The Health Secretary is a bare-faced liar and anyone who doesn't back our no ... trends now
It's been clear for years that the SNP in government has been arrogant, secretive, authoritarian and unaccountable. The ferries fiasco, the Lochaber smelter deal, the Rangers court case and a stubborn refusal to come clean on things like legal advice and the cost of their independence obsession testifies to that.
It’s obvious, too, that they’re not interested in, or competent at, the basic job of government. This is why the NHS, justice, education and other public services are at breaking point.
We all know that, on everything from making fantasy assertions about Scotland’s economy, to parroting unfounded (and now thoroughly disproven) claims about wind capacity or the number of green jobs, that they play fast and loose with the facts.
But all of these things are at least political issues and judgments.
It’s beyond me why anyone doesn’t see that the country is worse off after years of SNP-Green mismanagement. But, as any politician knows, you can’t persuade everyone, more’s the pity.
However, the Matheson case is a completely different kettle of fish.
Michael Matheson’s statements show he had no intention of paying iPad bill
This is about the misuse of public funds. It’s about dishonesty
It isn’t party political. The issues involved aren’t remotely partisan. And despite the initial lies and cover-up, the key facts are no longer in dispute.
No one, not even anyone in the SNP, has actually come out and said that, if a Minister wrongly claims public funds, then covers it up, and then, when the cover-up is exposed, tells a series of lies and finally admits that he lied to parliament and the media, he ought to keep his job. When you spell it out, it’s so preposterous that it seems to be impossible that anyone would try it on.
But that’s Humza Yousaf’s position. And, when the vote of no confidence in Michael Matheson is brought before parliament – as the Scottish Conservatives, the only party with the numbers to do so, have committed to do – it will be the position of any MSP who does not back the motion.
It’s about the misuse of public funds. It’s about dishonesty.
For all the flannel around them, even Michael Matheson’s own statements make that abundantly clear.
The Health Secretary ran up a huge £11,000 bill on a parliamentary iPad while on holiday. Then he got parliament (which means you, the Scottish taxpayer) to foot most of the bill, while the remainder was paid through his office expenses (which again means you, the Scottish taxpayer).
This happened at the beginning of this year, but only came to light a couple of weeks ago, when people started asking questions.
Mr Matheson had no business claiming that money at all, because the parliament had clear rules on data roaming at the time and had reminded him (and all MSPs) about them. That’s a resigning issue.
Mr Matheson initially claimed this was an oversight. That doesn’t matter. It doesn’t explain why we should be paying for
