To Scotland, where the Nats are once again under scrutiny over expenses claims. It now transpires that not only had SNP health secretary Neil Gray been using ministerial cars to take him to sports matches, he took relatives in the vehicle with him too. The last time Mr S checked, acting ‘in line with government duties’ did not involve bringing family along on the job…
Gray came under fire after the Sunday Mail revealed the Aberdeen FC fan had been chauffeured to a number of his team’s games between November 2023 and May 2024. After pressure on Gray ramped up, the cabinet minister opted on Thursday to make a statement on his use of the public purse in Holyrood. Lamenting the optics of the situation, the separatist admitted to parliamentarians:
It is a matter of regret to me. By attending four Aberdeen games that I have given the impression of acting more as a fan and less as a minister…but when it comes to domestic football I should have ensured I went to see teams other than Aberdeen.
You can say that again. Continuing his confessional, the health secretary added that he had taken ‘a family member or a guest’ to five of the six matches he was chauffeured to – quickly insisting the indiscretion hadn’t cost the taxpayer any additional money. That doesn’t quite right the wrong, however. Now the Scottish Tories have called for a ministerial code investigation, with deputy party leader Rachael Hamilton fuming: ‘Neil Gray wasn’t even the sports minister when he went to some of these games. These excuses are an embarrassment.’ Ouch.
It’s not the first time Gray’s professional judgement has come into question – after the Nat was caught attempting to buy Oasis tickets during a conference event on, er, Alzheimer’s disease. And, more than that, this is now the second time in a matter of months that an SNP health secretary has been quizzed over football-related fiascos. Gray’s predecessor Michael Matheson forced to resign from government over an £11,000 iPad scandal, which saw the former government minister accused of lying to the press on the matter before being handed a suspension and wage cut over the issue.
Given the Nats have always been fast to blast Labour over questionable expenses claims, this latest development shrouds the embattled party in yet more embarrassment. With just 18 months to go until the next Holyrood election, the flailing SNP could certainly do without stories like these…
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