When Alex Salmond launched the Alba Party in 2021, he hoped they could help bring together the independence movement.
They even ran under the banner of “Scotland United”.
But years have gone by without an electoral breakthrough, and that looks an even more distant prospect given the party may not even manage to field candidates in May.
Leaving aside the precise reasons for Alba’s financial woes – there is a live police investigation into claims of irregularities – the path ahead is a deeply uncertain one, with no clear agreement on how to navigate it.
A group of fairly well-kent faces have offered to step in to take the party into the election.
But that may not be a quick or easy fix. Kenny MacAskill does not seem minded to yield the leadership unless the group comes up with a credible plan which can fulfil the party’s fiscal obligations.
There would need to be a formal transition, and it sounds like even a very cheap and cheerful leadership contest would be beyond the party’s current bank balance.
That’s before you get to the matter of having accounts signed off, squaring matters with the Electoral Commission, and then stumping up deposits for candidates.
Angus MacNeil is optimistic that this crisis will be enough to rally members together to turn things around, and that come May he and others will be campaigning under the Alba banner.
There is a long way to go if that is to be the case – and precious little time to achieve it.