Row grows over lobby role for Davidson
PAUL HUTCHEON
RUTH Davidson is under pressure over whether her new £50,000 job for a London lobbying firm breaches Holyrood ethics rules.
The former Scottish Tory leader will juggle her work as an MSP with her employment for Tulchan Communications – but the Holyrood code of conduct bans her from acting as a parliamentary adviser or strategist.
SNP MSP Gordon MacDonald said: “The questions over this saga are only growing.
“MSPs are bound by strict rules on accepting cash to raise issues on behalf of outside groups and are banned from being paid to advise on parliamentary affairs.”
Davidson quit as Scottish Tory leader after eight years in charge and is unlikely to contest the next Scottish Parliament election in 2021.
But she sparked a row this week after accepting a £50,000-a-year job for 24 days’ work – £2000 a day.
She also set up her own consulting firm, Kirkholm Broadlands. Critics have called for her to quit Holyrood as they believe it is unethical to be a parliamentarian and work for lobbyists at the same time.
According to the code, MSPs should not accept any paid work which involves them lobbying on behalf of any person or organisation.
The same code includes a wider curb on providing services as a parliamentary strategist, adviser or consultant.
A Scottish Tory spokesman said: “Ruth sat down with Scottish Parliamentary officials before considering this role and went through the code of conduct in detail.
“The role involves no lobbying or parliamentary strategic advice and falls well inside Holyrood’s rules.”
MacDonald added: “People will wonder how Ruth Davidson can stay within the letter and the spirit of these rules if raising matters related to any of her employer’s clients – of which there are many.
“The scale of Tulchan’s client list is so large it’s hard to see how Ruth Davidson can raise almost any issue in parliament without facing a potential conflict of interest.”