Nicola trip to US ‘a waste of taxpayer cash’
NICOLA Sturgeon has been accused of wasting taxpayers’ money as she prepares to jet out to the US only weeks after another senior minister crossed the Atlantic.
The First Minister is facing questions about why she is jetting off to America just over a month after her Constitution Secretary, Angus Robertson, made the same trip.
Previous visits have cost around £40,000 – leaving taxpayers facing an eye-watering bill that could approach £100,000 for the two separate trips.
Mr Robertson’s visit was arranged around ‘Scotland Week’, and included the Tartan Day Parade in New York on April 9.
The Scottish Government said his visit was designed to strengthen bonds with the US and Canada.
Miss Sturgeon’s programme of events, which has been dubbed an ‘indy tour’ by rivals, will include a keynote address on Scotland’s future and European energy.
Scottish Labour’s culture and external affairs spokesman Sarah Boyack said: ‘Questions need to be asked about why this could not have coincided with the USA’s Scotland Week last month.’
Miss Sturgeon’s visit includes a speech to think tank the Brookings Institution in Washington DC on ‘Scotland’s future and the importance of European energy security’; a GlobalScot dinner; a Climate Solutions Foundation event on COP26 and current affairs; a British American Business round table; and meetings with Congress members.
She is due to return to Scotland on Wednesday. The Scottish Government said that costs would be published proactively.
A previous visit to the US by Miss Sturgeon in 2019 cost taxpayers £44,000. The First Minister’s flights alone cost £7,098, including business class to Washington DC and the return flight from Toronto, while five nights in hotels cost another £950.
Seven support staff ran up £21,025 in flights, £6,644 in accommodation, and £3,064 in subsistence. All flights were economy class, except when Miss Sturgeon and her private secretary travelled business class on the two transatlantic legs.
Miss Sturgeon will fly to the US on a commercial flight. Her official spokesman said the visit was ‘only firmed up very shortly before it was announced’ last Monday.
Scottish Conservative constitution spokesman Donald Cameron said: ‘The SNP are wasting taxpayers’ money all over the shop. If it’s not ferries, it’s luxury trips to the States. In the middle of a cost of living crisis, every penny of government money should be well spent.’
‘Questions need to be asked’