Highlands and Islands Scottish Conservative MSP, Donald Cameron has demanded that the Scottish Government pays back millions of pounds which was intended for Scotland’s farmers and crofters.

In a letter to Fergus Ewing, Cabinet Secretary for the Rural Economy, Mr Cameron accused the SNP Government of raiding the £160m convergence funding being made available by the UK Government and, instead, using it to fill a gap in LFASS (Less Favoured Areas Support Scheme) funding which the Scottish Government themselves created.

In his letter, Mr Cameron cited the words of Yvonne White, Chair of the Scottish Crofting Federation, who described the SNP Government’s actions as “blatantly stealing money that has a clear purpose to fill a self-inflicted funding gap.”

Mr Cameron said: “Yvonne White is quite right to be enraged by this cynical move from Nicola Sturgeon's government.

“I have been inundated by complaints from crofters and hill-farmers who share her anger.

“It is not too late for Fergus Ewing to reverse this terrible decision, and at the same time he should issue an unreserved apology to the entire sector for this unnecessary blunder.”