Anger over Labour Party broadcast

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Labour has been accused of "misleading" voters over an election broadcast featuring a former senior member of the party posing as a member of the public.

Murdo Mathison, who was Labour's deputy general secretary, will be shown voicing concerns about the financial impact of an SNP administration.

But the SNP hit back by branding the piece a "bogus broadcast".

Scots Labour Leader Jack McConnell said Mr Mathison, who left party employment in 2005, had a right to speak out.

Mr Mathison's wife Gail also appears in the broadcast, expressing concerns about her job status should the SNP win power at the 3 May election.

'Tax bill'

The Scottish National Party's campaign director Angus Robertson said: "After so many dodgy dossiers it maybe shouldn't be a surprise that Labour are now misleading voters with bogus broadcasts.

"Obviously Labour has turned off so many voters they now can't find any ordinary members of the public to support their policies.

"It's no wonder no one believes a word they say any more."

Responding to the criticism, Mr McConnell told BBC Scotland: "What we've seen is an attempt by the SNP to target this one individual who left the Labour Party's employment two years ago to spend more time with the kid that he's concerned about because of their plans and the fact that their sums don't add up.

"I think he's got a perfect right to speak about his worries about his family income, just as much as anybody else has in Scotland."

The Labour election broadcast will be shown on BBC2 at 1755 BST on Monday and on BBC1 at 1855 BST.