Swinney’s Indy paper branded a ‘pathetic failure’ as so few learn it
John Swinney’s £30,000 independence relaunch was a ‘pathetic’ failure, with as few as 28 people bothering to read it some days, according to official figures.
The First Minister was told to stop producing more taxpayer-funded ‘propaganda’ after the ‘paltry’ results for his Fresh Start With Independence paper.
The Scotland in Union campaign found only 3,934 people in the UK browsed the 91-page prospectus in its first 33 days online.
Another 811 ‘unique visitors’ in other countries also downloaded it, including 166 from the United States, 81 from Germany and 70 from Spain. Between October 8 and November 9 inclusive, the daily average for all countries was 144 readers.
But the visitor count slumped to just 28, 37 and 46 on its worst days.
The average number of UK visitors was 119 a day.
The Scottish Government yesterday confirmed the cost to taxpayers was £31,426.
Scottish Conservative deputy leader Rachael Hamilton added: ‘These pathetic numbers clearly show Scots aren’t interested in the SNP’s desperate efforts to break up the UK.
Big flop: John Swinney’s £30,000 independence relaunch has been branded a ‘pathetic’ failure
‘Instead of wasting taxpayers’ cash on biased independence papers, the public want John Swinney to focus on clearing up the mess the Nats have made of our roads, schools and NHS.’
Scotland in Union chair Alastair Cameron said: ‘The paltry number of people accessing this document proves just how futile an exercise this was.
‘The SNP government thinks the public are hanging on its every word when it comes to breaking up Britain. In fact, barely anyone is paying attention, and Scots have far greater priorities.
‘That is borne out in repeated polling, and now by these pitiful figures in relation to what ministers thought was a flagship document.
‘The poor uptake should persuade the Scottish Government to drop these propaganda documents once and for all.’
The SNP Government’s previous independence series, the 13-part Building a New Scotland, started in June 2022 and cost £200,000.
Launching his own prospectus in October, Mr Swinney promised independence would deliver a ‘better future’.
But his plans, which reheated the SNP’s failed 2014 case for ending the UK, were trashed by economists.
The SNP leader had claimed the Bank of England would step in to help Scotland if it suffered a currency crisis while still using sterling after leaving the UK.
Professor Ronald MacDonald, emeritus professor at Glasgow University’s Adam Smith Business School, warned that ‘totally shambolic’ idea would lead to ‘massive austerity’ and ‘crippling high borrowing rates’.
David Phillips, associate director of the Institute of Fiscal Studies, also said the paper ducked key questions on tax and spending.
An SNP spokesman said: ‘Whilst we are setting out the positive and detailed case for Scotland’s future, all the opposition can do is carp from the sidelines – which is probably why polls consistently show more than 50 per cent of people in Scotland support independence.’
The Scottish Government declined to comment.
