Claim Ewing breached purdah with statement

Minister announced funding less than two weeks before local elections

Rural economy secretary Fergus Ewing has been accused of breaching purdah rules by announcing funding for crofters less than two weeks before last month’s local council elections.

The Scottish Conservatives yesterday said they had obtained emails that showed Mr Ewing overruled civil servants who did not want to make a press statement on crofting funding because it breached purdah rules.

The party is referring to an announcement made on Tuesday April 25 that more than £948,000 had been awarded to 29 crofters through the Croft House Grant Scheme.

The announcement was made despite a civil servant advising against it on April 19. The email from the civil servant stated: “I have checked the guidance and discussed with comms colleagues and would advise against this being announced during the restricted period for the local government elections.

“The funding is particularly relevant to a couple of council areas and could therefore be argued to potentially have a bearing on the local election campaign, particularly with crofting issues having been very topical recently.”

A later email sent on April 20 on behalf of Mr Ewing read: “Mr Ewing has commented that a news release should still go ahead as it has nothing to do with the local government.”

Tory MSP for the north-east Ross Thomson has now accused the SNP of a “systematic breaking of the rules” prior to the local council elections.

He said: “This is a growing scandal that requires an urgent investigation.

“Mr Ewing was told by civil servants not to make this announcement but ignored them in an attempt to win a few headlines ahead of the local elections.

“Nicola Sturgeon must end her silence over this affair.”

A Scottish Government spokesman last night said: “During the local government election period, Scottish ministers continued to be responsible for deliveringtheroutine,devolvedbusiness of the Scottish Government. Announcing offers of grants to crofters is an example of routine business falling within Scottish ministers’ devolved responsibilities.

“As the permanent secretary has already made clear to Mr Thomson in her letter of June 1, after careful consideration officials concluded that the announcement could proceed on the grounds that the overall funding package had already been announced in March, the grants were being given to individual crofters, and there was no local government involvement in the funding.”

Last week, Scottish Government admitted to an error of judgment over funding announcements during purdah.

The admission came after a freedom of information request revealed the First Minister’s official spokesman privately conceded it was “the wrong call” to announce funding less than a week before the vote. gemma.mackenzie@ajl.co.uk

Rural economy secretary Fergus Ewing apparently overruled civil servants on the issue.