MSPs wave cheerio and leave taxpayer with bill for £1.5m

TAXPAYERS will be left with a £1.5million bill for a series of golden goodbyes as a record number of MSPs prepare to stand down at the 2021 election.

So far, 26 out of 129 MSPs have announced they will not seek re-election next May. This does not include ex-finance secretary Derek Mackay, who is expected to stand down.

Of those stepping aside, 14 will qualify for a resettlement grant of £64,470, equal to a full year’s salary for an MSP.

All those who leave voluntarily or lose their seats at the Scottish parliament election will be entitled to a payout of at least £32,235.

Under the Scottish Parliamentary Pensions Act (2009) MSPs who stand down or lose their seat receive a pay-off of between six months and a full year’s salfour ary. The first £30,000 is tax-free, and is supposed to help them adapt to losing political office.

However, the resettlement entitlement can soar to £64,470 if those leaving have sat at Holyrood for more than six years.

Four cabinet secretaries who are standing down qualify for an extra £12,112 for loss of ministerial office.

Constitution Secretary Mike Russell, Environment Secretary Roseanna Cunningham and Communities Secretary Aileen Campbell will all receive £76,582.

Health Secretary Jeane Freeman is set for £44,347.

The Herald on Sunday yesterday revealed the cost of resettlement grants will total £1.48million based on those who have already announced they will step down.

In total, 14 Nationalist MSPs have announced their intention to stand down ahead of the May election – a total bill of £816,620.

As well as government ministers, senior figures such as Linda Fabiani, Bruce Crawford, Alex Neil and Sandra White will not return to Holyrood in 2021.

Five Labour MSPs – including Neil Findlay and Iain Gray – are set to quit parliament, at a cost of £300,860. Ruth Davidson is among Conservatives to step down, totalling £182,665 in resettlement grants, while Mike Rumbles from the Lib Dems will leave.

Scottish Green MSP John Finnie is also stepping down, while it is understood independents Mr Mackay and Mark McDonald will leave too.

Both Mr Mackay and Mr McDonald were forced to resign from the Scottish Government and lost the SNP whip following scandals.

Of those leaving parliament, six were first elected in 1999.

Mr Mackay has failed to return to Holyrood since it emerged he had contacted a 16-year-old school boy on social media – and sent him messages over a six-month period.

The 42-year-old called the teenager ‘cute’ and invited him to a Holyrood reception, as well as to his constituency.

The messages were revealed less than 24 hours before Mr Mackay had been due to deliver the Scottish Government’s Budget for 2020-21 in February. Since then he has received £15,000 worth of his salary as the MSP for Renfrewshire North and West. Serious concerns were raised over Mr Mackay’s ‘predatory’ behaviour, with opponents claiming he had groomed the boy.

However, Police Scotland has signalled that he will not face criminal charges following an investigation.

Mr Mackay has been suspended from the SNP and an internal investigation into the matter has been launched.

A Scottish parliament spokesman said: ‘The terms for resettlement grants for MSPs are set out in the Scottish Parliamentary Pensions Act (2009).’

Robison’s baby loss – Page 20

‘First £30,000 is tax-free’ ‘Lost the SNP whip after scandals’