Stephen Flynn received the single largest campaign donation of any Scottish MP at this year’s general election, records show.
The SNP leader at Westminster received £30,000 from businessman Allan MacAskill, brother of former Alba MP Kenny MacAskill.
Flynn was reelected as MP for Aberdeen South in July with a reduced majority on a tough night for the Nationalists. The party won in just nine constituencies and were pushed into second place in Scotland by Labour.
Allan MacAskill is described as an energy industry veteran specialising in offshore wind developments. His LinkedIn profile lists him as a senior employee at Flotation Energy, an Edinburgh-based renewables firm.
The businessman is described as a “longstanding SNP member”.
His brother, Kenny, quit the Nationalists in 2021 after serving as a Cabinet member for both Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon. He later joined Salmond’s breakaway Alba Party.
The Greens said an “over-reliance on big donations from rich individuals” was a sign of a “broken system” across politics.
The issue of donations to senior politicians has dominated news headlines in recent weeks following revelations regarding Lord Alli, a Labour peer who gifted clothes to a number of Cabinet ministers.
Maggie Chapman, a Green MSP, said: “We really need to look at how we fund and support elections and democracy. The over-reliance on big donations from rich individuals is a sign of a broken system.
“Of course, people can choose how to spend their money, but we need to guard against creating a system where only the rich have a say in our democracy.
“Our politics needs to represent the voices of normal people and families across our country, not those of big businesses and a wealthy few.
“In normal democratic European nations such as France and Germany there are systems in place for state funding to create a more equal playing field. We really do need to see the same here.”
An SNP spokesman said: “This was a welcome donation from a longstanding SNP member to a local branch for the general election campaign. The SNP welcomes the strong support of all our members.
“While the Labour party is reliant on multi-million pound donations linked totax haven-based hedge fund companies, and those with an interest in privatising the NHS, the SNP is proud to be a member-led, grass-roots movement that is standing up for Scotland.”
A spokeswoman for Flotation Energy said: “Allan MacAskill is a former director of the company. Any donation is a personal matter for him – as for any of our employees.”
MacAskill declined to comment.
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