IPad Minister ‘has a right’ to £12k payoff
Gray hails predecessor’s ‘incredible public service’
SCOTLAND’S new Health Secretary has said shamed Michael Matheson has a “right” to a £12,000 golden goodbye payment.
Neil Gray said it was up to Matheson whether to pocket a payment after he quit over the £11,000 data roaming scandal on his Holyrood iPad.
As the Record revealed, Matheson resigned from the Scottish Government on Thursday after months of scrutiny over the controversy.
The SNP politician racked up the charges on holiday in Morocco over Christmas 2022, later conceding his sons had used the device to watch football.
He initially claimed the hefty bill on expenses, saying the device had only been used for parliamentary work, before repaying the cash. Despite resigning in disgrace, he is entitled to a severance payment worth more than the roaming bill.
Gray, who has been in post for three days, was asked by BBC Scotland if Matheson should keep the money.
“That is a right that is afforded to him in demitting office,” he said, adding: “I think Michael has given 25 years of incredible public service as a member of the
Scottish Parliament and over a decade of experience as a minister in the Scottish Government.
“He made a mistake. There’s no doubt in that. He has admitted that and apologised for that.” Gray was asked if he would have taken the payment: “It’s for Michael to decide.”
Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross said the ex-minister should not accept the payment. He said: “It’s very important Michael Matheson refuses to take his severance payment – that’s over £12,000. I think the public would be appalled if he were to accept that money given the way he continued disgraced in office for several months and the way he finally had to resign. I hope he at some stage in the whole sorry saga does the right thing and refuses to accept that money or pays it back.”
The Sunday Mail reported that Matheson quit after he was caught lying to Holyrood’s presiding officer about the £11,000 bill. Our sister paper reported the government probe into the scandal shows he lied to Alison Johnstone after finding out his kids had racked up the bill.
The report, which is yet to be made public, sets out how Matheson told her he had no idea why the charges were so high.
Yet he had been told days before by his wife that his sons ran up the data charges.
Matheson said he found out on November 9 his children had used the iPad data to stream an Old Firm game but didn’t tell the public until November 16.
The public will be appalled if he accepts that money Douglas Ross on matheson’s severance payment