Top Scottish civil servant rejects 'SNP propaganda' video claims

Scotland's top civil servant has rejected claims that government staff promoted "SNP propaganda" that advocated independence on official social media accounts.

Scottish Government civil servants did not breach rules on political neutrality over Brexit deal video

Permanent Secretary Leslie Evans says it is the job of officials to help the elected government of the day take forward its "policies and programmes". She said there was nothing wrong with a government video posted last month on official Twitter, Facebook and Instagram accounts.

The post stated that the recent Brexit trade agreement was “a bad deal for Scotland” and concluded by saying: “We believe Scotland has the right to choose a better future as an independent country.”

This prompted a letter of complaint by Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross, who claimed officials may have broken the civil service code on political neutrality.

But Ms Evans said in her response on Monday that the video did not purport to be on behalf of the civil service and represented the "consistent policy position" of Scottish Government ministers both on the Brexit trade deal and independence.

"The material does not include any party political commentary," she states in a letter to Mr Ross.

A corporate review of the material was carried out by senior officials responsible for information and ethics at the Scottish Government, Ms Evans added.

"As part of the UK Civil Service, we support the duly elected government of the day, including taking forward its policies and programmes and the communication of these policies to the people of Scotland,” the Permanent Secretary said.

"Having given careful consideration to the points you have raised, I am content that the civil service has acted entirely in keeping with this role and the obligations of the Civil Service Code.

"I am clear that the purpose of the communication was governmental and not party political. And I can see nothing to support your suggestion that official resources have been used for party political purposes."

Ms Evans's letter is copied to UK Cabinet secretary Simon Case, who the Scottish Tories leader also wrote to about the issue.

Mr Ross hit out at the Permanent Secretary’s letter.

“I am disappointed with this unsatisfactory response from the Permanent Secretary," he said.

“This video was brazen SNP propaganda paid for by taxpayers and pushed on the public through official Scottish Government channels.

“It makes a mockery of political neutrality and no-one, no matter their political views, can feel comfortable with a civil service peddling party political propaganda.

“Between this ridiculous video and John Swinney’s latest comments on an independence referendum being ‘essential’, the SNP have clearly lost all sense of priority at this crucial stage in the pandemic.”

Mr Ross had highlighted a section of the civil service code saying officials must not “act in a way that is determined by party political considerations, or use official resources for party political purposes" when he first complained about the video.

When Prime Minister Boris Johnson signed the Brexit deal on Christmas Eve, his official UK Prime Minister account on Twitter hailed it as “great news for British families and businesses”.

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