ANGUS Robertson has defended deploying civil servants to work on a new prospectus for independence, telling MSPs that “parties committed to there being a referendum" won the last election.
But he was criticised by Tory MSPs who said he was “squandering” money on an “obsession which the people of Scotland do not want.”
Answering questions in the Scottish Parliament about how many staff were working on a new vote, the constitution secretary said that the work to “prepare an independence prospectus has been coordinated by the Constitutional futures division within the Scottish Government's constitution and cabinet Directorate.”
He added: “This division is currently comprised of one senior civil servant and 14 other officials.
“The work will draw on other officials across a range of portfolios, who will contribute to varying extents as part of the wider responsibilities in supporting the Scottish Government.”
Tory MSP Russell Findlay said people across Scotland would be “dismayed to discover this SNP government is devoting yet more precious staff and resources towards another referendum.”
He added: “The SNP's own programme for government says work in this would only take place when the Covid crisis is over. Can the Cabinet Secretary then explain why his government is ignoring their own programme and squandering money on this obsession which the people of Scotland do not want?”
Mr Roberton said the Tory’s question included an “implicit recognition” that there will be an independence referendum.
“We obviously differed on this issue in the Scottish Parliament election last year, but as democrats, we all hopefully recognise that the parties committed to there being a referendum won the election and the parties that opposed a referendum, such as his, lost the election.
“We're now getting on with delivering on the policy of the government including a prospectus ahead of the independence referendum and I look forward to further announcements on that in the future.”
Liberal Democrat MSP Willie Rennie questioned why work was being undertaken when there was a “war in Ukraine, a pandemic raging with its highest infection rates in the whole of the United Kingdom, enormous hospital waiting times, people desperate for care home packages and a ferries construction scandal”.
“If even independence supporters don't think there should be an independence referendum now, why is he carrying on regardless?” he asked.
The minister said the Liberal Democrat should “commend us to get on with our policy platform, rather than jeering from the sidelines in opposition effectively to the democratic election result of last year.”
Earlier this month, Nicola Sturgeon said it was still her intention to hold a second independence referendum in 2023.
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