Scottish Labour leader Iain Gray dismissed Nicola Sturgeon  as “hopelessly out of touch with the country and guilty of abusing public money” as the deputy First Minister claimed today the Referendum bill would be the core issue in the SNP’s election campaign next year.
 
Iain Gray, MSP, said: “Nicola Sturgeon is hopelessly out of touch with the country and guilty of wasting public funds. It is jobs and the economy that Scots are worried about, not the constitution.
 
“The SNP have wasted over £2m on the National Conversation and are guilty of abusing government money for their own party political interest, using the bill as part of their election campaign next year.
 
“Alex Salmond just does not get it. The Scottish government is there to serve the country, not just the SNP and his own political career.
 
“He has lost his nerve. Alex Salmond took personal responsibility for the bill when he moved Mike Russell in his cabinet reshuffle. Yet he sent out Nicola Sturgeon today to defend his humiliating climb-down.”

6 September 2010