The Alba Party spent almost a quarter of a million pounds on its failed Holyrood election campaign which returned zero MSPs, official figures show.

A report from the Electoral Commission found the breakaway pro-independence movement spent £214,371 in the weeks leading up to polling day in May, which saw the SNP returned as the largest party for the fourth time in succession.

Alex Salmond launched Alba in March with the aim of returning an independence “supermajority”.

The party did not contest any constituencies and instead focused its attention on the regional list vote.

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