Mark McDonald collects £7,000 pay-off after quitting Scottish Government

Mark McDonald has collected a £7,000 pay-off since quitting the Scottish Government in disgrace, parliamentary bosses have confirmed.

Mark McDonald will remain as an independent MSP

The former children’s minister was paid the cash last month as part of a resettlement grant issued to all former cabinet members.

Mr McDonald has refused to resign as MSP for Aberdeen Donside despite admitting that his conduct had fallen short of that expected of an elected representative.

Last week he quit the SNP but confirmed his intention to remain at Holyrood as an independent MSP.

In a Freedom of Information request seen by The Scotsman, parliamentary staff said: “We can confirm that £7,270.75 was paid as a resettlement grant to Mark McDonald MSP on 28 February 2018 as part of our routine monthly payroll

activity.

“While the Scottish Parliament was responsible for making this payment, any correspondence relating to housekeeping matters in relation to this payment has been conducted between Mr McDonald and the Scottish Government, meaning that the Scottish Parliament does not hold any of this information.”

Mr McDonald will be eligible to claim another £50,000 if he serves his full-term as an MSP and leaves Holyrood at the next election.

It was revealed this week that a former SNP colleague of the Aberdeen Donside MSP has lodged a formal complaint over his return to Holyrood.

James Dornan said the presence of his ex-party colleague would be a “clear negation” of the duty of care the Scottish Parliament has to its staff.

In a letter to the Standards Committee, Mr Dornan said: “In my view having Mr McDonald in the same workplace as his victims would be a clear negation of the duty of care that the Parliament has to all its members of staff.”