An SNP MP has made a renewed call on the UK Government to publish its private polling on Scottish independence, claiming taxpayers have a right to know what their money is being spent on.
Glasgow East MP David Linden recently tabled a parliamentary question in an attempt to find out what surveys Boris Johnson's Government had undertaken on the subject throughout 2020.
But Tory MP Julia Lopez neither confirmed or denied that such polling had been undertaken.
She insisted "internal policy development work" was not usually published.
"As has been the case with successive administrations, Government routinely works with suppliers to provide polling and market research work so as to understand public attitudes and behaviours to inform our vitally important campaigns and policies," she said in a written answer to the SNP MP.
"This enables us to deliver strong, national, cross-government communications campaigns, including to support the UK’s response and recovery from the pandemic.
"Internal policy development work is not normally disclosed."
Linden told the Record: "This is an utterly woeful response from the UK Government.
"It's quite clear they are doing private polling on Scottish independence but don't want to admit it, presumably because the results are so embarrassingly bad for Whitehall.
"It's truly astonishing that taxpayers money is being used to try and prop up the UK Government's failing propaganda operation in Scotland.
"They should come clean, admit it is doing private polling and show taxpayers what their money is being spent on."
Nationalists have been boosted by a series of surveys in recent weeks which have recorded rising support for a Yes vote at a future IndyRef2.
Scotland's constitutional future is expected to again be one of the dominant talking points ahead of next year's Holyrood elections, with the SNP on course for another majority according to recent surveys.
But the Prime Minister has repeatedly insisted the result of the 2014 referendum must be respected, and has ruled out lending Holyrood the powers required to call another vote.
