Crisis for Sturgeon as SNP star quits for ‘grooming’ boy of 16
He sent him 270 texts and offered to take him to rugby
A RISING star in the SNP was forced to quit last night after ‘grooming’ a 16-year-old boy with 270 text messages.
SNP finance secretary Derek Mackay, 42, had been seen as a potential successor to Nicola Sturgeon as Scottish First Minister.
But he resigned hours before he was due to deliver Scotland’s budget after it emerged he had sent a stream of messages to the boy, calling him ‘cute’ and inviting him to a rugby match.
Politicians condemned the father of two’s actions, with one saying they were ‘nothing short of predatory’.
Mr Mackay has now been suspended from the SNP pending an investigation. The scandal will heap fresh embarrassment on Miss Sturgeon’s party, which is under pressure ahead of former leader and first minister Alex Salmond’s trial for sexual assault and attempted rape. He denies the allegations.
Mr Mackay contacted the boy on Instagram and Facebook last August. He invited the teen to dinner and offered to take him to a rugby match despite knowing he was 16, The Scottish Sun reported.
The boy allegedly told Mr Mackay not to ‘try anything’. In another conversation Mr Mackay asked the boy, ‘and our chats are between us?’, to which he responded, ‘yeahh’.
Mr Mackay went on to say: ‘Cool, to be honest I think you are really cute. Just as long as you know, but you can delete that message lol.’
The messages came to light after the boy told his mother. Last night she said she was horrified by Mr Mackay’s actions.
She said: ‘If I could speak to him, I would ask him, “Why? Why did you do this?” I worry about what would have happened if my son had sent him back a message he wanted to hear.
‘You can see he tries again and again – like he is trying to get my son to change his mind about something. He is trying to see how much he can push it.’
The age of consent in Scotland is 16, but it is a criminal offence for an adult in a position of trust over a child under 18 to engage in sexual activity with them.
The mother added: ‘I don’t know if he should lose his job but he should be dealt with very seriously. When I finally read the messages it was terrifying and made my stomach turn. My son’s friends, his girlfriend, can say he is cute – but not this strange man.’
In another conversation, Mr Mackay told the boy he was hosting a Scottish Rugby Union reception at Holyrood last month. He added: ‘You can be my guest.’
The boy reportedly stopped speaking to Mr Mackay in December, but the politician sent him another 12 messages before he ceased contact.
Mr Mackay came out as gay after leaving his wife in 2013. He lives with his boyfriend Fraser in Bishopton, Renfrewshire. He has enjoyed a meteoric rise since he was elected as an MSP for Renfrewshire North and West in 2011. He was immediately appointed to Miss Sturgeon’s cabinet and in 2014 took on the transport brief. He was made finance secretary in 2016.
Mr Mackay apologised yesterday, saying: ‘I take full responsibility for my actions. I have behaved foolishly and I am truly sorry. I apologise unreservedly to the individual involved and his family.
‘I spoke last night with the First Minister and tendered my resignation with immediate effect.’
Scotland’s opposition parties condemned Mr Mackay, with Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard saying: ‘ Derek Mackay’s actions towards a schoolboy are beyond foolish, they are an abuse of power. They are nothing short of predatory, so this is serious.’
Scottish Tory leader Jackson Carlaw said: ‘We are all bewildered that
Derek could have undertaken such a colossal lapse of judgement.’
At First Minister’s Questions Mr Carlaw read the NSPCC definition of grooming before asking Miss Sturgeon if she believed Mr Mackay’s behaviour could be considered as such.
Miss Sturgeon said: ‘I am in no way minimising the seriousness of what we are discussing today.’
She continued: ‘I have accepted the resignation of Derek Mackay as finance secretary. Derek Mackay has apologised unreservedly for his conduct and recognised, as I do, that it was unacceptable and falls seriously below the standard required of a minister.’
Police Scotland said: ‘We have not received any complaint of criminality. However, we are assessing available information and would encourage anyone with information to please come forward.’