MINISTRY OF ANTI-SCOTTISH PROPAGANDA REVEALS ITSELF

MINISTRY OF ANTI-SCOTTISH PROPAGANDA REVEALS ITSELF

MURPHY'S SCOTLAND OFFICE ON THE ROPES OVER DODGY DOSSIERS

A Parliamentary Answer received by SNP Mike Weir has revealed that the publication of economic dossiers since Jim Murphy took office do not meet National Statistics classification. The answer also fails to answer if the actual direct question of whether the Scotland Office discussed the methodology and presentation with the National Statistician.

Commenting Mr Weir said:

“This blows a hole in the credibility of Jim Murphy’s attempts to talk Scotland down. By evading the actual question and having to admit that the dodgy dossiers are not classified as National Statistics places a huge question mark over everything he says.

“The Scotland Office should change its name to the ‘Ministry of anti-Scottish propaganda’, given that its sole purpose these days seems to be issuing fantasy figures that do Scotland down.

"Since devolution the remit of the Scotland Office has shrunk but its budget has spiralled out of control. All it does these days is find ways to undermine Scottish self-confidence. It’s time the department was scrapped altogether

“As the Office of the Chief Economic Adviser to the Scottish Government has shown the Scotland Office’s analysis has ‘a number of methodological errors’. Now we know from this Parliamentary Answer that there is little rigour put into these documents – they are solely for propaganda purposes.

“Jim Murphy and the Scotland Office’s spurious claims about Scotland’s true position are exposed by the UK Government’s own figures. These statistics prove, beyond any doubt whatsoever, that Scotland has been outperforming the UK, not just in recent months and years, but over a prolonged period of time.

“The Scotland Office’s smears about Scotland cannot be allowed to stand, and this Parliamentary Answer exposes how the Scotland Office is performing no legitimate part in government and should be abolished.”