Sturgeon under fire as ousted MP lands key government adviser role

Sturgeon has come under fire after handing an ousted Nationalist MP a job as political adviser in her government.

Callum Mccaig’s appointment, after he lost out in the Aberdeen South in the election, takes the number of special adviser’s (Spads) in the Scottish Government to 14. From 2007-8 to 2015-16 spending on Spads increased from £480,251 to £1,140,104. The number of special advisers has increased from nine to 14.

Tory finance spokesman Murdo Fraser said: “The SNP clearly thinks it can use taxpayer’s cash in this way without any recourse from voters at all. But people are increasingly seeing through the SNP’S hypocritical ways.”

But a spokesman for Ms Sturnicola geon said: “This is ludicrous hypocrisy from the Tories given recent revelations that spending by the Tory Scotland Office on spin doctors has increased six-fold since they took power.

“While the Scotland Office exists simply to act as apologists for whatever the Tory government inflicts on Scotland, the Scottish Government is focussed on delivering for the people of Scotland.”