Scottish government turning to more private money for public projects

Children's hospital among affected projects after spending programme part-funded by private sector runs foul of new EU rules on measuring state spending

The Scottish government is turning to increased private-sector funding to pay for a multibillion pound spending programme after a Brussels ruling that has delayed major public projects in Scotland.

Those affected include a bypass around Aberdeen, a children's hospital in Edinburgh and more than a dozen secondary schools. They are being reorganised to increase private sector control and private funding, in order to prevent a curb on Scottish government borrowing and keep the projects off Holyrood's balance sheet.

The utter hypocrisy of the Scottish National party has been exposed