SNP ministers were accused of wasting taxpayers cash after the number of civil servants working on Nicola Sturgeon’s blueprint for separation increased to 20.
The blueprint was announced in Programme for Government (PfG) last year
Nicola Sturgeon’s government has been accused of wasting £1.2 million of Scots taxpayers money on drawing up her new blueprint to break up Britain.
Constitution Secretary Angus Robertson confirmed in March that one senior civil servant and 13 other officials in different pay bands were currently working on the plan.
But now it has emerged the First Minister has increased the number of civil servants to 20 as she prepares to outline her plans to hold a second referendum on Scotland's future in the UK to the Scottish Parliament on Tuesday.
Salaries for the recruits working on the plan range from £26,000 to £100,011 with the majority being in higher pay bands.
A Freedom of Information (FOI) request to the Scottish Government by pro-union group Scotland in Union reveals the team consists of a Senior Civil Servant and nineteen other officials as of the end of last month.
Among the team includes 15 in the C pay band, one of the highest ranks among Nicola Sturgeon’s army of civil servants as well as a higher ranking official thought to be a director.
The blueprint is a series of papers which will help put together a 'full, frank and constructive' debate on a second vote for separation over the coming months.
Alastair Cameron, Scotland in Union director, said: “This revelation demonstrates a totally unacceptable waste of taxpayers’ money by the SNP.
“These are senior, highly-paid and expert civil servants who could be devoting their time to pressing matters such as reducing NHS waiting times or closing the attainment gap in our schools. TED ARTICLES
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· “Instead, they have been tasked by SNP ministers with working on a blueprint to divide the people of Scotland.”
He added: “The majority of people in Scotland don’t want to leave the UK, and voters are strongly opposed to another referendum next year.
“The First Minister should stop pandering to hardline nationalists and squandering public money on a hypothetical, unwanted referendum.
“Scotland has a brighter future as part of the UK, bringing together people and communities, keeping the pound, enabling businesses to grow, investing more in public services, sharing our defence capabilities, and creating more jobs."
Speaking earlier on Monday, the First Minister said the case for a referendum is "now as much a Scottish democracy movement as a Scottish independence movement".
The First Minister has said that she wants to hold
a vote in October 2023, although there are significant barriers in the way of
such a plan with Westminster holding the required powers to hold a second vote.
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· The UK Government has refused to engage with the SNP-led Scottish Government on a second independence vote so far.
A spokesperson for Constitution Secretary, Angus
Robertson said: “With a Brexit that Scotland overwhelmingly rejected already
estimated to have lost the UK economy £31 billion, the need for independence,
free from Westminster control, has never been so essential.
“Last May people in Scotland elected a Scottish Parliament with the biggest ever
majority in favour of independence and an independence referendum.
“The Scottish Government is determined people should be able to make an informed
choice about their future. The first paper we published set out how neighbouring
independent countries comparable to Scotland are wealthier and fairer than the
UK which perhaps explains why anti-independence organisations are so desperate
to suppress this work and deny people in Scotland their democratic right to vote
for a better future.”