David Mundell today insisted the UK Government had “led from the front” on city deals after the SNP questioned the Tories’ commitment to the north and north-east.
The Scottish secretary also accused the party of “playing politics” with the issue following an attack earlier this week.
And he described the model as an example of the “United Kingdom working for Scotland”.
His comments came after the SNP claimed the UK Government had “short-changed” Scotland on city deal funding and failed to match the money put forward by the Scottish Government.
The party said UK investment had fallen short by £254million and £82million in Aberdeen and Inverness respectively.
But Mr Mundell said the nationalists were in fact the ones “playing catch-up”.
And Ross Thomson, the Tory candidate for Aberdeen South, branded the additional funding highlighted by the SNP a “combination of repackaged announcements” that were going to happen anyway.
He added: “To try and dress this up as new investment is a bit rich, particularly when the SNP Government has now kicked these pledges into the long grass.
“We have been told that the Laurencekirk flyover is at least 10 years away, while neither the transport minister nor the economy secretary have been able to provide a timetable for the rail upgrades. As usual with the SNP, it is all spin and very little substance.”
Mr Mundell said the Conservatives had been clear they would do a deal for every city in Scotland, including delivering a Tay Cities Deal.
He added: “The UK has led from the front on these deals – and the SNP are now playing catch-up.
“Our model of the UK Government putting investment in with the Scottish Government and local authorities is delivering the transformative, long-term investment that our great cities of Scotland deserve.
“It is an example of the United Kingdom working for Scotland.
“But they rely on trust and constructive working between all the parties involved. The SNP should know better than to try and play politics with something that is so important.”
Callum McCaig, the SNP’s candidate in Aberdeen South, said Mr Mundell’s remarks were “embarrassing”.
He added: “Shamefully the Tories have swindled the people of Aberdeen out of £1,500 per head compared to city deals delivered south of the border.”
In its manifesto, which is being launched today, the SNP will call for city deals in other parts of Scotland including, the Western Isles, Orkney and Shetland.
