EMBATTLED David Mundell has trousered almost £40,000 in donations from a Singapore-based businessman who hailed the last recession as a “massive wealth-building opportunity in disguise,” the Morning Star can reveal.

The Tory Scotland Secretary is facing questions after he provided property magnate Brian Gillies with a business reference which praised his “integrity and personal probity.”

Three companies linked to Mr Gillies, a wealthy Scot who relocated to the Far East, have donated £38,500 to Mr Mundell’s office and local Conservative association since 2011.