THE SNP has landed taxpayers with a bill of up to £175,000 for a byelection after criticising others over the same thing.
The cost is a result of Airdrie & Shotts MP Neil Gray quitting Westminster and standing for the equivalent Holyrood seat.
The SNP expected the ensuing byelection to be on the same day as the Holyrood vote, May 6, thus minimising costs.
The party demanded Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross, who aims to return to Holyrood as a Highlands & Islands list MSP, quit as the MP for Moray for the same reason.
On Wednesday, SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford boasted at PMQs: “By doing the right thing, he [Neil Gray] will avoid a dual mandate and a separate by-election that would cost the public £175,000.”
However the SNP failed to account for the pandemic.
North Lanarkshire Council today confirmed there would be a standalone byelection on May 13 because of Covid safety concerns, meaning a separate bill for taxpayers.
The council had been expecting the byelection to be on April 29, based on standard parliamentary procedure, the legal timetable for the vote and pandemic precautions.
However, in an unusual move, the SNP today asked that the parliamentary writ triggering the byelection be moved on April 6, making the byelection date either May 6 or 13.
The returning officer for the byelection chose May 13.
READ MORE: Douglas Ross confirms plan to be 'double-jobbing' MP and MSP
Scottish Conservative candidate Annie Wells said: “This is an utter humiliation for Ian Blackford. His shameless grandstanding has backfired spectacularly.
“Douglas Ross hasn’t cost taxpayers an extra penny but it turns out that Blackford’s own colleague Neil Gray will force a by-election, exposing the SNP’s outbursts as sheer short-sighted hypocrisy.
“Ian Blackford should make up for this embarrassing gaffe by going on national television to explain why his own SNP MP is costing taxpayers up to £175,000, at least according to the SNP’s own figures.”
A spokesperson for the Returning Officer said: “The trigger for a by-election is a writ being served from the United Kingdom parliament. The writ is now anticipated to be served on April 7 and the Returning Officer is required by law to organise a by-election between 21 and 27 working days from the day after this.
“In reaching a decision, the Returning Officer has carried out a risk assessment which, in particular, deals with three key areas: Covid-19 safety, the integrity of both the Scottish Parliament election on May 6 and the by-election, and the ability of staff to safely deliver two complex processes in tandem.
“Having considered the relative risks, and having taken advice from other stakeholders including public health colleagues, the Returning Officer has concluded that it is considerably safer to hold the by-election for the Airdrie and Shotts constituency for the UK Parliament on Thursday May 13. This decision relies on receipt of the writ as anticipated on April 7.
“Holding this by-election on either May 6 or May 13 leads to significant challenges, not least in ensuring voters have all the information they require to be able to cast their vote.
“We will do everything we can to ensure voters have that information in advance of both the Scottish Parliament elections and the by-election.”
READ MORE: MSPs standing down from Holyrood to get ‘golden goodbye’ payments totalling £1.5m
Mr Gray is hoping to be elected to Holyrood in the seat previously held by former SNP minister Alex Neil.
The SNP has selected modern studies teacher Anum Qaisar-Javed as its candidate for the Westminister byelection.
Council sources downplayed the SNP's estimate of £175,000 as the cosrt of the byelection.
An SNP spokesperson said:"Neil Gray stood down from the UK Parliament to seek election to the Scottish Parliament, and to fulfil party rules against holding a dual mandate.
"Neil took guidance on timing to ensure a by-election could be held on May 6th - the same date as the Scottish Parliament election.
"Ultimately though, the decision of which date to hold the by-election lies with the Labour-run North Lanarkshire Council, once the writ has been moved."
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