Nicola Sturgeon was last night accused of “hiding” from Scotland’s financial challenges after it emerged she is heading for Shetland instead of launching a key document.
The first minister will be campaigning for the SNP in the Shetland by-election rather than attending an event to publicise the annual Government Expenditure and Revenue Scotland (GERS) figures.
The figures show the scale of Scotland’s deficit, North Sea oil revenues and public spending in Scotland relative to the rest of the UK.
Today’s event will be hosted Finance Secretary Derek Mackay on his own.
Last night, Tory chief whip Maurice Golden said Ms Sturgeon had found the time to go to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and other celebrity events this summer.
“Yet when critical issues such as the wellbeing of Scotland’s finances is to be revealed, she goes into hiding,” Mr Golden said.
Labour finance spokesman James Kelly said she was “running scared” because the document would “paint a bleak picture for life in an independent Scotland”.
The first minister’s spokesman described the criticism as “desperate stuff”, claiming the Tories were losing the argument on independence.
“Scotland has a strong economy, which is threatened by the Tories’ shambolic Brexit plans and the looming danger of a disastrous No-deal outcome,” the spokesman said.
