The SNP squandered £6.2 billion in the last parliament - £3.4 million every day for five years - the Scottish Tories have revealed.

The Conservatives said the ‘shocking sum’ was a result of ‘idiotic and epic incompetence’ by ‘Nationalist wastrels’.

Leader Russell Findlay said many of the losses would worsen if the SNP return to power.

The waste includes ongoing problems with delayed discharge patients stuck in hospitals, fraudulent benefit claims, and the astronomic cost of replacing Glasgow’s Barlinnie jail.

Other failures to safeguard the public purse include £460 million blown on two overdue and over-budget CalMac ferries and £30 million on a ditched national care service plan.

Unveiling a giant receipt listing the SNP’s folly as he campaigned in Glasgow, Mr Findlay said: ‘John Swinney’s SNP has thrown away at least £6.2 billion of taxpayers’ cash through their idiotic and epic incompetence.

‘This vast sum of squandered money could and should have been used to cut the taxes of hard-working Scots and improve broken public services.

‘All the while, these Nationalist wastrels decided to spend even more precious public cash on their desire to break up the United Kingdom.

‘Scots can bring an end to the SNP’s disrespectful misuse of people’s money by voting Scottish Conservative on the peach ballot paper on May 7th to stop an SNP majority.’

The Tory figures are based on over-spending by the Scottish Government and its quangos between 2021/22 and 2025/26.

They include £1.8 billion on failing to end delayed discharge, £1 billion for the new HMP Glasgow prison, an estimated £458 million in benefit fraud, £145 million on a botched census, £61 million on foreign aid, £20 million on Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI), £7 million on ‘independence propaganda’, £6 million on free mobile phones for prisoners, and almost £1 million fighting doomed court cases to defend gender reforms.

Then SNP health secretary Shona Robison vowed to ‘eliminate’ delayed discharge in 2015.

It now costs Scotland’s NHS at least £1.2million every day as around 2,000 patients are stuck in hospital despite being medically fit enough to leave.

Spending watchdogs recently calculated the 720,119 wasted bed days last year cost the health service a ‘minimum’ of £440 million based on an average £618 per person per day.

The Tories also highlighted the improbably low levels of benefit fraud reported to prosecutors by the £7 billion a year devolved welfare agency Social Security Scotland.

The quango only reported around 30 cases between spring 2023 and late 2025, despite making an estimated 40,000 bogus payments worth more than £120 million over the period.

The UK Department of Work and Pensions estimates 2.2 per cent of all benefits payments are fraudulent.

SNP candidate Karen Adam said: ‘The SNP will take no lectures on economic competency from someone who backed Liz Truss to the hilt as she crashed our economy. Scottish voters will never forget the damage the Tories inflicted on Scotland.

‘Unlike the Tories, Scotland has balanced its budget every year under the SNP and we will continue to manage the public finances prudently.’

With just 26 days to polling, John Swinney will vow to ‘revitalise’ Glasgow, on Saturday, if re-elected despite it being run by the SNP since 2017.

The First Minister will announce an urban development corporation for the run-down city centre, offer to pay the £1 million annual upkeep for the Clyde Tunnel to avoid charges for motorists, and confirm two GP walk-in centres.

SNP leader Susan Aitken has been repeatedly criticised for the chaotic state of Sauchiehall Street, rat infestations, litter build-up and anti-social behaviour in the city centre.

Residents told the city council’s own survey last year that it was ‘like a war zone’, and they felt ‘ashamed’ of its ‘filthy’ state, describing it as ‘intimidating’ and ‘a dump’.

Mr Swinney said: ‘Glasgow is one of Scotland’s greatest economic assets - a cosmopolitan, thriving city, blessed with outstanding strengths and huge potential.

‘The plans I am setting out today honour Glasgow’s past and focus on the city’s future.

‘Because unlike others who want to talk this great city down, I am clear that Glasgow’s best days are ahead of it.

‘The SNP is always on Glasgow’s side – and as First Minister I will do everything I can to make Glasgow flourish.’

Meanwhile, the Scottish Conservatives will show their support at a Women Won’t Wheesht protest at Holyrood on Saturday over SNP inaction in response to the landmark Supreme Court ruling on sex-based rights delivered almost one year ago.

And Anas Sarwar will pledge a Scottish Labour government would help free up frontline NHS staff by tackling the mental health crisis with a new emergency response service.

The specialist support from paramedics, nurses and other mental health professionals should also avoid police officers being diverted from crime fighting to respond to crisis calls.

Mr Sarwar said: ‘Our NHS is not safe with John Swinney and the SNP.

‘Too many people in crisis are being let down.

‘I’m standing to fix the mess, get the basics right and build a better future for Scotland.’

Labour candidate Paul Sweeney said Mr Swinney had ‘a real brass neck’ to boast he was on Glasgow’s side ‘when his party has completely failed the city over the last decade’.

He said: ‘For years, SNP ministers have treated Glasgow as an afterthought.

‘It is only now - four weeks’ out from an election - that Swinney is finally promising to act to clean up the SNP’s own mess. People will not be fooled.’