Things are 'hotting up'

The Better Together and the Yes Campaigns have been logging their donations with the Electoral Commission

The ground is familiar. The accusations, in outline, have been heard before. But the latest dispute over donations in the referendum is perhaps running at a slightly higher temperature.

The basics first. In terms of big donations (£7,500+), Better Together outran Yes Scotland in the period from December to June. The sums? £2.4m for the pro Union campaign as against £1.1m for the pro independence side.

To be clear, this does not take account of smaller donations - nor does it include money made available to political parties.

Nor does it include cash given to other organisations registered with the Electoral Commission. Among those, we find Christians for Independence with £100k and Business for Scotland with £199k.

On the other side, we find £25,000 registered by Angus MacDonald and £75k registered by the No Borders Campaign. No other registered campaigners on either side have logged donations during the relevant period.

Which takes us to the controversy. Better Together has repeated its claim that Yes Scotland is continuing to "funnel cash" to what are in effect front organisations in that they are "working together" with the lead campaign, potentially contrary to Electoral Commission rules.

To be clear, organisations can work together. But, if they do so, this can have an effect on the money they can spend.

The claim is resolutely denied by Blair Jenkins from Yes Scotland who says his organisation has respected the rules from the outset and continues to do so.

Mr Jenkins says the complaint is "a bit rich coming from a movement that is funded largely by wealthy landowners, bankers and rich Tories many of whom live outwith Scotland and don't have a vote in the referendum."

Told you the temperature was rising.