John Swinney bị chỉ trích vì nhận danh sách cách tán dương Michael Matheson SAU scandal iPad. Các viên chức dân sự đã cung cấp cho John Swinney một danh sách cách để tán dương Michael Matheson sau khi anh bị bắt ghi nhận vi phạm quy tắc về chi phí MSP, The Scottish Sun đã tiết lộ.
Thông tin hướng dẫn của chính phủ Scotland cho Phiên hỏi ông Swinney đầu tiên kích thích các cáo buộc vào tối qua rằng tiền công cộng đã bị “lạm dụng” để giúp ông Swinney bảo vệ đồng minh của đảng mình.
Michael Matheson’s £11,000 chi phí lưu thông iPad lần đầu tiên được phơi bày vào tháng 11 năm ngoái. Ông đã được đưa ra danh sách sau khi ông Matheson bị kết án vì vi phạm chi phí của MSP.
Trong phiên, ông Swinney đưa ra bào chữa cho ông Matheson mặc dù các phát hiện của ủy ban quy chuẩn, và bào chữa rằng án phạt đề xuất quá nặng.
Đại diện chính phủ Scotland nói: “Các bộ trưởng phải trả lời các câu hỏi được đặt trong Quốc hội, do đó thông tin hướng dẫn và cung cấp bởi các viên chức và cố vấn đặc biệt phản ánh các vấn đề họ mong đợi sẽ được đặt ra.” #JohnSwinney #MichaelMatheson #ScandaliPad
CIVIL servants gave John Swinney a list of ways to praise shamed Michael Matheson AFTER he was nailed for MSP expenses breaches, The Scottish Sun can reveal.
The Scottish Government officials’ briefing note for First Minister’s Questions sparked claims last night that public money had been “abused” to help Mr Swinney defend his party pal.
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Ex Health Secretary Mr Matheson was found guilty after a parly probe of two breaches of expenses rules after he provided false information to justify a £11,000 iPad roaming bill.
He later quit the government after it turned out his MSP device had been used to stream football matches while he was on holiday in Morocco around New Year 2023.
Despite public outrage over the scandal, Mr Swinney stuck up for Mr Matheson.
And The Scottish Sun can now reveal taxpayer-funded civil servants provided Mr Swinney with a briefing note listing his apparent achievements in order to fend off questions at FMQs on Thursday, May 23.
The weekly session came hours after Holyrood’s standards committee recommended the ex Health Secretary should be barred from parliament for 27 sitting days, and forfeit around £10,000 of MSP wages.
The briefing note on Mr Matheson – titled “Michael Matheson – Record” listed positive points about his “record as Health Secretary”.
The SNP’s biggest priority was getting Matheson off the hook; it seems they were prepared to use government time and public money to do that
Alex Cole-Hamilton
It included giving extra cash to the Scottish Ambulance Service, and his “record in government” in “other positions”.
It also mentioned that as a backbencher, Mr Matheson led a “successful campaign to introduce fire sprinklers in residential premises”.
In the session, Mr Swinney launched a defence of Mr Matheson despite the committee findings, and argued the proposed suspension was too harsh.
Last night Scottish Tory MSP and party chairman Craig Hoy said: “This is an outrageous abuse of taxpayers’ money by the SNP.”
He said there was “no justification for the SNP roping in civil servants to help them defend John Swinney’s friend and colleague who breached expenses rules”.
Scottish Liberal Democrat Alex Cole-Hamilton said: “The SNP’s biggest priority was getting Matheson off the hook; it seems they were prepared to use government time and public money to do that.”
This confirms John Swinney was hellbent on destroying his own credibility by defending his disgraced friend Michael Matheson.
Craig Hoy
Briefing notes on a list of subjects are included in a folder put together by civil servants and taxpayer-funded special advisers ahead of FMQs each week, allowing the First Minister quick access to information to answer questions on issues likely to arise.
The Matheson note was released to the Scottish Sun under freedom of information laws after we appealed following an initial refusal to release details – with officials initially using the justification that ministers need to have a “private space within which to seek advice and views”.
Mr Hoy added: “This confirms John Swinney was hellbent on destroying his own credibility by defending his disgraced friend Michael Matheson.
“Even then, the SNP government displayed their typical secrecy by initially rejecting this request to see how taxpayers’ resources were being wasted on a plan to get him off the hook.”
A separate FoI request by Scottish Labour also revealed a second briefing by officials to Mr Swinney about the Matheson saga, around the same time.
It included lines which appeared to be quoted on how to defend Mr Matheson, as well as criticism of the parliamentary procedure.
Read more on the Scottish Sun
Scottish Labour deputy leader Jackie Baillie said: “The Michael Matheson scandal wrecked public trust in politics but rather than address the question of how taxpayers’ money is accounted for, it seems that John Swinney prioritised protecting one of his own.”
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “Ministers are required to respond to questions asked in Parliament, so briefings and information provided by officials and special advisers reflect the issues they expect to be raised.”
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