Sturgeon and cabinet ministers 'abused' use of official cars
Nicola Sturgeon and eight of her top team have been accused of using ministerial cars to travel from party political events.
It was reported today that eight cabinet ministers used taxpayer-funded vehicles to leave the SNP General Election manifesto launch in Perth in May.
Now it has been revealed that the First Minister travelled in an official vehicle to and from a campaign event in Stirling on April 26, where she was famously photographed posing on an independence-branded motorbike.
Both incidents appear to be in breach of the Ministerial Code, which states: “Ministers must not use public resources for party political purposes.”
Information published this week showed John Swinney, Derek Mackay, Shona Robison, Fiona Hyslop, Alasdair Allan, Maureen Watt, Paul Wheelhouse and Fergus Ewing all clambered into ministerial cars following the launch on May 30.
None of them listed a ministerial engagement on that day.
This followed the example of Ms Sturgeon a month earlier, who even the SNP campaign diary admits “was in Stirling today to meet voters and visit local businesses”.
Scottish Conservative MSP Miles Briggs said:
“The public will be deeply uncomfortable at the idea of eight ministers swanning out of such a party political event and straight into a taxpayer-funded car.
“And they obviously took their lead from Nicola Sturgeon a month earlier, who may have enjoyed posing on a Yes-themed motorbike for a publicity stunt.
“But what the cameras didn’t pick up was the taxpayer-funded fancy car waiting round the corner.
“It’s the kind of hypocrisy and abuse the SNP is becoming renowned for.
“Anyone can see just how political events like a manifesto launch or photocall are, and the ministerial code clearly states this kind of thing would be a breach.
“If it was one minister, attending one government event, you could probably forgive this as an oversight.
“But for half the cabinet and the First Minister to be involved reeks of privileged complacency.
“SNP ministers seem to have forgotten that these cars are paid for by the public, and they risk not being taken seriously when they complain about limited resources available.”