THE Scottish Tories love a good excuse to vent their outrage – real or fake – and we've been gifted another prime example today.
It has now been confirmed that First Minister Nicola Sturgeon will visit Catalonia, after being invited by President Quim Torra.
READ MORE: First Minister Nicola Sturgeon to make official visit to Catalonia
That invite was extended during a meeting between the two leaders at Bute House last month.
The Scottish Tories have now piped up to voice their indignation – and as ever, they've decided to offer up their #SNPBAD angle.
Ruth Davidson's Tory branch office are demanding that the SNP pay for the visit, claiming it is "political in nature". In other words, those evil pro-indy rabble-rousers having a get-together.
Scottish Tory MP Adam Tomkins said: "As First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon has become utterly sidetracked playing to the nationalist gallery. It now appears she intends to do that abroad as well as at home.
"If this is simply a political visit between two separatist parties, there can be no justification for Scottish taxpayers meeting the tab. It should come out of the SNP's own coffers."
It's hard to know where to begin, really.
We'll gloss over the interesting word choice of "separatist" and note the main accusation ... that the First Minister is "utterly sidetracked playing to the nationalist gallery".
It seems to us a bit more like the Scottish Tories have become "utterly sidetracked playing to the unionist gallery".
In fact, let's take a look at one of their tweets from earlier that same day: "In the week when GERS will once again show how much we benefit from being part of the UK, the SNP need to accept the facts. Sign our petition and let them know we don't want #indyref2"
In the week when GERS will once again show how much we benefit from being part of the UK, the SNP need to accept the facts.
— ScotConservatives (@ScotTories) August 20, 2018
Sign our petition and let them know we don't want #indyref2 https://t.co/l3AYrQLmku pic.twitter.com/t5JhnNuV1K
Judging by the fact they're still flogging this petition, we can only assume it's had less sign-ups than Ruth Davidson's disastrous Spectator Q&A.
Beyond all that though, people were quick to point out how ridiculous the Tory suggestion is.
SNP MP Stewart McDonald explained it well: "More small-minded and inconsistent trash from the Tories.
"Tens of thousands of Scots visit Catalonia every year, the Catalan President has visited Scotland and extended an invitation to Scotland’s head of government. The Tories should just clamp it, for once."
More small minded and inconsistent trash from the Tories. Tens of thousands of Scots visit Catalonia every year, the Catalan President has visited Scotland and extended an invitation to Scotland’s head of government. The Tories should just clamp it, for once. https://t.co/4mvAn6BIBr
— Stewart McDonald MP (@StewartMcDonald) 21 August 2018
The Scottish Government, elected by the people of Scotland, were invited to visit by the Catalan Government.
Given our close ties, we're fairly sure most Scots won't be so outraged by an official trip.
Perhaps the Tories can put that to the test at the next Holyrood election, when Scots will show whether they trust the current Scottish Government?
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