Wanted: £80k-a-year executive to head up the SNP’s ‘embassy’ in, er, Washington!
THE SNP Government is looking for someone to head its controversial ‘embassy’ in the US – on a salary of £83,000 a year.
The current chief of the Washington office, Chris Thomson, a former Scottish Prison Service HR ‘business partner’, is to leave after his contract came to an end.
The nine overseas offices, in countries including China, have caused outrage over their rising budgets, as taxes increase in Scotland and public services here suffer.
There has also been concern over security, with fears they could be soft targets for foreign spies, and criticism they cut across the devolution agreement, with foreign policy reserved to Westminster.
Foreign Secretary David Cameron rebuked Humza Yousaf this month after the First Minister met Turkey’s Prime Minister at the COP28 climate summit in Dubai without proper Civil Service representation.
A further attempt by the SNP to trumpet its international credentials sparked derision this month when Net Zero Secretary Mairi McAllan claimed ‘world leaders are approaching the
Scottish Government asking for our advice on how we have managed to lead the way so successfully on a number of fronts’.
Ms McAllan has refused to specify what advice has been sought or by whom.
The budget for the SNP’s overseas offices has increased by more than £1 million in two years, to about £9 million, amid cuts to services and tax increases for Scots.
The Scottish Government’s new chief in Washington will be paid between £83,328 and £84,456 and will benefit from ‘a Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27 per cent’. The post is a three-year contract.
The job description states: ‘This role leads the Scottish Government’s presence in the United States.’
The new chief will ‘work with communities of interest across the US political scene’, as well as ‘developing networks in target State Governments’.
They will ‘represent the Scottish Government, including managing the relationship with the UK Government at post,’ and advise the ‘ UK diplomatic mission to the US’ on devolved and reserved policies that ‘impact on Scotland’.
Scottish Conservative external affairs spokesman Donald Cameron said: ‘While Scotland’s businesses, taxpayers and public services are reeling from Shona Robison’s disastrous Budget, this lucrative job ad perfectly illustrates the SNP’s skewed priorities.
‘Brutal cuts may have been inflicted on Scotland’s essential services by Ministers but, of course, the SNP still found extra cash for the constitution and external affairs budget to promote their independence obsession.
‘The successful applicant for this will not only enjoy a generous salary but will be spared the punitive income tax rates their employer has imposed on Scots.’
The head of office manages a team of three in the Scottish Government office, which is located in the British Embassy in Washington. There are also two non-diplomatic staff.
The new bureau chief will be expected to come to Scotland ‘at least once a year to engage with stakeholders within and outwith the Scottish Government’.
Applications to succeed Mr Thomson closed on Thursday. Other offices are located in Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, the Irish Republic and London.
One of the biggest is the Brussels office, which this year had a budget of £2.5 million and 17 staff including 11 classed as ‘diplomatic’.
A Scottish Government spokesman said: ‘The head of the Washington office role is a time limited post and the recruitment process for appointing Mr Thomson’s replacement is ongoing.’
‘Illustrates the SNP’s skewed priorities’