A SNP MP has been accused of peddling conspiracy theories after suggesting that the actions of unnamed individuals may have “cast a shadow” over the independence referendum result.
Paul Monaghan told pro-Kremlin propaganda site Sputnik that “new information” comes out “on a daily basis” about pressure applied to “various groups”.
Speaking to the Sunday Herald, he also said that Sputnik and fellow pro-Putin channel RT delivered "impartial" journalism.
Monaghan was elected as the MP for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross last year, but his brand of nationalism has attracted negative publicity.
He was criticised in 2015 after a series of his controversial tweets came to the fore about the Royal Family, the Union Jack and Israel.
Monaghan has attracted further scrutiny over remarks made to Sputnik’s Edinburgh bureau earlier this month.
Asked whether enough critical analysis had been carried out into why the Yes movement lost in 2014, he told the presenter:
“My particular view is that there has been a great deal of analysis of the results in 2014. It’s interesting that on almost on a daily basis new information about influences exerted over various groups at that particular point in our history emerge and cast a shadow over the result.”
He did not name any individuals or groups, but some on the fringes of the Yes movement have complained about the BBC’s coverage of the referendum and the pro-UK stance taken by financial institutions.
In an interview with this newspaper, Monaghan said he had spoken to a senior banker recently about so-called interference.
“He told me his bank came under pressure in the two weeks before the vote to back a No vote. That’s fairly typical of the stories I hear.”
Asked for his thoughts on Sputnik, he said: “My experience of RT and Sputnik is that they are all UK citizens who work for both of these organisations. My personal experience of them is that they are very friendly, they are impartial, they are very robust in term of taking forward the journalism.”
He added: “I have never yet been asked a question about Russia, or the policies of the Russian Government. I think what they are trying to do, in contrast, is to report accurately the news in the UK to the rest of the world.”
Put to him that Sputnik’s output was slavishly pro-Putin, he said:
“I think that they do criticise world leaders, including Putin. I just don’t buy into the idea that RT is slavishly pumping out propaganda against the UK. That’s not my experience of them at all."
Jackson Carlaw, the deputy leader of the Scottish Tories, said: “This is both a ludicrous and comical suggestion from the SNP, and is just further evidence that they simply cannot accept the will of the Scottish people.
“Instead of peddling conspiracy theories with ‘Kremlin Radio’ the SNP need to come to terms with the fact that the majority of Scots were and remain against separating from the rest of the UK and simply want to move on from this divisive debate.”
A Scottish Labour spokesman said: "With his conspiracy theories about the referendum result it seems like Paul Monaghan is taking a leaf out of Donald Trump's play book. More than two million people in Scotland voted to remain in the UK and it's time the SNP accepted that. Instead of peddling nonsense about the referendum, the SNP should focus on the day job of fixing our NHS and investing in our schools."
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