FM urged to remove whip from ‘friend’

THE Scottish Tories have urged the first minister to remove the whip from Michael Matheson after he was found to have breached parliamentary rules.

The Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body (SPCB) – the crossparty group of MSPs tasked with the running of Parliament – said Mr Matheson broke the code of conduct in his handling of the near-£11,000 data roaming bill he racked up on his parliamentary iPad on holiday in Morocco.

Mr Matheson initially had the bill paid through a combination of his MSP expenses and office costs, but he later resolved to pay it himself.

The former health secretary – who quit Cabinet last month as he said the issue had become a “distraction” – said in November his sons used his device as a hotspot to watch football.

The issue has now been referred to Holyrood’s standards, procedures and public appointments committee, which will consider potential sanctions.

Scottish Conservatives leader Douglas Ross has now written to First Minister Humza Yousaf, urging him to kick Mr Matheson out of the SNP group at Holyrood.

Mr Ross wrote: “While you have defended your close friend and colleague throughout this scandal, it is clear to many that Michael Matheson should not continue to have your support.

“You decided to punish Fergus Ewing by removing the SNP whip from him after he voted for a motion of no confidence in the Green minister Lorna Slater.

“Lying to the public about trying to claim £11,000 from the public purse is significantly more serious than voting against a disastrous Green minister.”

Michael Matheson.