NICOLA Sturgeon has been accused of "running scared" and dodging scrutiny after snubbing a special Holyrood election edition of BBC Question Time.
The leaders of all the other Holyrood parties have agreed to take part in Thursday’s show, which will feature questions from a virtual audience.
However the First Minister will not appear, and the SNP have put up their depute leader Keith Brown instead.
In the only TV leaders debate so far to include audience questions, Ms Sturgeon was repeatedly criticised by members of the public over her plans for a second independence referendum after the Covid crisis.
Ms Sturgeon last appeared in a BBC Question Time leaders special in the 2019 general election campaign, when she was not a candidate.
The Tories said the First Minister was trying to “weasel” out of tomorrow's show by sending in her “lackey”.
Opposition sources said they had been told to expect an all leaders show, and that Ms Sturgeon had initially agreed to take part then pulled out.
On April 12, a member of the BBC Question Time team emailed a party press office saying they were “inviting Scottish Party leaders to take part in the show”, including the SNP.
However the SNP vigorously denied that Ms Sturgeon had agreed to participate.
A spokesperson said: “There has never been any suggestion that the First Minister would be taking part in this debate.
“The BBC did not include Question Time in their requests for leaders participation.
“The SNP was asked for an SNP representative and the SNP’s Depute Leader will be appearing.
“It is for other parties who they chose to put forward to represent their parties.”
Labour will be represented by Anas Sarwar, the Tories by Douglas Ross, the Liberal Democrats by Willie Rennie and the Greens by co-leader Lorna Slater.
Scottish Conservative candidate for Glasgow Annie Wells: “Nicola Sturgeon is trying to dodge scrutiny and send in her backup Keith Brown because she doesn’t want to face questions about her record on drug deaths, jobs, schools or her divisive plans for another independence referendum.
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“The SNP are at it with their pathetic excuses. As early as the 8th of March, BBC bosses were telling the Scottish Conservatives they wanted all five party leaders. Question Time clearly asked for Nicola Sturgeon and they’ve been forced to accept her lackey instead.
“Trying to weasel their way out of this is an embarrassment. The SNP should own this – they are afraid of scrutiny and Nicola Sturgeon is scared of facing direct challenges from voters.”
Scottish Liberal Democrat campaign chair Alistair Carmichael MP said: "After a shaky campaign where she has been repeatedly taken to task for her failings on education, care homes and social care, Nicola Sturgeon has now gone AWOL.
"This was pitched to us in the Liberal Democrats as an event for party leaders.
"Despite what SNP spin doctors might say, it is obvious that they are trying to protect Nicola Sturgeon’s reputation from further damage caused by SNP failures.
"It's an insult to voters to put up Keith Brown, a man who was shuffled out of the SNP government after his disastrous involvement in a failed Chinese investment that its own fixer described as 'all bollocks'.
"Willie Rennie will use this debate to set out the case for putting recovery first by investing in education, mental health and green jobs.
"Nicola Sturgeon can take notes from home."
A Scottish Labour source added: "Nicola Sturgeon is treating this election like a coronation tour - hiding from scrutiny from the press and the public.
"People deserve the right to question their leaders and running scared just confirms the woeful state of the SNP's record. Scotland deserves better."
Ms Sturgeon and her fellow party leaders have already taken part in two televised debates during the campaign, one for the BBC and one for STV.
READ MORE: Scottish Green election strategy accused of 'actively' undermining independence
A third debate is scheduled to be hosted by Channel 4, with a final BBC debate in the same week as polling day.
Responding to the criticisms, an SNP spokesperson said: "The First Minister has been scrutinised by the media nearly every day over the last year and since the campaign began has taken part in numerous hustings, two TV debates and a number of interviews as well as meeting members of the public to answer their question directly.
"In fact she will be taking part in a phone-in with members of the public on Thursday evening.
"The SNP will continue to focus on engaging with the voters, offering the experienced leadership and ideas for the future that are needed to get us through and out of the pandemic and ensuring the people of Scotland have the right to choose their future, while other parties continue to offer nothing but negativity and navel gazing."
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