Last SNP Government paper on Scottish independence downloaded just 316 times

Downloads for the latest independence paper have been low.
-Credit: (Image: AFP via Getty Images)


The SNP Government’s latest independence paper only attracted 2,087 page views, new figures show. The document on justice also yielded fewer than 320 downloads since it was published in April.

Ministers have thrown their weight behind the ‘Building a New Scotland’ series in an attempt at revamping the case for independence. Thirteen papers have been published so far, but viewing figures have fallen off a cliff.

As of March 25th, the number of unique visitors for the first paper on “independence in the modern world” launched by Nicola Sturgeon’s Government stood at 78,571.

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The second paper, on “renewing democracy” in the event of Scotland leaving the UK, attracted an audience of 25,945. The third in the series - on a “stronger economy” - was the strongest performer with 81,925 views.

But the download figures for the papers published in the wake of Sturgeon resigning have nosedived. The fourth paper on a constitution in an independent Scotland racked up 11,793 views and follow up on citizenship came in at 36,474.

Paper eight on marine life attracted the lowest number of downloads at 1,295. Number thirteen on justice has the second lowest tally after the marine document, with the 316 downloads between April 25th and October 2nd the equivalent of thirteen downloads a week.

John Swinney’s Government has yet to make a decision on the future of the series.

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