THE Liberal Democrats have been slammed for spreading “misinformation” by claiming their party leader is the “most popular” in Scotland.

The party sent out campaign literature entitled “The Liberal Democrats are WINNING” with questionable claims about their popularity.

The claim LibDem leader Alex Cole-Hamilton is the most popular party head in Scotland was dismissed as “a clear distortion of reality”.

In the most recent political popularity ratings by YouGov, Cole-Hamilton did not feature but Nicola Sturgeon came fourth with an approval rating of 28%.

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Cole-Hamilton’s predecessor as LibDem leader Willie Rennie did feature on the list of 285 politicians and political figures and had an approval rating of 9%.

The offending leaflet notes the LibDem’s shock by-election victories against the Tories in the previously safe seats of Chesham & Amersham and North Shropshire.

It also highlights LibDem victories in two council by-elections in the Highlands and Perth, adding the party is “stopping the SNP in their tracks”.

Cole-Hamilton was re-elected to the Scottish Parliament last year with a sizeable majority of 21.1% – thought to be the biggest in Scotland – as well as receiving what is understood to be the largest number of votes cast for a candidate.

But Nicola Sturgeon enjoys a larger majority of 28.8% in her constituency of Glasgow Southside – though she received fewer votes. The overall number of votes in her area was 13,874 fewer than in Edinburgh Western, where Cole-Hamilton stood.

Tory leader Douglas Ross has a majority of just 1.1% for his Westminster seat of Moray and was elected on the regional vote to the Scottish Parliament last year.

The National:

Ross and Labour leader Anas Sarwar both had an approval rating of just 8%.

Sarwar was elected to the Scottish Parliament on the regional list for Glasgow, where his party picked up 74,088 votes – 24.3% of ballots cast.

Lloyd Melville, the national convener for the SNP’s student wing, was delivered one of the leaflets to his home in Monifieth, Angus.

He said: “The claim in this leaflet is a clear distortion of reality by the local Liberal Democrats.

“While Alex Cole-Hamilton leads a party of just four MSPs, it is Nicola Sturgeon who enjoys the highest popular support in Scotland; having been re-elected as First Minister with the highest number of votes ever cast in the history of the Scottish Parliament.

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“That the Liberal Democrat candidate is content to spread such clear misinformation shows how little they have to offer the people of Monifieth and Sidlaw.”

LibDem leaflets have got the party into trouble in the past, with campaigners accused of using “misleading” and “selective” polling to overstate the party’s popularity.

A LibDem spokesman said: “Last year Alex Cole-Hamilton received more votes than any MSP in the history of the Scottish Parliament.

“Voters across Scotland recognise the huge difference having a dedicated LibDem representing them makes, whether that's in Parliament or in council chambers across the country."