Scottish taxpayers charged staggering FOUR THOUSAND on HOTELS for top law officer during IndyRef2 court case

Scottish taxpayers have been charged £4,000 on hotels for top law officers during the independence referendum court case.

Figures released by the Government show £251,728.69 was spent in total on the case, which concluded in November.

Lord Advocate Dorothy Bain KC stayed in London for eight days during the court case in which she defended the Scottish people’s right to hold a second independence referendum in 2023.

Travel and subsistence for the case cost a total of £19,711.25, while £8,049.99 was spent on “professional services”.

Lord Advocate failed to convince the judges to grant Scotland a second referendum and the Scottish public were charged £3,680 for the trouble.

The costs include her hotel stay and food and equates to £460 a day.

Lib Dem Scottish affairs spokeswoman Christine Jardine urged the SNP to refund the public’s money, she said the money would have been spent on cutting waiting times in the NHS.

She told the Scottish Daily Express: “Scottish Liberal Democrats are calling on the SNP to refund every penny of taxpayers' money that was spent on this self-satisfying, futile navel-gazing exercise. Scotland needs new hope, not old divisions”

A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: “As the First Minister has previously set out, there has long been debate over whether the Scottish Parliament has the powers to legislate to hold a referendum.

“The Lord Advocate’s reference of this question to the Supreme Court was intended to achieve legal clarity on this point, which it has done so.

“In light of majority support within the Scottish Parliament for an independence referendum, Scottish ministers remain ready to engage with the UK Government at any point on delivering a referendum.

“In line with its Programme for Government commitments, the Scottish Government will continue to publish its Building a New Scotland prospectus series.”