Nicola Sturgeon said she did not try to con referendum voters

An independent Scotland would have been up to £10.5 billion worse off than SNP ministers had predicted before the referendum on leaving the UK, official figures show.

Scotland is relying more on the UK to prop up its finances, with public spending per head north of the border continuing to grow, despite the crash in tax revenues from North Sea oil over the past two years, statistics published yesterday suggest.

Nicola Sturgeon, the first minister, rejected the accusation that she had tried to “con” voters before the 2014 vote, when the SNP forecast oil revenues of £6.8 billion to £7.9 billion for 2016-17, the first year of independence had there been a “yes” vote.

According to Scottish government statisticians, £208 million was actually raised in