AN SNP minister has been reprimanded after using parliamentary resources to score party political points and brag about his private good deeds.
Ivan McKee was “reminded” of the rules on political neutrality after a member of the public complained to Holyrood’s presiding officer, Ken Macintosh.
It followed Mr McKee criticising the UK government and boasting about giving away his own money in a recent newsletter to his constituents in Glasgow Provan.
The trade minister said he had been “supporting local residents impacted by Green Deal scheme” who had been “badly let down by the UK Government - the fight for justice continues”.
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The millionaire former businessman also used a page and a half of the newsletter to boast about giving away half of his MSP’s salary to local firms, schools and clubs.
The document, which declared its costs had been “met from Parliamentary resources”, should have restricted its content to Mr McKee’s parliamentary work.
In his response to the complainer, Mr Macintosh said Mr McKee had been in the wrong and breached the policy of the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body (SPCB).
He wrote: “The comment in relation to the Green Deal Scheme and the UK Government should not have been included.
“Under the SPCB’s policy on Members’ publications, parliamentary funded publications should not include material that criticises any person, political party, the government or other organisation involved in political campaigning. Mr McKee has therefore been reminded of the rules surrounding parliamentary funded publications in relation to this point.”
Mr Macintosh said it was not a conflict of interest for Mr McKee to publicise his private charitable donations, as private donations were a matter for MSPs as individuals.
But the Presiding Officer went on: “However, Mr McKee has been reminded that the purpose of any parliamentary funded publication is to promote his work as an MSP either in the constituency or the Parliament.
“He has agreed that including his private donation is not necessary to advise constituents of the work he is doing with these organisations in his role as an MSP and in future his publications will only show the connection with his work as an MSP and not his actions as a private individual.”
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Glasgow Labour MSP James Kelly said: “This is embarrassing for Ivan McKee.
“It is absolutely right that the Presiding Officer and parliamentary authorities have taken him to task for using taxpayers’ money for his own political gain.
“Maybe if he spent more time doing his day job instead of printing political propaganda at the public’s expense Scotland’s economy wouldn’t be struggling.”
A Scottish Parliament spokesperson said: “The purpose of any parliamentary funded publication is to promote MSPs’ work either in the constituency or the Parliament. On review of the newsletter in question, it was found that one item should not have been included.”
An SNP spokesperson said: “Ivan McKee's newsletter was approved by the Scottish Parliament's allowances team before it was published."
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