SNP uses taxpayer money to fund transport to-and-from Nicola Sturgeon's leaving party
At least 12 taxpayer funded Scottish Government’s cars were used following Nicola Sturgeon’s leaving party, in a pub in central Edinburgh.
PA
Senior Scottish government ministers have sparked outrage after using taxpayer-funded vehicles to be transported to and from Nicola Sturgeon's farewell pub gathering.
The Scottish Government defended the use of vehicles, citing the need to protect secret documents carried by ministers.
Justification for why official confidential documents were present at a pub event is unclear.
Explaining the use of the 12 cars, a spokesman from the Scottish Government said: “Ministerial Transport for the 23 March was planned in accordance with guiding principles set out at paragraph 9.2 of the Scottish Ministerial Code.”
Ms Sturgeon’s departure is proving costly to the taxpayer, this comes following reports that the public fund had of late been used to front a business class flight and £500 hotel bill.
PA
The leaving party took place at The Ghillie Dhu pub in central Edinburgh, where Sturgeon reportedly performed a “mini-standup routine”.
Approximately 100 people joined the outgoing SNP leader after her final First Minister’s Questions on March 23.
Sturgeon’s husband, Peter Murrell, was also among those in attendance.
It has not been confirmed whether Sturgeon was among those who used the car service due to her travel logs remaining classified for safety reasons.
In 2022-23, the use of the Scottish Government’s car fleet cost the taxpayer over £1 million pounds.
PA
Tory MSP Annie Wells said: "The public who are grappling with a cost-of-living crisis will find this widespread use of the ministerial car fleet by senior SNP figures deeply inappropriate.
"Ministerial cars serve a purpose for official business, but they shouldn’t be used to ferry home a dozen nationalists after a night out in the capital.
"They shouldn’t be abusing this privilege at taxpayers’ expense and there is simply no justification for this waste of resources."
The public were also billed for a business class flight and £500-a-night hotel during the former First Minister's “farewell tour”.
Nicola SturgeonPAThe Scottish ministerial code advises ministers north of the border to make “cost-effective travel arrangements” which “could be defended in public”.
Taxpayers have also been coughing up over £1million per year for the Scottish Government’s 28-car fleet.
The cost includes a total of 23 drivers and staff.