Alex Salmond has been accused of suppressing news that an international manufacturing firm had ditched plans to develop offshore wind turbines in Scotland.
In March last year the first minister trumpeted an announcement by Doosan Power Systems for a £170million research and manufacturing centre in Renfrew that would leadto the creation of 1,700 jobs.
The Korean giant decided to abandon the scheme nine months later – but the news only leaked out this week.
Last night US tycoon Donald Trump – who is battling to block plans for an offshore windfarm near his £750million golf course in Aberdeenshire – waded into the row.
He claimed the decision was “due to deteriorating confidence” in offshore wind.
Doosan cited “economic conditions and liquidity issues in Europe” for its decision to pull out.
Despite having been informed, the Scottish Government included the project in its budget document which has been debated twice since December at Holyrood.
Labour leader Johann Lamont accused the SNP of not only hiding Doosan’s decision, but claiming the reverse. “If he (Mr Salmond) will suppress serious issues like the Doosan investment before the local elections, goodness knows what he will conceal before the referendum,” she said.
Tory finance spokesman Gavin Brown said: “It is astonishing that the Scottish Government appeared to have known about this since December yet have decided not to share it with parliament or the rest of the country.”
Mr Salmond said it was not for the government to make company announcements.
“You don’t make company announcements for them,” he said.