The SNP wasted at least £6.2 billion of taxpayers’ money during the last parliamentary session, the Scottish Conservatives can reveal today.
Analysis of the SNP government’s spending, coupled with responses to Freedom of Information requests, have allowed the party to uncover the shocking sum that has been lost over the last five years.
Leader Russell Findlay will campaign in Glasgow today to highlight the billions that have been squandered through the “idiotic and epic incompetence” of the SNP government.
Many of the losses are ongoing and could rise even further, including the bill for the two Ferguson Marine ferries, which now sits close to £500 million.
Money wasted by the SNP includes:
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£1.8billion on failing to eradicate delayed discharge
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Cost of the new Glasgow prison rising to £1billion
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Cost of the two Ferguson Marine ferries hitting £460 million
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£145 million on their botched census
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£29 million on their abandoned National Care Service plans
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£7 million on independence propaganda
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£6 million on giving free mobile phones to prisoners
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Almost £1 million on court costs defending gender self-ID plans
Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay said: “John Swinney’s SNP has thrown away at least £6.2 billion of taxpayers’ cash through their idiotic and epic incompetence.
“This vast sum of squandered money could and should have been used to cut the taxes of hard-working Scots and improve broken public services.
“All the while, these Nationalist wastrels decided to spend even more precious public cash on their desire to break up the United Kingdom.
“Scots can bring an end to the SNP’s disrespectful misuse of people’s money by voting Scottish Conservative on the peach ballot paper on May 7th to stop an SNP majority.”
Notes:
The Scottish Government has wasted at least £6.2 billion since 2021. The total cost of Scottish Government, and their quangos, waste between 2021-22 and 2025-26 totals at least £6.2 billion. This includes costs such as HMP Glasgow’s replacement going over budget, the SNP’s spending on the National Care Service that never materialised, the spiralling cost of the ferries fiasco and waste from quangos.