Nicola Sturgeon refused to discuss her pre-referendum oil revenue forecasts at Holyrood yesterday.
Exactly two years after the then-Deputy First Minister launched the independence White Paper – which predicted a second offshore industry boom – she chose not to explain how her figures were out by 6000%.
Statistics released by the Office for Budget Responsibility suggested that oil revenues would be just £130m next year – a far cry from the “£8bn” which Ms Sturgeon predicted in 2013.
She refused to even acknowledge the error during FMQs – where she faced a grilling from opposition MSPs on the issue and suggested instead it was “breath-taking hypocrisy” to be discussing the issue when Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, had announced a near 6% cut to Scotland’s day-to-day budget.
In a fiery session, Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale said: “The OBR published updated oil revenue figures – and it is not talking Scotland down to say they made for grim reading.
“Two years ago, the First Minister promised a future which was free from Tory austerity, based on oil revenues of £8bn a year at the point of independence.
“Can the First Minister say how much oil revenues are expected to be this year?”
Scottish Conservative MSP Murdo Fraser also jumped into the debate, calling on the First Minister to explain what the “black hole” would be in Scottish finances if the SNP’s plans for full fiscal autonomy had come to fruition.
But Ms Sturgeon refused to provide a figure to either member – and accused Labour of “gleefully crowing” over the collapse in the industry.
She told the Scottish Parliament: “On the day after Labour’s fellow campaigners in the Better Together campaign – otherwise known as the Tories – announced plans to cut the Scottish budget by £1.5 bn by the end of this decade, for Kezia Dugdale to stand up and talk about cuts or anything like that is breath-taking hypocrisy.
“This is a challenging time for the oil and gas sector which is why the task force that I established is working hard to support the industry.
“But you know what? Every time people hear Labour gleefully crowing about the challenges in the oil and gas sector, what they realise is how little Labour actually cares about peoples’ jobs and livelihoods.
“They realise that for Labour, all it is about is getting one over on the SNP.”