Humza Yousaf has been forced to beg separatist supporters for more money after Scottish National Party donations started to dry up.
Yousaf is hoping to woo bus tycoon Sir Brian Souter as cash flows collapse in the wake of Police Scotland’s Operation Branchform investigation into SNP finances.
The Stagecoach co-founder previously gave the SNP more than £2.5million during Alex Salmond’s stint as First Minister.
However, Souter stopped handing over his cash when Nicola Sturgeon succeeded her former boss in Bute House.
Humza Yousaf
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Documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act show Yousaf is trying to get Souter to return to the nationalist fold.
The papers, published by Politico, showed the First Minister enlisted the transport tycoon to help organise a dinner to repair relations with the business community.
Souter agreed to help “nudge” other business figures to attend after an exchange of emails between an aide and Yousaf’s chief of staff Colin McAllister.
The event, which was billed as a “Business Leaders Dinner”, went ahead on July 27 in 2023.
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Undated handout photo issued by Stagecoach of their Chairman Sir Brian Souter.
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It was hosted at the luxury Prestonfield House hotel in Edinburgh.
Private donations given to the SNP have dried up under Yousaf’s leadership, figures published last month have shown.
The SNP attracted less than £10,000 since he came to power.
The situation has coincided with a police probe into SNP finances.
However, Yousaf’s conversations with Souter could provoke tensions with the SNP’s liberal-leaning Green coalition partners due to the transport tycoon’s socially conservative views.
Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and First Minister Alex Salmond campaign in Piershill Square on September 10, 2014
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A Scottish Government spokesman said: “Ministers routinely engage with a wide range of business leaders as a normal part of Government.
“Calling upon their expertise is vital to development of policy, understanding business needs and how to effectively grow our economy.”
The SNP is facing a tough task in 2024, with opinion polls suggesting Labour could become the largest party north of the border for the first time since 2010.
A recent Redfield & Wilton opinion poll put the SNP two points behind Labour on 34 per cent, down from 45 per cent last time around.
Such a result could prove integral to Labour entering Downing Street and comes just a decade after the SNP redraw the political map by turning large swathes of red Scotland yellow for the first time.