First Minister Nicola Sturgeon

addresses the media after FMQs to answer questions on former finance minister Derek Mackay who quit his post yesterday amid claims of ‘predatory behaviour’ towards a 16-year-old boy. Picture: Shutterstock.

Derek Mackay was last night facing calls to quit as an MSP after admitting sending hundreds of messages to a 16-year-old boy.

The man once tipped as Nicola Sturgeon’s successor as first minister stepped down as finance secretary yesterday and was suspended from the SNP during a dramatic day at Holyrood.

His resignation from government – which will see him receive an £11,945 pay-off – came just hours before he was due to deliver the Scottish Government’s budget statement for 2020-21.

Ms Sturgeon was told to investigate his “predatory” behaviour after admitting his conduct “falls seriously below the standard required of a minister”.

The first minister said he had been suspended from both the party and the SNP parliamentary group at Holyrood “pending further investigation”.

The father-of-two, who came out as gay in 2013, quit as finance secretary after The Scottish Sun reported he sent 270 messages to a boy he befriended on Facebook and Instagram.

Public Finance Minister Kate Forbes stepped in to make the tax and spending announcements.

Mr Mackay accepted he had “behaved foolishly” as he apologised unreservedly to the youngster and his family.

He said: “I take full responsibility for my actions. I have behaved foolishly and I am truly sorry.

“I apologise unreservedly to individual involved and his family.

“I spoke last night with the first minister and tendered my resignation with immediate effect.”

He added: “Serving in government has been a huge privilege and I am sorry to have let colleagues and supporters down.”

In one message, Mr Mackay is alleged to have asked the teenager: “And our chats are between us?”

When the boy agreed, Mr Mackay told him: “Cool, then to be honest I think you are really cute.”

The newspaper alleges he contacted the teenager over a six-month period and offered to take him to a rugby game and out to dinner.

Scottish Tory interim leader Jackson Carlaw asked Ms Sturgeon at FMQs if the reputation of the Scottish Parliament could survive while Mr Mackay remained a member. the

She replied: “Based on what I knew last night it was clear to me that Derek Mackay remaining in government was simply not an option.

“Having seen the fuller detail... further action has been taken in relation to his membership of the SNP and the parliamentary group.

“There are very serious matters for me to have to deal with... and there will be matters that Derek Mackay will be reflecting on and will continue to have to reflect on.”

Mr Carlaw read aloud the NSPCC definition of grooming and asked if the first minister believed Mr Mackay’s behaviour could be considered as such.

Ms Sturgeon said due process would need to be followed.

But SNP MP Joanna Cherry suggested Mr Mackay’s behaviour did amount to grooming.

The Edinburgh South West MP tweeted: “Grooming behaviour is totally unacceptable & must be condemned without fear or favour.

“The first minister was right to accept Derek Mackay’s resignation & suspend him. The party’s disciplinary procedures must now take their course.”

Asked if she agreed with Ms Cherry’s grooming behaviour comments, the first minister replied that she hadn’t seen the remarks.

“I cannot be clearer about my views of how serious this is. It is for the police to decide if anything needs to be investigated.”

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie said Mr Mackay should step down as the MSP for Renfrewshire North and West.

He told ITV Border: “It is really about the standards that we would expect from MSPs at this time and I think Derek Mackay has not behaved in the standard that we would expect from a member of the Scottish Parliament. I think it would be time for him to resign now.”

Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard said: “Derek Mackay has acted beyond ‘foolishly’. His actions are predatory and must be thoroughly investigated. He has abused his position of power with a vulnerable adolescent.

“The nature and the gravity of these allegations demands decisive action.”

In November 2017 the SNP suspended Mark McDonald after he resigned as childcare minister over “inappropriate” behaviour said to have involved text messages.