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Former Scottish Health Secretary ‘Breached Code of Conduct’
Following a much-publicised iPad data roaming charge to the tune of £11,000, Michael Matheson has been found to have breached the MSPs code of conduct. But is Matheson the only one at blame?
Having stepped down as a result of an internal investigation, the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body (SPCB) has published its findings with the case now moving on to the Holyrood standards committee to deem if Matheson should be sanctioned.
The £11,000 in data roaming charges were initially incurred while Matheson was on holiday in Morroco with his family. At first, the former health secretary claimed that the device had only been used for parliamentary purposes, but he later conceded that the iPad had been used as a hotspot for his children to stream football matches.
In points three and four of the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body’s investigation, it stated that:
- The SPCB decided that, based on the evidence presented in the Investigation Report and its findings in fact, Mr Matheson had breached sections 7.3 and 7.4 of the Code of Conduct and thereby upheld the three complaints within the SPCB’s remit.
- While the costs to the public purse had been addressed, the SPCB agreed that the Nolan Principles of Standards in Public Life, embedded in the Scheme and underpinning the appropriate use of parliamentary resources, represented the high standard by which all Members must abide and in which the SPCB considered the public must continue to have confidence.
While it’s fair to concede a degree of negligence on Matheson’s part, it also signals negligence from the network provider and speaks to a broader question of how it could/should ever be possible to rack up £11,000 in roaming fees.
Roaming charges are the higher prices that mobile networks charge for your device use when abroad.
It has always been more expensive the moment you leave Europe, with some providers charging £7 a megabyte for data and nearly £4 a minute to make or receive a phone call, according to personal finance site MoneySavingExpert.
Scottish Conservative chairman Craig Hoy MSP said: “This is a devastating and damning report for the disgraced former health secretary.
“It is little wonder he was shamefully stalling for time on its publication given he has been found to have breached the MSPs’ code of conduct multiple times.
“This amounts to the most serious of charges against any elected member and Mr Matheson must do the right thing and resign as an MSP now.”
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He added: “He must also confirm that he will not take a penny of his ministerial severance pay given what the report has found.
“The public saw through the repeated lies from the outset and now they have been fully exposed. Humza Yousaf also must urgently explain why he backed his former cabinet colleague for so long, rather than sacking him when his lies were first uncovered.”
Scottish Labour deputy leader Jackie Baillie said “appropriate action” must be taken against the former health secretary.
“The conclusion of this long-running investigation is to be welcomed, but the findings pose serious questions for the first minister and the SNP government,” she said.
“The fact is that Humza Yousaf and senior ministers were complicit in Michael Matheson’s attempt to mislead the parliament.
“This is a serious error of judgment. Appropriate action must be taken against Mr Matheson.”
