SNP blasted for spending £500,000 on National Conversation

Published on Sunday 5 July 2009 22:12

THE Scottish Government has defended spending almost £500,000 on its "National Conversation" over the future of the constitution.

Ministers yesterday came under pressure to explain the bill, amid accusations the debate was "one-sided".

The government released a breakdown of costs to the Liberal Democrats, which showed 464,143 was spent on the series of events held across the country.

The 464,143 total included 341,356 for staff and 55,144 to publish policy documents.

Lib Dem finance spokesman Jeremy Purvis said: "This is the most expensive one-sided conversation in Scottish history.

"It is a monologue from SNP ministers, not a dialogue with the Scottish people. It has cost the taxpayer almost 500,000 to listen to the SNP have a conversation with themselves.

"Ministers have simply been asking a question they already know they answer to. The SNP want independence and isolationism for Scotland, the Scottish people don't."

The Lib Dems, Labour and Tories set up their own debate, the Calman Commission, which excluded any reference to independence but called for more powers at Holyrood.

The SNP "conversation" is a prelude to a proposed referendum on Scottish independence earmarked for next year.

Scottish Tory leader Annabel Goldie said: "The National Conversation is a waste of taxpayers' money and a waste of everyone's time. Support for independence is at an all-time low and support for Scotland's place in the Union at a high."

But a spokesman for constitution minister Mike Russell said the National Conversation was "genuinely inclusive".

He added: "The Calman Commission, in stark contrast, was a hand-picked talking shop which rigged its findings from the start by deliberately excluding the option of independence."