THE SNP have hit back at Tory claims that the Sustainable Growth Commission report is untruthful.

The row comes ahead of next Saturday’s Growth Commission roadshows in Ayr, the first of three due to take place across the country.

Ahead of that meeting SNP deputy leader Keith Brown told The National he would be launching a “fact checking service covering erroneous claims by opposition politicians and news stories with factual errors or claims that are mis-representative.”

Adam Tomkins, the Scottish Tory constitution spokesman said the pro-independence party should first subject their own economic proposals to the new “fact-checking” service.

“The SNP’s new commitment to fact-based politics is a welcome development,” he said.

“But if it is to mean anything, the SNP’s new fact-finding mission should start probing its own plans for independence. Over the summer, detailed analysis of the SNP’s latest independence blueprint has been published.

“That analysis makes things clear: this plan would mean cuts to public spending in Scotland beyond anything ever seen in this country.”

A spokesman for the SNP said: “The biggest threat to Scotland’s economy and long-term prosperity is the Tory government, who are determined to impose a devastating hard Brexit that will destroy Scottish jobs and damage people’s incomes and living standards for decades to come.

“The facts are that under the Tories UK economic growth is lagging at the bottom of the league tables, debt has soared, real wages have fallen, and the UK Government’s own analysis shows a Tory Hard Brexit could now lead to a catastrophic loss of 9% of GDP – costing Scotland over £12.7 billion a year, a loss equivalent to over £2,300 for every person.

“If Ruth Davidson had any backbone at all, she would speak out against the damage a decade of Tory austerity has already caused”.