Scottish Conservatives axe aide's job offer over CV row

Image source, Reuters

Image caption, Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross last week highlighted Mr Paterson's experience in an email to party staff

21 September 2022

The Scottish Conservatives have withdrawn a job offer to a man accused of inventing parts of his CV.

Craig Paterson was named as the party's new head of research in an email sent to staff, describing him as being a "senior political adviser" to former Scottish Labour leader Jim Murphy.

But Mr Murphy said that he had "never knowingly met this guy let alone employed him".

The Tories said the offer was withdrawn after "new information came to light."

Mr Paterson declined to comment when approached by ��˿�� Scotland.

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It is understood Mr Paterson got the job after going through two rounds of interviews and his appointment was announced to staff in an email from party leader Douglas Ross which described him as "having once been a key part of Scottish Labour's operations".

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The research role is one of a number of senior vacancies in the Scottish Conservatives' backroom team.

When asked about Mr Paterson's job offer, a party spokesman said: "We will no longer be hiring this person after new information came to light."