The wine bill for the former First Minister’s grace and favour residence in Edinburgh’s Charlotte Square averaged £46 per week in her last year in office – and she spent four times as much on wine as she did on soft drinks and sparkling water, according to her friends on the Scottish Daily Express
By Rory Murphy
Taxpayers have picked up another hefty wine bill at the First Minister’s boozy Bute House residence, it has been revealed. The bar tab for last year up to February 15 – the day Nicola Sturgeon announced her resignation – was £2,118.05.
The wine was purchased for official engagements and receptions at the Edinburgh mansion, and the cost – released under Freedom of Information – represents a return to pre-pandemic levels of spending after two years where very few events were held at Bute House.
Overall, the Scottish Government spent at least £6,762.63 on wine over the past six years of Ms Sturgeon’s reign, although officials admit this is “likely” to be an underestimate as other bottles would’ve been included in the catering costs.
By contrast, the amount spent on sparkling water and soft drinks over the same period was just £1912.32 – barely a quarter of the spend on wine, despite the SNP’s push to encourage Scots to drink less alcohol through measures such as minimum pricing.
Somewhat ironically, in previous years, the average amount spent on a bottle of wine for the Bute House cellars was around £16 – far higher than the minimum price of £4.50 for a 12% ABV, 750ml bottle.
When the pre-pandemic wine bill was revealed last year, opposition parties questioned whether it was the best use of public money.
At the time, Lib Dem finance spokesman John Ferry said: “It’s a shame this wining and dining of dignitaries and business leaders doesn’t seem to have provided any boost to the Scottish economy, which continues to underperform on the back of SNP-Green policy failures.”
And Scottish Labour MSP Neil Bibby said: “The people of Scotland deserve a government with its eye on the ball not one racking up such a big bar tab at their expense.”
Bute House wine bill
- 2022-23 – £2,118.05 (up to February 15)
- 2021-22 – £84
- 2020-21 – Nil
- 2019-20 – £2,048.80
- 2018-19 – £2,391.78
- 2017-18 – £84
- 2016-17 – £36
The Scottish Government said: “It is possible that further bottles of wine will have been provided as part of the wider catering for certain events, and that seems likely to be the case.”
Events at Bute House in 2022-23
- August 8 – All Festivals reception
- August 10 – Reception to celebrate links between Scotland and the USA
- August 15 – Edinburgh International Book Festival reception
- October 3 – Scottish Human Rights Defender Fellows Meeting and Reception
- October 27 – CBI Scottish Leaders Mentoring Scheme reception
- November 3 – FSB Awards Reception
- November 15 – Brave@Heart Awards reception
- December 1 – IoD Directors of the Year Awards Reception
- December 13 – Media Reception
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February 2 – Industry Leadership Group Reception
Some of the boozy events at Bute House during 2022-23 included a Christmas gathering for Holyrood political reporters in December and two Edinburgh Festivals receptions in August. Guests at the Edinburgh International Book Festival knees-up included Ms Sturgeon’s friend, the crime author Val McDermid.