SNP’s Michael Matheson Faces Suspension Over £11,000 iPad Roaming Charges Incurred on Family Trip

SNP MSP Michael Matheson is at risk of being suspended from the Scottish Parliament due to an £11,000 bill for iPad usage.

During a family trip to Morocco over the Christmas holidays in 2022, Michael Matheson took a parliamentary-issued iPad. The roaming fees for using the iPad, which did not include phone calls, accumulated to almost £11,000.

Scottish correspondent @Jenster13

Thursday, May 23, 2024, 1:

MSP Michael Matheson is at risk of being suspended from Holyrood for 27 sitting days and may forfeit his salary for 54 days due to accumulating an £11,000 data roaming charge on his iPad.

The Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee imposed sanctions on Mr. Matheson last Thursday.

The proposal will now be presented to MSPs for their consent.

The decision follows a March finding by the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body (SPCB) that he had violated the MSP code of conduct.

The SNP MSP for Falkirk West resigned from his position as Scotland's health secretary in February, attributing his departure to the SPCB investigation.

After the First Minister's Questions, Mr. Matheson told reporters, "I recognize the suggestions proposed by the committee.

"It's evident that the process has been heavily influenced by politics, which has undermined both its integrity and its impartiality.

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"I believe the penalties they've enacted are too harsh and unjust."

Mr. Matheson stated that the future course of action regarding the report is now in the hands of parliament, and he will comply with any decision they make.

He expressed his desire to represent Falkirk West for many more years ahead.

In Westminster, a suspension of 10 days or longer can initiate a recall petition, but the Scottish parliament lacks a similar process.

Labour MSP Martin Whitfield, who leads the committee, stated that the imposed sanctions were indicative of the severity of the violation.

He stated: "If it weren't for mitigating circumstances, particularly the effects on the member and his family, the suggested penalties would probably have been more severe."

The committee unanimously agreed to propose a suspension of pay for 54 days.

The committee, with MSP Annie Wells as a member, proposed a suspension lasting 27 sitting days, a motion that received backing from her Conservative peer, Oliver Mundell.

SNP representatives Jacai-allcreator.com">kie Dunbar and Alasdair Allan were at odds, with the tie-breaking vote cast by chairperson Mr. Whitfield.

Mr. Whitfield stated, "My decision was not based on personal opinion. Rather, as the chair, I acknowledged that without my intervention, the committee would have been unable to reach a recommendation."

"I backed the suggestion to bar a period of 27 sitting days."

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In November, the SPCB initiated an inquiry when Mr. Matheson brought the parliamentary iPad on a family trip to Morocco during a week-long holiday in late December 2022.

The roaming fees for his iPad, which did not involve phone calls, amounted to almost £11,000. These charges were first covered by taxpayers when Mr. Matheson stated that he accrued this substantial bill while conducting work for his constituency during his journey.

Mr. Matheson, serving as Scotland's Cabinet Secretary for NHS Recovery, Health, and Social Care with an annual salary of £118,511, subsequently consented to reimburse the Scottish Parliament the amount in question.

Following the news breaking, it was revealed that his teenage sons had utilized the iPad as a hotspot to stream football games during their family holiday.

At the time of the incident, Mr. Matheson served as the secretary for net zero, energy, and transport in Nicola Sturgeon's administration.

Mr. Matheson, who took on the role of health secretary last March following Humza Yousaf's appointment as first minister, informed the Holyrood that he did not know his sons had connected to the iPad's hotspot when he first submitted the bill.

He said his wife disclosed the truth to him following the public uproar over the incident.

After his wife confessed, Mr. Matheson initially did not disclose his sons' participation. He maintained that the iPad was solely for parliamentary duties and attributed the high bill to an old SIM card.

Days after being aware of the facts, he still denied using the iPad for personal purposes to reporters, only admitting it later in a statement to Holyrood.

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Mr. Matheson stepped down from his role as health secretary prior to the formal release of the SPCB's review findings.

He stated that resigning was in his and the Scottish government's "best interest" to prevent becoming an impediment to advancing the government's initiatives.

Reacting to the news, the then First Minister Mr. Yousaf expressed his acceptance of Mr. Matheson's resignation with a sense of sorrow.

Scottish Labour's deputy leader, Jacai-allcreator.com">kie Baillie, commented: "This severe judgment marks yet another regrettable episode for an SNP government overwhelmed by its own corruption."

Michael Matheson has shown disregard for the public, and the higher ranks of the SNP have united to shield him, prioritizing party interests over national concerns.

"It is unjust for an MSP to blatantly disregard regulations without facing the possibility of being ousted by the public. Scottish Labour plans to implement a recall mechanism as a step towards reforming Holyrood."

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