Michael Matheson Receives Record Holyrood Ban Over iPad Scandal
Michael Matheson, former Scottish health secretary, has been banned from the Scottish Parliament for 27 sitting days and will lose his salary for 54 days due to an £11,000 data bill on his parliamentary iPad. The SNP did not support the sanction and called for a review of the complaints process. The sanctions will take effect from Thursday.
Michael Matheson, former Scottish health secretary, has been handed a record ban from Holyrood for breaching expenses policy.
Matheson accumulated an £11,000 data bill on his parliamentary iPad while on a family holiday in Morocco.
As a result, he will be barred from the Scottish Parliament for 27 sitting days and will have his salary withdrawn for 54 days.
The suspension will surpass previous record bans of one month.
This incident, which involved his children using his work device to watch football, was initially covered by taxpayers until Matheson agreed to pay it back.
The sanctions, recommended by the standards committee and passed by 64 votes in favor, will take effect from Thursday.
The SNP did not vote for the sanction and called for a review of the complaints process, citing potential bias.
Despite opposition, the final amended motion on the punishment was passed, with SNP members abstaining from the vote.
Matheson accumulated an £11,000 data bill on his parliamentary iPad while on a family holiday in Morocco.
As a result, he will be barred from the Scottish Parliament for 27 sitting days and will have his salary withdrawn for 54 days.
The suspension will surpass previous record bans of one month.
This incident, which involved his children using his work device to watch football, was initially covered by taxpayers until Matheson agreed to pay it back.
The sanctions, recommended by the standards committee and passed by 64 votes in favor, will take effect from Thursday.
The SNP did not vote for the sanction and called for a review of the complaints process, citing potential bias.
Despite opposition, the final amended motion on the punishment was passed, with SNP members abstaining from the vote.