SNP deputy leader Keith Brown has insisted the party has “nothing to hide” and urged greater transparency as he admitted he did not know its auditors had quit until shortly before it was made public.

Speaking to Sky News, Mr Brown acknowledged current challenges, but argued the SNP’s “best days lie ahead” as a crisis engulfs the party with a police investigation into its finances, which has seen its former chief executive and treasurer arrested.

Both Peter Murrell – who is former first minister Nicola Sturgeon’s husband – and Colin Beattie were later released without charge pending further investigation.

The police inquiry centres on how more than £600,000 in donations to the party earmarked for an independence referendum was used.

SNP MP Stuart McDonald has been appointed party treasurer after the resignation of Mr Beattie.

A key task for him will be appointing auditors after accountants Johnston Carmichael, which worked with the SNP for more than a decade, resigned around September.

The party’s accounts are due to be filed to the Electoral Commission in July.

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Pressed over when he knew the auditors had quit, Mr Brown said: “Shortly before it became public. We are talking within the last couple of months.”

Playing down the move, he said: “Like many, many other auditors across the UK, the auditors employed by the SNP decided they were going to cut back the activities they were involved in and that was true of many auditors and for many organisations.”

He added: “This was a fairly commonplace occurrence, so this wasn’t a crisis that we didn’t have auditors, this was a change of auditors, and it was a decision by the current auditors in common with many other businesses and third sector organisations across the UK to retract their business.

“This was something that would be dealt with by the national treasurer, was being dealt with by the national treasurer and that’s what’s going to continue to happen.

“The work will be undertaken under the new national treasurer, to make sure we have the auditors in place.”

Mr Brown added: “We have nothing to hide. We are by far and away the biggest, most successful party in Scotland.

“I believe the SNP’s best days lie ahead of it, but let’s make sure we are more transparent than any other party.”

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