Scottish Labour may regret endorsing ministerial austerity in its attack on SNP spending on VIP services for Nicola Sturgeon – Scotsman comment

Taxpayers’ money was used to buy 21 copies of Michael Barber’s book, How to Run a Government so that Citizens Benefit and Taxpayers Don’t Go Crazy. It’s unclear how many of them were read

As First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon enjoyed VIP treatment at airports at the taxpayers' expense (Picture: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

The revelation that civil servants spent almost £10,000 on VIP airport services for former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon – along with other expenditure on government-issued bank cards – shows the SNP has been “frittering away public money on frivolous purchases”, according to Scottish Labour.

Other more unusual purchases included yoga classes, a £1.59 leaving card, Edinburgh Festival tickets, and 21 copies of “How to Run a Government so that Citizens Benefit and Taxpayers Don’t Go Crazy”, a book by Michael Barber, former head of Tony Blair’s delivery unit (were they read, we wonder). There was also £4,182 for hospitality and accommodation at the five-star Gleneagles Hotel before the 2019 Solheim Cup golf tournament, including £856 for “hospitality with UK sports minister”. ‘Accidental’ purchases of a vacuum cleaner and Amazon Prime memberships were refunded.

In keeping with the SNP’s piety on such issues, Humza Yousaf appeared embarrassed, ordering a review of credit-card spending. However, Labour may regret endorsing ministerial austerity. We look forward to buying Anas Sarwar a cheese sandwich in an Edinburgh Airport cafe in the event he becomes First Minister. Wouldn’t want him to go hungry.