds Vanishes
China Warns UK of ‘Consequences’ After Delay to London Embassy Approval
France’s Wealthy Shift Billions to Luxembourg and Switzerland Amid Tax and Political Turmoil
"Sniper Position": Observation Post Targeting 'Air Force One' Found Before Trump’s Arrival in Florida
×