STURGEON TAKE S US FOR A RIDE
Leader’s on stump in Ministerial car YOU are paying for
NICOLA Sturgeon was last night under fire for using her taxpayer-funded Ministerial car to go electioneering around Scotland .
The First Minister has been spotted arriving in her chauffeur-driven government car to a series of SNP gatherings across the country.
Yesterday, she used the black Volvo to travel to Ellon, Aberdeenshire, and has used it to get to campaign events in the Borders and Angus, and to an independence rally in Glasgow.
The Ministerial Code of Conduct states that the cars, which are funded by the public purse for government business, should not be used for personal or party matters – unless it is ‘justified on security grounds’.
Last night, critics accused the First Minister of ‘taking taxpayers for a ride’ by exploiting a privilege while working for her party – and called for the SNP to foot the bill.
Labour MSP Neil Findlay said hard-working Scots did not pay their taxes so that Ms Sturgeon could ‘travel in the lap of luxury to independence rallies’.
There are already concerns about the use of the perk after it emerged that taxpayers had been left with a £1.3 million bill for chauffeuring SNP Ministers.
Ms Sturgeon, who cannot drive, has repeatedly used the car for party business. Earlier this month she was driven to an independence rally at George Square, in her home city of Glasgow, on a Saturday.
On November 6, she used the car to get to former MP John Nicolson’s campaign launch in Alloa, Clackmannanshire. Last week, the saloon took her to campaign with Calum Kerr in Hawick, Roxburghshire.
Yesterday, she was driven in the Ministerial motor to campaign in Arbroath, in Angus, and Ellon.
Ms Sturgeon has already clocked up hundreds of miles with weeks of campaigning still to go.
It is understood that, previously, Ministerial cars were used only at party events directly before or after government business.
Mr Findlay said: ‘If the reports that the First Minister is using a taxpayer-funded Ministerial car for campaigning are true then she has serious questions to answer.
‘The Ministerial Code is quite clear – these cars should not be used for campaigning or private use
‘These cars should not be used for campaigning’
unless there are security reasons. If such concerns are why the First Minister is using the car, I’d suggest her party foot the bill for appropriate transport, not the taxpayer.
‘At the moment it looks like the First Minister takes the Scottish taxpayer for a ride.
‘I asked only last month how many times the First Minister had used a bus for official business. The answer was never.
‘We pay our taxes to fund our NHS and the welfare state, not so the First Minister can travel in the lap of luxury to independence rallies.’
Scottish Tory MSP Murdo Fraser said: ‘There are questions to ask here of the First Minister. Never mind a climate emergency – the latMinisterial est emergency could be at the heart of the SNP’s expenses department.’
Security around senior politicians has tightened, particularly after the murder of MP Jo Cox in 2016.
Later that year, Police Scotland doubled Ms Sturgeon’s security.
John O’Connell, of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: ‘It’s reasonable for the First Minister to have police protection, but that shouldn’t stretch to politicians bringing Ministerial mod cons on the campaign trail.’
The Scottish Government has hammered motorists with anti-car policies, from low-emission zones to workplace parking taxes.
Most diesel cars, and older petrol ones, are already set to be banned from Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Dundee city centres.
However, Ms Sturgeon has made clear the Government plans to go further and may look to introduce ultra-low or zero-emission zones.
Her use of government cars will also raise questions about election spending limits. Parties’ spending is capped at £30,000 per constituency.
The SNP is contesting all 59 Scottish seats, so their limit is less than £1.8 million. It is unclear whether Ms Sturgeon’s travel would be included in that.
Last night, the SNP declined to say whether it would reimburse the use of government cars, adding: ‘In accordance with advice from Police Scotland, we do not disclose car travel arrangements.’
A Scottish Government spokesman also said that, after guidance from Police Scotland, ‘the First Minister’s car travel arrangements are not disclosed’.