Minister 'doing job' using chauffeur at football

Health Secretary Neil Gray was "doing his job" when he used a ministerial car to attend three Aberdeen football matches at Hampden, a cabinet colleague has said.

Gray - an Aberdeen fan - was criticised by opposition figures after The Sunday Post revealed he was chauffeur-driven to three cup games at the national stadium, as well as a league match at Pittodrie.

Gillian Martin, acting net zero and energy secretary, said the events were "in line with his government duties".

A government spokesperson said the publicly-funded car trips were "in accordance with travel and subsistence policies to ensure we deliver the best value for money possible for the Scottish public".

Gray was given VIP seats at Hampden - as a guest of the Scottish Football Association (SFA) - three times, once in his current role and two when he was wellbeing economy, fair work and energy secretary.

The Airdrie and Shotts MSP watched Aberdeen v Hibernian in Scottish League Cup semi-final in November, and the final against Rangers in December, as well as the semi-final of the Scottish Cup against Celtic in April.

The minister, originally from Orkney, was also driven to an Aberdeen home league match against Livingston in May during a day of ministerial visits in the city.

The first two matches were logged on the Scottish government's ministerial engagements, travel and gifts register as meetings with the SFA about the “social impact” of investment in sport.

The latter two were registered under the subject "sport".

Gray took over as health secretary from Michael Matheson in February 2023.

Matheson quit after an £11k data roaming bill was racked up on his parliamentary iPad, which he said had been used by his sons to watch football matches during a family holiday.

A government spokesperson said that sport is part of Gray's remit as health secretary, and said he regularly attended sporting events "to support workers and players".

Martin told BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland: "It’s my understanding that Neil Gray was doing his job as cabinet secretary for health and sport and it seems to be he’s done visits in line with his government duties in line with his responsibilities for sport.

"So you would use a ministerial car to get to somewhere where you were doing a ministerial event and that’s pretty standard.”

She added: “The fact of the matter is you wouldn’t get a ministerial car unless there was a ministerial visit attached to that.

"And that’s just a fact. You would not be able to arrange a ministerial car unless it was ministerial business.”

Ministers are entitled to publicly funded car transport as part of their job. The policy states it “cannot be provided from public funds for journeys where the principal purpose is not connected to the performance of ministerial duties”.

Other minsters have also used the chauffeur service for sporting events in recent months.

Siobhian Brown, the community safety minister, went to Scotland's friendly against Finland at Hampden, describing it as being related to “safer communities”.

Employment and Investment Minister Tom Arthur used the car service for a trip to Hampden to watch the Scottish Cup final between Celtic and Rangers. He registered it as a ministerial visit for “sport/investment”.

Scottish Conservative deputy leader Rachael Hamilton called for the health secretary to make a statement to Holyrood as she accused him of making "shoddy excuses".

She said: “Neil Gray must explain the full facts of what he’s done to the Scottish Parliament and let the public judge for themselves," she said.

Scottish Labour deputy leader Jackie Baillie said: "These taxpayer-funded trips are bound to raise some eyebrows and Neil Gray must explain clearly how all of these journeys can be considered Scottish government business."

Responding to the Conservatives, an SNP spokesperson said: "This faux outrage from the Tories would have more credibility were it not for the fact that they themselves have repeatedly attended sporting events in their MSP capacity.

"No doubt they did so because they agree with us that it is very important for elected representatives to support Scotland's thriving sporting events."