Tory leader Douglas Ross and First Minister Humza Yousaf.
By Bill Heaney
“The First Minister said that it was a “legitimate” expense. Does he still believe that?”
The First Minister, Humza Yousaf, replied: “Let us remember that, when Michael Matheson discovered what had happened, after speaking again to his family and to his teenage boys about the use of his iPad, and as he laid out in full in a personal statement last week, he took the immediate decision to pay back the full amount.
“Michael Matheson has made mistakes in handling the issue. That is something that he has admitted to. In what I thought was a very emotional statement in the chamber, he gave the reasons why that happened. He wanted to protect his teenage boys from the frankly harsh political and public scrutiny that often comes with the roles that we occupy. On discovering from his teenage boys what had happened, he immediately agreed to pay back the full amount.
“Let me read a quote from an interview on STV: ‘I’m sorry. It was a big mistake. It’s something that shouldn’t have happened, but I am ultimately the only person responsible for that … This was a big mistake, by me, for which I’m deeply sorry. I know how badly I performed here and how much I’ve let people down and for that I’m very sorry’.
“That was a quote from Douglas Ross, when he failed to declare £28,000 of income.
“The point here is that we did not call for Douglas Ross to quit. We accepted the point that he had made an honest mistake. People will see through the hypocrisy of Douglas Ross saying that it is fine for him to make an honest mistake but that it is not fine for Michael Matheson to make an honest mistake.
“We will not get distracted by Douglas Ross’s political opportunism. The health secretary is getting on with the job of ensuring that our health service recovers through what will be a difficult winter.”
Douglas Ross replied: “Let us be very clear: my apology, which was full and frank, was about not declaring something; Michael Matheson tried to dupe the taxpayer out of £11,000. He wanted the taxpayer to pay £11,000.
“Is that the reason why the First Minister could not answer my question? Because he did not answer it, I will put it again. The First Minister previously said that that was a ‘legitimate’ expense claim. Does he still believe that?
“Michael Matheson claimed that £11,000 from the taxpayer and promised Parliament that it was for constituency work, but his story has changed. We are now supposed to believe that he did not understand why he had been billed so much and that he was clueless.
“Michael Matheson supposedly did not know anything about it, but he was certain that it was the taxpayers’ problem and that the bill was theirs to pay. If he had no idea what the bill was for, why on earth did he claim taxpayers’ money to pay it?”
The First Minister said: “Michael Matheson, in what I would say was a very emotional personal statement to the chamber, laid out in full detail the handling of the issue of the expenses in relation to his iPad, and he was clear that he should have handled it better. I agree with that. On discovery of the fact that his iPad had been used by his teenage boys, he agreed immediately to pay back the full amount. As a father of two children, including a teenager, I can understand the motivation to protect one’s family, but I agree with others in the chamber that it should not have been handled in this way, and Michael Matheson, of course, admitted to that.
“After making that personal statement, Michael Matheson has been getting on with the job of health secretary. That is why, on Monday, he chaired NHS Forth Valley’s annual review. That is why, this week, he has announced £42 million for an extra 153 doctor training places—the largest expansion on record. It is why he visited Glasgow Caledonian University’s school of health and life sciences. It is why he met the Royal College of Nursing this week. As much as Douglas Ross and the Conservatives want to distract him, what I have is a health secretary who is getting on with the job.”
However, Douglas Ross hit back: “We have a health secretary who claimed £11,000 from the taxpayer and a First Minister who will not simply answer whether that was a legitimate claim to make or not. Michael Matheson is taking the public for fools. He supposedly found out on Thursday two weeks ago what really happened. He apparently learned at that stage that there was personal use of the iPad and that other people had incurred the data costs. However, the following Monday, Michael Matheson was asked point blank whether there was any personal use of the iPad. He said no. He was asked directly whether anyone else had used it. He said no. Was the health secretary telling the truth when he gave those answers?”
The First Minister insisted: “I say for the third time that Michael Matheson accepts, admits and admitted to this chamber that he made mistakes in the handling. [Interruption.] Douglas Ross shouted at me, “Why?” I say again that Michael Matheson addressed that. He did what he did to protect his teenage boys. Did he make mistakes? Absolutely. Has he admitted that? Absolutely. Has he agreed to pay back the full amount? Absolutely.
“Is it not telling that Douglas Ross wants to talk about the health secretary? What he does not want to talk about is the savage cuts that the UK Government has unleashed on the health service through yesterday’s autumn statement. If we want to listen to those in the health service, let us hear from the Royal College of Nursing’s chief nurse, Professor Nicola Ranger. She said that the autumn statement is ‘short-sighted’ and that ‘the NHS faces a multi-billion pound deficit’.
“The Conservatives do not want to hear from nurses. They want to try to distract, deflect and dodge away from the fact that their autumn statement has led to savage cuts to the health service. We will not let them forget that.”
Douglas Ross told him: “The only person deflecting here is Humza Yousaf, who cannot give honest answers. If everything to do with Michael Matheson was an honest mistake, why have there been so many dishonest statements about it? While Michael Matheson’s story has unraveled, Humza Yousaf has been caught up in it. He was told by Michael Matheson last Tuesday what actually happened with the personal use, but the following day—last Wednesday—Humza Yousaf told the press and the public, ‘For me, the matter is now closed’. He continued that Michael Matheson had taken the decision ‘given the honest mistake he has made in relation to the updating of the SIM card’. He stuck to the same story that he knew was false.
“This morning, the Deputy First Minister [Shona Robison] was further embroiled in the scandal. She was asked whether, on a point of principle, ministers in the Scottish Government always tell the Parliament and the public the truth. She refused to answer that question, so let me ask Humza Yousaf a question. If Government ministers need to be honest, why is Michael Matheson still in a job?”
The First Minister answered: “I will say, for the fourth time, that Michael Matheson admits to making mistakes in the handling of this issue. It is astonishing that the party of Boris Johnson—a man who Douglas Ross described as ‘honest’—can lecture anybody about standards in public life.
“It is telling that, today, just before First Minister’s question time, the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body, said: ‘In the interest of fairness to all, and to avoid prejudicing its investigation, the SPCB will, as of now, not comment on any matters that could have a bearing on this process or provide a running commentary’.
“I think that it is right that we let the SPCB get on with the job that it has got to do, and Michael Matheson will get on with the job of ensuring that he protects the health service through what will be a difficult winter.”