‘Out-of-touch Swinney stuck on auto-pilot’ in latest speech for indy

THE First Minister has been branded “reprehensible” after using taxpayers’ money to launch a 14th independence paper in just three years.

- By Richard Elias

John Swinney yesterday admitted he would spend the next eight months before the Holyrood election in May “arguing with all of our strength” to break up the UK.

But critics last night blasted the SNP leader for being “out-of-touch” with reality.

Leading the criticism was Alastair Cameron, chairman of pro-UK campaign Scotland in Union.

He said: “This was a pointless speech from a First Minister out of ideas and out of time.

“Swinney could have chosen to make a speech on how he plans to fix the mess his government has made of our NHS but instead he focused on the SNP’s narrow nationalist obsession.

“It is reprehensible that the First Minister is using taxpayers’ money to try to shore up his position in his own nationalist party.

“Polls consistently show that most Scots want their leaders to focus on pressing day-to-day issues.