Public trust in Scotland’s politicians will be “destroyed” unless MSPs back a vote calling on Michael Matheson to resign.
That’s the stark warning from the Scottish Conservatives, who have tabled the motion demanding the disgraced former health secretary quit as the member for Falkirk West in the wake of the iPad roaming charges scandal.
The debate comes in the wake of the cross-party standards committee recommending a 27-day suspension and 54-day salary forfeit, after Michael Matheson billed the taxpayer £11,000 for a bill racked up on a family holiday to Morocco.
Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross has slammed John Swinney’s decision to back his SNP friend and colleague and warned that Scots will be “incandescent with rage” if MSPs back the First Minister and reprieve someone who “would have been sacked in any other walk of life”.
Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross said: “Public trust in MSPs is on the line in today’s vote – and it will be destroyed if SNP and Greens MSPs do a dodgy deal to save Michael Matheson’s skin.
“Michael Matheson outrageously billed the taxpayer £11,000 for roaming charges he racked up while on holiday. He then repeatedly misled the public and parliament to cover his tracks and only paid back the money when he was rumbled.
“Michael Matheson would have been sacked in any other walk of life for what he did. That is why opinion polls show the vast majority believe he has to go.
“The public will be incandescent with rage with every MSP who fails to back this motion because those politicians will effectively be saying: ‘normal rules don’t apply to us – we’re better than you’.
“MSPs must vote for our motion to tell Michael Matheson he must finally do the decent thing and quit.”