The fallout from the Michael Matheson affair continues to grip our readers.
On Saturday one of our readers argued that the SNP was “mired in sleaze and secrecy” and then argued that “it’s time to drain the Holyrood swamp”.
Read more: Shameless Matheson has exposed how feeble Yousaf is
Today a correspondent hits back, contending that Westminster is the real swamp, “filled with decades-long sleaze, corruption and sexual misconduct”.
GR Weir of Ochiltree writes:
"I have already stated that Michael Matheson should have resigned over his iPad bill, but was taken aback by the execration toward him on the Letters Pages.
"Allan Thompson asserts that government in Scotland is mired in sleaze and secrecy, and it’s time to 'drain the swamp' by closing Holyrood down. Let us remind ourselves that Westminster is the real 'swamp', filled with decades-long sleaze, corruption and sexual misconduct (examples from the expenses scandal to PFI procurement are available).
“'Imagine… the uproar… if this had been the Tory Party', writes Mr Thompson. Well, it cost the public £245,000 for Boris Johnson’s Partygate inquiry lawyers. He resigned from Parliament before he could be suspended, so the lawyers were never used.
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"Did this multi-millionaire cover the costs? Liz Truss, while Foreign Secretary, cost the taxpayer £500,000 to fly by private plane to Australia rather than use a scheduled airline. When found out she paid not a penny toward this cost.
"Both these two ex-prime ministers were entitled to tax-funded 'grants' when they got the boot, and then substantial annual dollops of public moneys (for life, even for Ms Truss, who was only in office for 44 days), though they were both embarrassing, expensive failures in government. There is even talk of Mr Sunak resurrecting Mr Johnson’s political career.
"Mr Thompson can have his Westminster lot and I’ll go with a self-governing Scotland."
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