A SECRETIVE group which has given hundreds of thousands of pounds to the Scottish Tories has been flushed into the open by the SNP confronting Theresa May over its record.

The Scottish Unionist Association Trust (SUAT) issued an unprecedented public statement after the Prime Minister was urged to investigate whether it gave her party “dark money”.

The obscure organisation, which the SNP has called “shady” in the Commons, has donated almost £319,000 to dozens of Scottish Tory branches since 2001.

It gave £7500 to both Banff & Buchan MP David Duguid and Moray MP Douglas Ross last year, and gave up to £5000 to Scottish Tory deputy Jackson Carlaw before he was an MSP.

However almost nothing was known about it other than an address in Glasgow’s Mosspark.

It has no website, no public list of trustees, and no public accounts.

Despite its sizeable donations, it is also not registered as an ‘unincorporated association’ with the Electoral Commission, something the Commission is now examining.

At Prime Minister’s Questions, SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford urged Mrs May to hold her own probe into whether the trust was linked to illicit dark money.

He said: "The Conservatives are systematically shielding their donations from public scrutiny.

“The trust has donated £319,000 to the Scottish Conservatives, yet there is no information available about who the people are who currently manage the trust, no public accounts indicate who its donors are or what assets it holds.

"I'm now giving the Prime Minister the chance to tell us what checks the Scottish Tory party had in place before accepting such large donations.

"Will she investigate the links between the Conservative Party and the trust and promise to publish a list of all donations and donors?”

Mrs May responded: "All donations to the Scottish Conservative Party are accepted and declared in accordance with the law and the Scottish Conservative Party works with the Electoral Commission to make sure that that is all done properly."

The Scottish Tories refused to answer any questions about the SUAT.

A spokesman said: “SUAT are a separate organisation, so all questions will have to go to them.”

Speaking after PMQs, Mr Blackford said: "We need absolute transparency and someone must be held accountable. Our democracy cannot be bought."

Barely an hour after PMQs, one of SUAT's trustees, the former Scottish MP Peter Duncan, released a statement on behalf of all its trustees, but refused to giver any information on the trust's assets.

It said: "The Trust was formed in 1968 from assets of the (then) Scottish Unionist Association, primarily sales of property assets. It invests those assets and makes the proceeds available to further the aims of the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party. All UK taxation liabilities have been and continue to be met in full.

"The address for the Trust is 570 Mosspark Boulevard, Glasgow G52 1SD. Previous addresses may have been used for correspondence in the past, and have been changed as trustees have changed over time.

"Current trustees are all resident in Scotland, as has been the case for all previous trustees. They are: Robert Millar-Bakewell (Chairman), Kim Donald, Patricia McPhee, Sheila Fulton, John Duncan, Peter Duncan, Frank Spencer Nairn."

In relation to the Electoral Commission investigation, SUAT said: "We are in dialogue with the Electoral Commission and it would be inappropriate to say more whilst that dialogue continues."

In his spring financial report, Scottish Tory party treasurer Bryan Johnston thanked the SUAT for its "considerable financial support in 2017, particularly with support at the General Election."