Nationalists accused of using underhand tactics

Lib Dem leader Willie Rennie says SNP aim to split vote

The SNP is using “devious” tactics to win key marginal seats such as North East Fife, the Scottish Liberal Democrat leader has claimed.

In an interview with The Courier, Nicola Sturgeon claimed the Conservatives were the main threat to incumbent candidate Stephen Gethins, despite Willie Rennie claiming the equivalent seat in last year’s Scottish Parliament election.

The First Minister said the Tory surge in Scotland, in contrast to the party’s plummeting polling across the UK, has had a “motivational effect” on SNP activists and potential supporters.

Mr Rennie said: “Just this week when visiting north-east Fife, Nicola Sturgeon told reporters that she saw the rise of the Conservative vote as helpful to the SNP.

“Even though I won the seat last year with the Conservatives in a poor third place, the SNP are talking up the Conservatives in their leaflets.

“It is a devious underhand tactic that aims to split the vote against a second divisive independence referendum.”

North East Fife is seen as a three-way marginal between the SNP, Lib Dems and Conservatives.

The Tories have run a high energy campaign in recent weeks after the Nationalists and Liberals were out of the traps quickly.

The Lib Dems took the largest share of first preference votes across the constituency in May’s council elections, pulling in 37.15% of the electorate. The SNP clocked up 25.76% and the Conservatives 23.19%.

YouGov’s new election centre puts the Lib Dems in second place and predicts they are likely to once again lose the seat to the SNP.

However, two recent pieces of analysis by Electoral Calculus and Lord Ashcroft have the Tories as closest to Mr Gethins in their predictions of the likelihood of winning the seat.

An SNP spokeswoman said: “After years of loyally voting with the Tories in Westminster to cut Scotland’s budget and slash welfare spending, Willie Rennie has some cheek to blame the SNP for the political misfortunes of his own party. All the Lib Dems, the Tories and Labour have to offer voters in Scotland is opposition to the SNP – nothing positive.”

The row came as it emerged that Scottish Government officials privately admitted they made the “wrong call” over a major funding announcement for Glasgow made in the build-up to last month’s council elections.

The £8.35 million city centre office refurbishment was made public just before the vote as the SNP targeted the capture of Glasgow City Council from Labour.

The Nationalists went on to to win the city after generations of Labour rule.

Opponents claimed the announcement breached “purdah” rules which prevents major government announcements in the build-up to elections which could be seen to sway the outcome in favour of the governing party.

The Scottish Government top civil servant, permanent secretary Leslie Evans, publicly declared no guidance had been broken. Correspondence between officials at St Andrews House obtained through Freedom of Information by the Conservatives suggests there was a private acceptance that things had been clumsily handled.

A report by Shirley Laing, deputy director in the Social Justice and Regeneration division, said: “These decisions are ultimately a judgment call and it is clear on this occasion the wrong call was made.” In another email, to director general of communities Sarah Davidson, Lesley Fraser, director of Housing and Social Justice at the Scottish Government, adds: “My apologies to you and the Perm Sec, Sarah. I think this has been a genuine error of judgment about regular announcements that affect communities across Scotland – but clearly the wrong call on this occasion.”

Another official, James Hynd, head of Cabinet, Parliament and Governance Division, then intervened to clarify what “error of judgment” means.

This prompts further exchanges before Mr Hynd tells the permanent secretary that the issue was down to a “process failure”.

He went on to draft the official letter from Ms Evans to Tory MSP Ross Thomson which stated that “no guidance was broken”.

Lib Dem leader Willie Rennie believes the SNP are being “devious”.