Dishonest attempts to disrupt the Union

MOST voters want nothing more than straight answers – but in this election campaign, they’ve been in short supply.

The task has been complicated by the sheer volume of entirely bogus claims made about independence – and Scotland’s membership of the UK. Now we discover that many people have chosen to support independence after buying into some of the rampant misinformation circulating online.

A survey commissioned by the think tank These Islands points to a culture of denial among those who back separatism.

Many give credence to damaging myths about Westminster short-changing Scotland – when in fact the opposite is the case.

Frankly, senior Nationalists haven’t done nearly enough to counter these dangerous falsehoods. Indeed, the SNP has spent most of the campaign trying not to be drawn into discussion of its long-term plan to replace the pound with a home-grown currency.

As a result, a lot of voters don’t have a clue what the strategy is – and there’s little sign of widespread enthusiasm for the reckless path the SNP proposes.

Nicola Sturgeon has done little or nothing to combat some of these toxic misrepresentations. They have been shared widely online, fuelling a deeply skewed portrayal of Scotland as the perpetual loser in its relationship with the rest of the UK.

Years of pernicious untruths reaching every corner of social media have made a mockery of any pretence of well-informed debate.

No wonder the First Minister has sought at every turn to avoid these difficult questions – she knows an honest answer would be politically damaging.

But one truth can’t be spun – Scotland deserves better than a government that treats voters with such brazen contempt.