Back to Scotland, where parliamentarians are under scrutiny over questionable expenses claims – this time on heating their second homes. It transpires that between 2023-24 Scottish politicians claimed a whopping £36,000 in energy bills for their rented homes in Edinburgh, with the Nats and Labour lot making up £26,000 of the total cost. Alright for some!
John Swinney’s separatists were the biggest beneficiaries, as pointed out by the Scottish Daily Express, with almost half of the Holyrood group expensing energy costs. The Nats claimed over £25,000 from the public purse, while over £1,000 of taxpayer funds are covering Labour MSP Colin Smyth’s utility bill. Scottish parliamentarians are currently entitled to rent a second home in Edinburgh to allow them to be in Holyrood – but energy claims are creeping up. In 2021-22, MSPs claimed £19,000 in utilities. Last year, the figure almost doubled. Talk about living the high life, eh?
The revelation comes amid uproar over cuts to winter fuel payments – by both Sir Keir Starmer’s lefty lot and the SNP. The Labour government announced this year it would means test the benefit, meaning that a staggering nine million pensioners will miss out on additional help with their heating bills. And while the Nats have been busy blasting Starmer’s army over the decision, Mr S would point out that the separatists could still choose to keep the payment universal north of the border if they really wanted to. Not that politicians have to worry much about that with their expense entitlement, eh? Rules for thee, but not for me…
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