THE Scottish Tories have been accused of making “complete fools of themselves” after using a six-year-old quote about wifi at railway stations to attack the SNP over independence.
The SNP said Ruth Davidson’s party was becoming “hysterical”.
It followed the Scottish Tories issuing a press release attacking SNP depute leader Keith Brown after he denied saying independence was a once-in-a-generation vote.
He told Sky News: “It wasn’t something I’ve ever said.”
The Tories then unearthed a quote from Brown before the 2014 referendum in which he said: “The eyes of the world will be on Scotland and we have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to showcase what we have to offer as a modern country.”
Tory MSP Adam Tomkins said: “Keith Brown needs to get his story straight on another independence referendum.
“This exposes the deceit that runs right from the top of the SNP down.
“Before the referendum, they were all happy to say it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
“After a convincing defeat, they immediately rowed back, to the point where Keith Brown’s now denying having ever said it at all. Voters will see right through this dishonesty.”
However, the source the Tories supplied for the quote showed it came from a BBC story in May 2013 about free wi-fi at 25 of Scotland’s busiest railway stations.
The context was the country gearing up for the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and the Ryder Cup at Gleneagles, whose station was also to get free wifi.
Brown’s full quote was: "In 2014, the eyes of the world will be on Scotland and we have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to showcase what we have to offer as a modern country.
"I am pleased that in advance of the major events taking place in 2014, visitors flying into Prestwick and Glasgow International airports, who then join the rail network, will be able to get access to wifi on every train. Combined with the station enhancements, this will help keep Scotland's railways at the forefront of wifi installation."
Although Brown was speaking just two months after Alex Salmond announced the date of the independence referendum, he did not mention the topic in his statement.
The same story included a quote from then ScotRail managing director Steve Montgomery saying: “We considered several factors when selecting stations to receive wifi, including footfall, how long people stay in the station, number of services and the impact of major events, such as the Commonwealth Games and Ryder Cup.”
The Courier newspaper reported it as “Stations and trains to get free wifi as part of Ryder Cup preparations”.
Responding to the Tory attack, Brown said: "The Tories are now so panicked by the growing support for independence that they're making complete fools of themselves.
"They're reduced to dredging up five-year-old quotes about WiFi on trains during the Ryder Cup to justify denying Scotland's democratic right to choose our own future.
"This hysterical attack has backfired in spectacular style, and Adam Tomkins is clearly overdue a lie down in a darkened room. If anything, this diatribe exposes the deceit and dishonesty of the Tories – they’re the ones who should apologise.”
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel