WELCOME to the latest edition of total Tory hypocrisy, live from the Queensferry Crossing.
Scottish Conservative chief whip Maurice Golden and MSP Rachael Hamilton have been fuming at a tourism ad promoting Scotland.
Here's our full story on that – but to summarise, they're annoyed that the advert mentions the Queensferry Crossing, because doing so is somehow an insidious plot "promote nationalism".
“People don’t mind the Scottish Government promoting the country abroad. But they won’t accept the SNP using taxpayers’ money to push their own selfish, separatist message," Golden said.
That vile Scottish Government, using a project built while the SNP were in power to encourage people to come here. They're clearly pushing a "separatist" agenda.
Well, good news everyone – it seems the UK Government is also keen on using taxpayer cash to advance the cause of independence.
Here's a tweet from the Foreign Office in 2016, promoting a poster from the Great Britain Campaign.
Opening in 2017, the 2.7 km Queensferry Crossing will be the longest 3 tower cable-stayed bridge in the world #DesignisGREAT #GlobalBritain pic.twitter.com/3pTCUl1WnN
— Foreign Office 🇬🇧 (@foreignoffice) 29 November 2016
Yes, what you see is the UK Government using the Queensferry Crossing as part of an advertising campaign. We're sure the Tories will be equally quick to condemn this, once brought to their attention.
Though it's worth noting, the Foreign Office still managed to get it all wrong.
The picture accompanying that tweet was out of date, featuring only the iconic Forth Bridge and original Forth Road Bridge.
You've used the wrong image, I think. THIS is the Queensferry Crossing. pic.twitter.com/6sqnOXmHt4
— Robert (@ClatchardCraig) 29 November 2016
Dare we suggest, then, that the Scottish Tories are being opportunistic with these latest criticisms?
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