SNP splashes £1.3m on ministerial limos

THE number of chauffeurdriven cars available for Nationalist ministers to use has almost doubled in just five years.

Figures show the amount spent on the luxury vehicles hit a record high last year with more than £1.3million of taxpayers cash forked out.

Critics branded Nicola Sturgeon and her Cabinet ‘hypocrites’ over the spending and use of the fleet.

There are now 41 cars available to ministers, compared to 25 five years ago. The cost of the Government Car Service was £1,344,978 last year – or £3,685 a day – £370,300 more than in 2010.

Scottish Tory environment spokesman Liz Smith said: ‘The public will be rightly furious to learn about this.

‘Time after time, they hear SNP Ministers declare the seriousness of the climate emergency and that we must all play our part in addressing it. Yet all the time they have been busy nearly doubling their ministerial car pool. It appears as though it is one rule for them and another for the public.’

Greenpeace UK transport campaigner Sam Chetan-Welsh said: ‘The SNP claims it is investing over £1billion every year in public transport to encourage people out of their cars, but ministers are doing the very opposite.

‘What happened to leading by example? Talking the talk is all well and good but if the Scottish Government wants to be taken seriously in its effort to cut toxic air pollution and tackle the climate emergency, ministers should leave chauffeur driven cars at home and literally walk the walk.’

Nicola Sturgeon declared a climate emergency at last year’s SNP party conference, stating that her government would ‘live up to our responsibility’ to halt climate change.

The Scottish Government wants to introduce Low Emission Zones in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Dundee, with drivers of polluting vehicles facing fines and aims to phase out all new petrol and diesel cars by 2032.

Last week, in a written answer to a question from Scottish Liberal Democrat MSP Liam McArthur, Finance Secretary Kate Forbes said there were 41 cars at Ministers’ disposal. Of these, 21 are either electric or hybrid models.

In 2019, ministers made an average of 25 journeys every day in the driven cars, used to ferry them and officials between their homes, work and appointments.

A spokesman for the Scottish Government said: ‘The increase in the number of vehicles reflects periods of investment, where new vehicles have been procured, and the vehicles being replaced were not disposed of immediately.

‘We are committed to phasing out petrol and diesel cars from the public sector fleet by 2025.’

Friends of the Earth Scotland director Dr Richard Dixon said: ‘While it is welcome to see the Scottish Government increasing the amount of electric and hybrid vehicles, they should be more willing to part with their polluting petrol and diesel models.’

‘One rule for them’