TORY plans to conduct “secret” opinion polling in Scotland ahead of the general election in May were condemned yesterday. 

Angus Brendan MacNeil, SNP MP for the Western Isles, spoke out after the Sunday Post newspaper revealed that the Cabinet Office plans to spend £11,475 on the surveys — but not make the results public.

“The Tories might be out of touch with Scotland but that does not justify them spending over £11,000 of taxpayers’ money on secret polling ahead of the general election,” he said.

Sam Gyimah, parliamentary secretary of the Cabinet Office, told the Sunday Post that the work would “research into the level of understanding of the devolution settlement in Scotland to improve to public services, monitor efficiency and inform policy development.”

But Mr MacNeil hit back: “The Tories should be using their own ample funds from millionaire donors to pay for this research and reimbursing the taxpayer.”