Gray being chauffeured to football matches not a resigning issue – Forbes

Scotland’s Health Secretary being chauffeured in a ministerial car to football games is not a resigning matter, the Deputy First Minister has said.

Kate Forbes defended Neil Gray, who she said had operated within the rules around expenses and travel.

She said it was “appropriate” for Mr Gray – a Dons fan – to attend three Aberdeen FC matches at Hampden because his portfolio includes sport.

The Health Secretary is set to make a statement to Holyrood on Thursday over the row following calls from the Tories.

Mr Gray attended one of the cup ties during his time as Health Secretary while the other two were in his previous role as wellbeing economy, fair work and energy secretary.

All were paid for by the Scottish Football Association.

Speaking during a visit to the Clyde Gateway East Business Park in Glasgow, the Deputy First Minister defended her Cabinet colleague.

She told the PA news agency: “Neil Gray is the minister for health and sport, so it is quite appropriate that he engages with stakeholders in the health service but also within the sports world, and that includes football.

“Now he is making a statement to Parliament this week on the questions that have arisen in the press.

“He will be able to take questions from the opposition and answer them robustly, because he has operated, as I understand it, entirely within the rules of what governs both our transport as well as how we engage with stakeholders.”

Asked if it was a resigning issue, Ms Forbes said: “I don’t think it is, no. I think that as the minister for health and sport, it is entirely appropriate for him to engage with sports stakeholders.”

The Scottish Conservatives accused the SNP of “shoddy excuses” for Mr Gray and said the row “reeks of the Michael Matheson iPad affair”.

Mr Matheson quit as health secretary earlier this year following a row about a £10,000 roaming bill.

The politician had initially charged the taxpayer for the expense – run up during a family holiday by his sons – but later repaid it when the story broke.

He resigned ahead of a Holyrood report that found he broke the Parliament’s rules around expenses.

Rachael Hamilton, deputy leader of the Scottish Tories, said: “Once again, the public seems to be picking up the bill for an SNP minister to watch the football.

“Neil Gray must end the secrecy and outline in full the exact nature of these meetings and explain why he thinks they can possibly be considered as government business.

“The public’s trust in SNP politicians is broken and they are sick and tired of their rank hypocrisy.”

Ms Forbes said: “The Tories always have quite a considerable dollop of hypocrisy when making those comments.

“The point stands that Neil Gray will respond to their questions in our national Parliament this week.

“He will set out his position and I think the public will see that as the minister for health and sport it’s entirely appropriate for him to have engaged with sports stakeholders.”