- MSPs will vote this week on whether to impose fine and suspension recommended by Holyrood committee
- But Scottish Greens refuse to back Tory motion for shamed SNP politician to resign as MSP because it is ‘nasty’
Michael Matheson’s refusal to resign over his £11,000 iPad bill has brought the ‘integrity’ of the Scottish parliament into disrepute, it was claimed yesterday.
The Nationalist former health secretary is under growing pressure to quit as MSPs are encouraged to ‘restore public trust’ by voting for a motion for him to leave Holyrood.
Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross will this week ask MSPs to either support a motion demanding Mr Matheson resigns as an MSP or back him despite his ‘unacceptable’ conduct.
John Swinney came under fire last week for rejecting the sanctions against Mr Matheson recommended by Holyrood chiefs.
Michael Matheson tried to charge a near-£11,000 data roaming bill racked up during a family holiday to Morocco to taxpayers
And it emerged yesterday that the Scottish Greens are planning to vote against the motion, branding it ‘nasty opportunism’.
Mr Matheson was forced to quit as health secretary after it emerged he had tried to charge a near-£11,000 data roaming bill racked up during a family holiday to Morocco to taxpayers.
Holyrood’s standards committee recommended a £10,936 salary fine and a 27-day suspension for Mr Matheson, after he was found guilty of multiple breaches of parliamentary rules.
But the First Minister claimed the process was ‘prejudiced’ and he will not back these sanctions.
Mr Ross yesterday said that forcing Mr Matheson out was vital to restoring public trust in Holyrood. He said: ‘In any other line of work, Michael Matheson would lose his job.’
He added: ‘MSPs must stand up for the integrity of the Scottish parliament and restore public trust by voting in favour of our motion calling for Michael Matheson’s resignation.’
But the Scottish Greens branded the Tory plan ‘unscrupulous and vindictive’.
A spokesman said: ‘Michael Matheson made a mistake for which he has already been punished, but it is the view of the Green group of MSPs that it is correct that he receives further parliamentary sanction, and we will vote for such action.
‘What we will not do is support the unscrupulous and vindictive calls for him to resign from the Tories who are being not just shallow and callous, but abusing their positions as parliamentarians through partisan self-interest.’
Scottish Tory chairman Craig Hoy said: ‘We can only guess at what the Greens have been promised in return for backing the disgraced MSP.’
