Police Scotland is investigating a complaint about the finances of Yes Scotland, the campaign organisation set up by former SNP leader Alex Salmond ahead of the 2014 independence referendum, BBC News reported on 5 July 2026.

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: "We have received a complaint and inquiries are ongoing." The complaint came from David Henry, who previously raised concerns about SNP party finances that led to Operation Branchform — the investigation that resulted in the conviction of former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell in 2025.

Henry's allegation centres on missing money from Yes Scotland's accounts. He told the Sunday Mail that financial records from 2016 onward showed zero balance, while earlier filings recorded roughly £1.5m in income — money that appeared to vanish without trace. Yes Scotland Ltd ceased operating after 2014 and is now dormant, with no active business.

The SNP stated that Yes Scotland Ltd was "entirely separate" from the party. Yes Scotland itself responded by saying all money was accounted for and no wrongdoing occurred.

It is important to be clear about what Police Scotland has actually said. A complaint has been received and inquiries are underway. This is not yet a formal criminal investigation, and the police have not assessed whether the allegations have merit. Henry's previous complaint about SNP finances turned out to be correct, which gives his current allegations weight — but that is not the same as evidence.

The broader context matters here. Yes Scotland was a coalition campaign body, not an SNP-run organisation; it included the Scottish Greens and others. The SNP's legal separation from it is standard practice for designated campaign vehicles, though the arrangement looked unusual given how closely the campaign and party worked together operationally at the time. The organisation is now dormant and keeps no active records, which could make financial investigation more difficult, not easier.

Alex Salmond, who founded Yes Scotland, died in 2023. This removes the person who would most naturally answer questions about top-level decisions, though it does not prevent police from investigating the organisation's finances or questioning those who ran it day-to-day.

Henry has a track record of raising concerns about Scottish political finances. Operation Branchform took several years from initial complaint to criminal charge. If Police Scotland decides to investigate this matter formally, the process is likely to be lengthy. At Holyrood — the Scottish Parliament — the complaint will add to existing tensions from the Branchform case, even though the two matters are legally and organisationally separate.