Bungling SNP 'faces handing £450m back to the EU' after failing to spend it on poverty and economic development

The SNP has been accused of 'negligence connected a singular scale' amid claims Scotland faces handing £450million of unspent backing backmost to the EU.

The Scottish authorities is expected to instrumentality 28 per cent of the European structural and concern backing it received successful the past six years.

The immense stroke is seemingly a effect of failing to allocate the currency to tackling poorness and economical improvement earlier a deadline this month.

The grim figures emerged arsenic John Swinney launched the SNP's predetermination run - with different canvass showing the enactment is connected way to suffer a swathe of its MPs. 

EU information analysed by the Sunday Times indicates that Scotland has already returned 199million euros from the backing cookware for the six-year programme.

A further 331million euros has not been earmarked, suggesting that the full could beryllium astir £451 cardinal astatine existent speech rates. 

Schemes to bolster employment, education, grooming and tiny businesses are among the areas feared to beryllium to losing out.

It is simply a immense headache for the SNP aft erstwhile archetypal curate Humza Yousaf introduced a higher-rate income taxation set successful April amid a scramble to capable a £1.5billion spread successful budgets. 

EU backing is not typically utilized up entirely. But successful contrast, Wales is projected to instrumentality 9 per cent of the EU funding, England 6 per cent and Northern Ireland conscionable 2 per cent. 

Scottish Conservative person Douglas Ross said: 'This is discarded and negligence connected an unforgivable scale.

'The SNP person poured fractional a cardinal pounds down the drain. Their caller slogan should beryllium squander for Scotland.

'This backing could person been spent connected captious infrastructure crossed Scotland, yet SNP incompetence has mislaid it for good.

'This is up determination with the ferries ungraded erstwhile it comes to the SNP Government wasting taxpayers' cash.'

Scottish Labour frontbencher Jackie Baillie said 'This shocking study lays bare the standard of the chaos engulfing Scotland's NHS.

'That truthful galore patients are being near to languish successful corridors portion successful request of urgent assistance is thing abbreviated of a scandal.

'This is the effect of 17 years of SNP nonaccomplishment and 14 years of Tory failure.

'Labour volition present the alteration that our NHS desperately needs - starting by boosting backing by £134million a year.'

But a Scottish authorities spokeswoman said: 'These figures bash not bespeak the totality of spending to day from the 2014-20 European structural funds programmes. Final expenditure figures volition not beryllium known until 2025, erstwhile the programmes formally close.

'Until then, the Scottish authorities intends to maximise reimbursement from the European Commission wherever possible.

'The usage of European Structural Funds is bound by strict conditions and each stakeholders of the programmes are liable for complying with its regulations. Thousands of people, businesses and communities person benefited from the concern of the 2014-20 funds successful Scotland to date.'

Meanwhile, a Survation survey has revealed 32 per cent of voters mean to backmost the SNP successful the July wide election, six percent points little than its erstwhile canvass 2 months ago.

Labour is connected people to found a wide pb successful Scotland with 36 per cent of the vote, according to the poll.

The effect would mean the SNP would descent from the 48 seats it won successful 2019 to conscionable 16, portion Labour would spot a emergence from 2 MPs successful Scotland to 28.

The Tories are connected 17 per cent of the vote, which would spot them triumph 8 seats, portion the Liberal Democrats are connected 9 per cent, giving them 5 seats, according to a projection based connected the results.

Polling adept Sir John Curtice, prof of authorities astatine Strathclyde University, said: 'The fallout from Humza Yousaf's termination of the Bute House Agreement has enabled the SNP to instal a somewhat little unpopular person successful John Swinney.

'However, Mr Swinney's standing is good beneath what Nicola Sturgeon enjoyed earlier she resigned arsenic the SNP's caput past year, and the downfall of Mr Yousaf has not provided an contiguous remedy for the SNP's electoral difficulties.

Mr Swinney urged radical to 'vote SNP to enactment Scotland's interests first' arsenic helium formally launched the party's predetermination run successful Glasgow.

Mr Swinney said Scots 'want america to show the relevance of independency to their lives'.

He said: 'If we don't past we are not apt to get overmuch of a proceeding successful the midst of a cost-of-living situation and, to beryllium frank, nor would we merit to.

'So, erstwhile we speech astir independency we request to show again, and again, and again, that we are talking astir people's halfway concerns similar raising surviving standards and protecting the NHS.

'That laser-like absorption connected the regular concerns of radical is our guiding star. There are immoderate radical telling maine to hide astir independency astatine this election. But you cognize what?

'After looking astatine Keir Starmer's serial U-turns successful the pursuit of power, I deliberation radical are crying retired for governmental enactment that sticks to its principles.'