SNP caught making up quotes from a Labour MP

Yesterday the SNP issued the following press release:

SNP press release

SENIOR LABOUR MP SAYS DARLING MUST RETURN IAN TAYLOR DONATION

“TARNISHED” NO CAMPAIGN MUST GIVE BACK THE CASH

Labour MP and member of the House of Commons Treasury Select Committee John Mann has now called on Alistair Darling to hand back the £500,000 donation given to the No campaign by Vitol president and chief executive Ian Taylor.

He is quoted in today's Herald: "If Alistair Darling hangs on to this cash, the No campaign will be tarnished," said John Mann MP, the Labour member for Bassetlaw.

Welcoming Mr Mann's intervention, SNP Westminster Leader and Defence and Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Angus Robertson MP said:

“It was John Mann who called Mr Taylor's donations to the Tories 'dirty money', and his welcome comments shows just how uncomfortable Labour people are with Alistair Darling taking this cash. Mr Taylor is the No campaign's principal funder - contributing nearly half of their donations. This means that around half of the money spent on every single No campaign initiative will be funded by - to use this Labour MP's own term – ‘dirty money'.

“John Mann MP and former Labour First Minister Henry McLeish are both absolutely right to speak out about this cash. Mr Mann is the latest Labour politician to distance himself from Mr Taylor’s donations – Finance Spokesperson Ken Macintosh MSP said he wasn't close enough to the No campaign to know about it. Who will be next?

“Alistair Darling’s refusal to return this donation pending further investigation – and his refusal to outline what he knew of these matters before accepting the money, when he met Mr Taylor – is completely undermining the credibility of the No campaign.

"Alistair Darling needs to listen to these concerned voices in his own party, and do the right thing by handing the money back to Mr Taylor pending a full investigation by the No campaign."

However this morning the press release had disappeared from the website and was replaced with this:

"We were made aware last night that a quote attributed to Labour MP John Mann in Monday's Herald newspaper in relation to Mr Ian Taylor's donation to the No campaign was misattributed to him. We understand that this incorrect quote first appeared on the online version of the Sunday Times Scotland. This apparent quote was included in a party press release yesterday in good faith. The SNP withdrew it having learned of this misattribution, and wished to correct the record at the earliest opportunity last night."

So there it is in black and white the entire press release was a fabrication as the quotes they claim John Mann had said - he hadn't. There is also one other glaring emission from the "clarification" press release - an apology to Mr Mann for running with this smear against him which they released without even having the courtesy to telephone his office at Westminster to confirm whether or not he had said what was attributed to him. 

Alarm bells should of been ringing for the SNP as John Mann represents Bassetlaw - one of the Nottingham constituencies and is therefore unlikely to be wading into a row over a donation to one of the campaigns in the Scottish Independence referendum campaign.