McConnell: under fire

The Scottish parliament project was at the centre of a new row on Friday after it was announced that the projected costs have been increased yet again.

In a letter to MSPs, the Holyrood presiding officer Sir David Steel announced that the costs of the new building will now exceed £340 million.

Whilst he insisted that there is now more certainty about the project, Sir David came under fire after it emerged that the summer deadline for completion will not be met.

Revealing that the costs would increase from the most recent prediction of £325 million, Sir David said: "This review allows us a much greater certainty over cost and programme as we approach the expected handover of the building in November this year, and we will continue to monitor progress closely over the coming months."

Opposition parties seized on the announcement - calling on first minister Jack McConnell to take the blame.

The SNP's leader, John Swinney, said Labour had mishandled the project from day one.

"Only last month we were told of additional costs to the Holyrood project and now here we are five weeks later with a further £13.4 million pounds being added to the bill," he said.

"This project has turned into a complete farce of Labour's own making, they chose the site, the architect, the type of contract and the design of the building.

"If Jack McConnell had a shred of integrity he would accept that his party is to blame and he would get on with trying to sort out Labour's farce.

"Instead he has continually tried to shift the blame, deny the truth and wash his hands of the whole episode."

The Scottish Conservatives said the building, which had initially been estimated to cost £50 million, had become a "national disgrace".

"This is public money which could have been spent on around 100 primary schools, 30 secondary schools, three state-of-the-art hospitals or road improvements, instead of a palace to feed the egos of the self-serving Scottish government," said the party's finance spokesman David Davidson.