A LEADING Labour MP has accused the Scottish government of the “biggest mis-selling scandal in history” over its failure to properly cost plans for both public and private pensions in the event of independence.

Launching a report on pensions by the Scottish Affairs Committee, which he chairs, Ian Davidson MP said: “The only thing definite about the Scottish government’s welfare policies is uncertainty.

“They cannot say what their pensions bill would be. 

“They have no credible plans to cope with the rising costs of Scotland’s ageing population.

“They don’t know what their own promises would cost.”

The report finds that the Scottish government’s stated plans to consider delaying the increase in the pension age to 67 and to pay a proposed higher starting rate than the rest of the UK after independence are “almost entirely uncosted.”

The committee urges the Scottish government to give a “clear proposal for a future pension age and the full price of their plans” in advance of September’s referendum “so that current and future pensioners can judge how much more expensive they would be.”

Mr Davidson’s verdict comes as the latest poll on independence puts the No side ahead by 59 per cent to 41 per cent. 

But the Yes campaign was boosted by backing from former left Labour MP Les Huckfield.

Huckfield was MP for Nuneaton from 1967 to 1983 and served in Jim Callaghan’s government but has since moved to Scotland and said he will vote yes in September.