NEW Scottish Secretary Alister Jack has been branded a hypocrite for claiming almost £1.2 million in EU funding support while advocating a no-deal Brexit.

Alister Jack replaced sacked David Mundell as the new Secretary of State for Scotland earlier this week.

Jack’s register of interests shows shareholdings in Courance Farms, which has received £1,194,118.22 in CAP funding since 2002.

The SNP’s Scotland Office spokesperson Tommy Sheppard said it was safe to say that Jack had “never truly had the people of Scotland in mind”.

The MP said: “His hypocrisy in supporting a destructive no-deal Brexit while enjoying substantial EU support himself is staggering.

“It’s astounding that a serving MP has the brass neck to claim almost £1.2m in CAP funds but at the same time argue to drag Scotland out of the EU, against its will and at the staggering cost to every person in Scotland of £2300 per year.

“The new Secretary of State has only been in his post a few short days, yet his inability to put the interests of people in Scotland at the top of his agenda is staggering.

“Scotland did not vote for this chaos.

“With the Tory party lurching even further to the right, and a raft of political appointees at Westminster who clearly don’t care about Scotland, it’s clearer than ever that our future cannot be left in the hands of Boris Johnson and his Cabinet cronies – it’s time for Scotland to consider a brighter future as an independent European nation.”

A spokesperson for the Secretary of State for Scotland described the claim as nonsense: “Scotland’s farms keep the nation fed, and public subsidy is a key part of ensuring we have a healthy, vibrant and environmentally sustainable agriculture sector.

“But that financial support does not need to come via Europe. When we leave the EU, we will create our own bespoke support system.”