LABOUR has come under fire from the SNP for accepting "bad money" from Tony Blair, the former Prime Minister, who has donated £1,000 to each of the party's campaigns in its 106 battleground seats, including five in Scotland.
But one of Labour's candidates, who is set to benefit from the largesse, hit back, accusing the Nationalists of hypocrisy given they had accepted funds from controversial figures like millionaire businessman and philanthropist Sir Brian Souter.
Mr Blair, in a bid to help Labour candidates and soothe any rift with Ed Miliband, said winning as many of the target seats was "vital" as this was "where the election will be won for Labour and that is why I am making a donation to all 106 campaigns".
Among the beneficiaries are local Constituency Labour Parties in the SNP-held seat of Dundee East, the LibDem-held seats of East Dunbartonshire, Edinburgh West and Argyll and Bute and the Tories' sole seat in Scotland, Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale.
Stewart Hosie, the deputy SNP leader, who represents Dundee East, said: "Labour in Scotland are already paying the price for being joined at the hip with the Tories and this revelation that candidates in Scotland are being bankrolled by Tony Blair only underlines that Labour simply can't be trusted.
"Tony Blair's bad money will do Labour in Scotland no good."
Mr Hosie said the fact Labour candidates were happy to accept donations from the man who had led Britain into the illegal war in Iraq, introduced tuition fees and started the process of NHS privatisation, was extraordinary.
"Jim Murphy's time as Labour leader has been dogged by his record as an arch-Blairite - including voting for the Iraq War, tuition fees and foundation hospitals - and today's revelations will only strengthen Mr Murphy's Blairite image as his reverse honeymoon shows no sign of letting up," he added.
But Amanjit Jhund, Labour's candidate in East Dunbartonshire, welcomed the fact that Mr Blair had given more than £100,000 to help Labour secure the target seats it wants to add to the 258 it currently holds.
"The more support we have in the General Election campaign the better," insisted the candidate trying to oust Jo Swinson, the Liberal Democrat Business Minister.
"It's rather hypocritical of the SNP to portray Mr Blair in that way when they have got their funds from the likes of Brian Souter over the years."
Sir Brian, who has given the SNP at least £1 million, courted controversy in 2000 when he launched a campaign to oppose the Scottish Government's proposal to repeal Section 2A of the Local Government Act, which stopped local authorities from "promoting homosexuality".
Mr Jhund added: "Tony Blair is a Labour Party member and his support for our key seats campaign is welcome. We get donations from up and down the country and this is no different," he added.
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