Michael Matheson: Health secretary quits over iPad data roaming bill row

Matheson quit as Health Secretary on Thursday following months of intense pressure

Humza Yousaf is facing questions over his political judgement and “weak” leadership following the resignation of his health secretary after months of pressure over a parliamentary iPad bill of almost £11,000.

Michael Matheson, whose sons racked up the charges by watching football while on holiday, announced he was quitting the Cabinet role on Thursday morning.

Neil Gray, who led Mr Yousaf’s leadership campaign last year, will replace Mr Matheson in the health brief, amid a wider reshuffle of the ministerial team.

Michael Matheson resigned yesterday. Picture PA

The First Minister said it was “a sign of strength” to have followed “due process” in relation to Mr Matheson.

But Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross said Mr Yousaf’s reputation lay “in tatters”. He said: "Humza Yousaf backed him to the hilt, but most of Scotland has known from the very beginning that Michael Matheson was dishonest. Humza Yousaf’s own reputation is in tatters over this scandal. He looks weak.

"Trust in this Government is gone. The SNP’s credibility is gone. Michael Matheson is gone. But Humza Yousaf, the human shield, is still here defending them.”

Mr Matheson will be entitled to £12,712 – 25 per cent of his final ministerial salary – in severance pay following his resignation. He did not reply to an email from The Scotsman asking if he intends to keep this money or return it. An SNP spokeswoman said Mr Matheson had nothing to add.

Health secretary Michael Matheson. Picture: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images.

His resignation is the culmination of months of negative headlines over a huge data roaming bill incurred on his Holyrood-issued iPad during a family holiday to Morocco over Christmas 2022. The cost was initially picked up by the taxpayer, but Mr Matheson agreed to reimburse it after an outcry.

In an emotional statement in Holyrood in mid November, Mr Matheson later revealed the bill was the result of his teenage sons using the parliamentary device as a hotspot to watch football. Mr Matheson said he had only discovered the truth the week before and had kept quiet to protect his children.

However, he was accused of misleading journalists after denying there was any personal use of the device.

At the time, the First Minister gave Mr Matheson – a close ally with years of ministerial experience – his full backing. He said he was a man of integrity and honesty, who had made a mistake. But following his resignation, Mr Yousaf said it was right that Mr Matheson steps aside to avoid the issue becoming a “distraction”.

The Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body (SPCB) is due to release the initial findings of its probe into the spending in due course. It agreed its draft report of provisional findings on Wednesday.

Mr Matheson was informed on Thursday that he would be issued with a copy of this report shortly. He will have two weeks in which to make representations to the SPCB.

Announcing his resignation, Mr Matheson said: “I am conscious that this process will conclude in the coming weeks. I have still not received the findings of their review. However, it is in the best interest of myself and the Government for me to now step down to ensure this does not become a distraction to taking forward the Government’s agenda.”

It is understood Mr Matheson’s resignation was due to be announced later on Thursday to time it with the reshuffle, but his letter to Mr Yousaf was leaked. He told the First Minister he was quitting on Thursday morning over the phone before submitting his formal letter.

Mr Matheson is the second minister to resign in recent days. Elena Whitham quit as drugs minister on Tuesday for health reasons.

In a mini-reshuffle on Thursday, Mr Gray, who was previously the Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Fair Work and Energy, was appointed to the health job – traditionally seen as one of the most important roles in government. Mr Yousaf is a former health secretary, as was his predecessor, Nicola Sturgeon.

Elsewhere, the climate and economy posts were merged – a move insiders said had been under consideration for weeks. Mairi McAllan will head the role as Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Net Zero and Energy.

Transport was moved to a stand-alone portfolio with Fiona Hyslop appointed to the job. Kaukab Stewart – the first woman of colour to enter the Scottish Government – was appointed minister for culture, Europe and international development.

She replaced Christina McKelvie, who was given the drugs and alcohol brief. Jim Fairlie, the Perthshire South and Kinross-shire MSP, will also join government as minister for agriculture and connectivity.

The reshaped Cabinet of ten includes seven women, which the Scottish Government believes is the highest proportion of any government in the world.

Mr Yousaf said: “These new appointments reflect this Government’s priorities and the missions that drive them – equality, opportunity and community – and I look forward to working with them as we continue to deliver for the people of Scotland.”

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said swapping one “failing SNP minister for another” would not solve the problems in the health service.

He said: “This Government would rather deny its incompetence than face up to the problem. Their financial mismanagement is further risking frontline NHS services. They would rather continue with a culture of secrecy than learn the lessons of their failures.

“Whoever this weak First Minister chooses to be the next health secretary won’t fix our NHS. It’s not just a change of health secretary we need, it’s a change from this incompetent SNP Government.”

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton said: “Our health service is on its knees. Patients are waiting an age for treatment and staff are overworked on every shift. They all deserve better than an SNP minister who has lost their trust and could no longer focus on the day job.

“From Humza Yousaf to Michael Matheson, our NHS has known only crisis, soaring vacancies and ever longer waits. Their NHS recovery plan has failed.”

Dr Iain Kennedy, chair of BMA Scotland, the doctors' union, said it had found its dealings with Mr Matheson to be “largely constructive, despite some really challenging times and areas where we haven’t made the progress we would have liked”.

He said: “Indeed, it is no secret we haven’t always agreed – and there undoubtedly and worryingly remains much to do to put our health service on a sustainable footing and make all doctors feel truly valued.

“But we have also made some important progress, not least the commitment made to full pay restoration for our junior doctors. It will now be down to Neil Gray as the new health secretary to build on that and finally deliver on solving the unprecedented crisis we face in doctor recruitment and retention in Scotland.”