THE Tories have been accused of hypocrisy after it was revealed that £272,557 was spent on travel at the Scotland Office over six-months.

Last month, Scottish Tory MSP Michelle Ballantyne was critical of Social Security Scotland for spending £72,650 on staff travel between September 1 last year and February 28. However, following a Freedom of Information request by the SNP, it was revealed that the Scotland Office spent a total of £272,557 on travel between September 2018 and March 31.

It includes £98,905 on air travel, a total of £60,974 on rail, and a £10,645 on taxis. Costs falling under the category of “Hotels, Subsistence & Motor Mileage” amounted to a total of £97,596.

SNP MSP George Adam called the Tories “the very worst sort of hypocrites”, while a Scotland Office spokesman said all travel is carried out with “due regard”.