First Minister Alex Salmond was yesterday accused of misusing public funds after it emerged that several wealthy SNP donors were entertained at his official residence at taxpayers' expense.
The dinner, which was held at Bute House in Edinburgh, was held to honour Sir Sean Connery, who has donated thousands of pounds to the party over the years.
Sir Sean attended the event on June 29 with his wife, as did the bus tycoon Brian Souter and the Kwik-Fit entrepreneur Sir Tom Farmer - the SNP's top two donors.
Sir George Mathewson, who has given financial backing to the SNP and is chairman of the Scottish Government's Council of Economic Advisers (CEA), also attended with his wife, as did Crawford Beveridge, the former chief executive of Scottish Enterprise, member of the CEA and Nationalist donor.
Non-SNP supporting guests who attended the dinner were Rangers chairman Sir David Murray and his fiancee, as well as Holyrood Presiding Officer Alex Fergusson and his wife.
Details of the cost of the event - £1445.60 - and the list of those present were published following a Freedom of Information request by Labour back-bench MSP George Foulkes. Yesterday he called on the SNP to repay the cost of the meal to the taxpayer.
He said: "No ifs, no buts, the evidence is clear - this was an SNP shindig at the expense of the taxpayer and they must now pay the money back.
"After cash for access, ministers' share portfolios and now dosh for dinners, the SNP face serious questions about their integrity."
A spokesman for the First Minister insisted the dinner was an "official government expense" and therefore an appropriate use of public funds.
A source close to the First Minister dismissed Lord Foulkes's comments.
The source said: "If Lord Foulkes is suggesting Sir David Murray and the Presiding Officer are SNP supporters, then clearly he knows something that we don't."
Officials had initially refused to publish the list of those who attended the dinner under data protection rules, but said they had now changed their stance and decided to reveal the names.
The First Minister's spokes-man said: "We are keen to be transparent with dinners hosted by the Scottish Government and other such events and we are also keen to put in place a system that works. The releasing of these names is the start of that system coming into effect."
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