“Sir Richard Armstrong, the artistic director of Scottish Opera, launched a scathing attack yesterday on Frank McAveety, culture minister, over what he described as brutal and shameful behaviour and an agenda to reduce the size of the company. Speaking at length for the first time about the new deal which will lead to more than 80 job losses and a “dark” season in 2005/6 with no major performances, he said the Scottish Executive had deliberately targeted the opera’s mainscale work because it believed it was watched only by a select and elitist audience.”