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Alex Salmond Politic Foi

Salmond accused of taxpayer funded propaganda

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By The Drum Team, Editorial

March 26, 2010 | 2 min read

First Minister Alex Salmond has been accused of spending more than £4million of taxpayers’ money to fund the SNP’s election campaign.

A Freedom of Information request has revealed that the SNP Government spends around £10million a year on advertising, and that in the first 11 months of the year only £6million of this was spent. The remaining £4million, 40% of the annual advertising budget, is to be spent in this month alone.

Scottish Conservative leader Annabel Goldie griped that this advertising bonanza "reeks more of taxpayer-funded SNP propaganda than the provision of essential public information."

"What public information was so pressing that 40% of his annual Budget had to be held over and squeezed into the final month of the financial year on an advertising bonanza just before a General Election?"

Mr Salmond meanwhile has said much of the money went on “vital public information”, including advising how to deal with the impact of cold weather during the recent cold snap.

He said: “The major funding obligation at the present moment has been the response to the big freeze in terms of giving people valuable advice how to keep safe in their homes, how to heat their homes.”

The First Minister also added that the Government's central marketing and communications budget will next year be halved to £5million.

Alex Salmond Politic Foi

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