A TORY minister has been accused of “jaw-dropping hypocrisy” after attacking other governments for impoverishing their citizens while his own is blamed for the same thing.

Desmond Swayne, a former aide to David Cameron who is a minister at the Department for International Development (DFID), said “it suits some elites to keep their people poor”.

Swayne, 58, who was educated in Ayrshire and graduated from St Andrews, is the lead minister for Abercrombie House in East Kilbride, DFID’s main office in Scotland.

In a Whitehall briefing to the Scottish press last week, the New Forest West MP said a key factor stopping local investment in “grizzly” tropical diseases was a lack of economic growth.

“One of the greatest inhibitors to economic growth is poor governance,” he said.

“Let’s be honest, many people remain poor in the world because their governments are incompetent or malevolent. It suits some elites to keep their people poor.”

The comment came just days after the Institute of Fiscal Studies (IFS) warned benefit cuts in George Osborne’s budget would make 13m families an average of £260 a year worse off and 3m families £1000 poorer, with those in low-paid jobs being the worst hit.

An SNP spokesman said: “These are crass comments by any measure – but coming just a week after the Tory government announced major cuts to support for the working poor in this country they are jaw-droppingly hypocritical.”

Swayne is due to meet the SNP’s international development minister Humza Yousaf soon.

“I was at university with Alex Salmond. I get on very well with him. So clearly Yousaf is going to be a piece of cake,” he said.

A Territorial Army major with a history of outspoken remarks, Swayne made a number of other odd comments, including “A billion minutes ago we were in biblical times - Jesus was alive!”

One billion minutes ago was 114 AD, many decades after Jesus’ reported crucifixion.

He also ended the press briefing by telling reporters: “You were pussies.”

A DFID source said: “Mr Swayne was praising the incredible contribution the Scottish people make to the UK’s international development programme. It’s a real shame the SNP’s only contribution to this debate is to try to create division where there is none.

“We refuse to reduce these important humanitarian issues to party politics. Good governance is important and anyone who suggests otherwise is wrong.”