AROUND 270 Garnock Valley residents packed out Beith Community Centre last week to hear the Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon set out the merits of an independent Scotland. For safety reasons many people had to be turned away.

In the two hour meeting, the DFM outlined why Scotland ‘can, should and must’ say ‘yes’ on September 18 before taking questions from the floor.

The visit came in the same week that Katy Clark MP called for the funding of the meetings and the use of civil servants in organising them to be investigated.

She said: “I have had numerous constituents contact me to express their concern that public money and resources are being used to promote a narrow party-political agenda.

“The Scottish Government’s White Paper, which cost at least £554,432 of tax payer’s money, was meant to address fundamental constitutional issues, but it was instead little more than an SNP manifesto that left more questions about what a Yes vote would mean than it answered.

“We now see that the Scottish Government and Cabinet Ministers are attending meetings across the country to promote the White Paper and make the case for independence.

“Again, this seems like the Scottish Government are exploiting their position to promote their own narrow agenda.

“The Public Administrations Select Committee has set up an inquiry. Clearly there is a concern about this, and their investigations are ongoing.

A spokesperson for the Scottish Government said: “It is the role of the civil service to work to the elected government to implement and promote its policies, whether or not those are the subject of political controversy.

“Successive Cabinet Secretaries to the UK Government have confirmed that this principle applies equally to the question of independence for Scotland as it does to any other area of policy.” “The huge level of interest in Scotland’s Future makes clear that voters want access to information that will allow them to make an informed decision on September 18.”