Nicola Sturgeon pay revealed for appearing on ITV as general election pundit

Nicola Sturgeon was paid £25,000 for appearing on ITV as a pundit during its live coverage of the general election.

The former first minister declared the sum in her register of interests at the Scottish Parliament. The money was paid to her company, Nicola Sturgeon Limited.

Nicola Sturgeon | PA

ITN also paid for hotel accommodation worth £2803.78 and car travel to and from the studio for rehearsals and the live programme, amounting to £329.15 (plus VAT).

The SNP previously criticised former Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson when she was paid £7,500 for appearing on ITV as a pundit during the 2019 election, with one senior minister even calling on her to quit.

Angus Robertson tweeted at the time: “Another reminder why @RuthDavidsonMSP should resign.”

Meanwhile, SNP MSP Rona Mackay had called on her to hand the money back. She said: "Ruth Davidson's priority appears to be picking up thousands in outside earnings while neglecting her actual job.

"Serving politicians who appear on election night broadcasts do so to represent their party - not to pick up a pay cheque. This payment is unprecedented – and she should now hand it back."

Speaking to journalists in Holyrood, First Minister John Swinney said he did not think Ms Sturgeon should resign, adding: “I think the call that was made for Ruth Davidson to resign was the wrong call.

“I don't think we should have been calling for that. We should just let these things take their course and folk register them. That's what the system is designed to do.”

The general election saw the SNP return just nine MPs, down from 48 in 2019, with some party figures partly blaming Ms Sturgeon for the slump.

Joanna Cherry, who lost her Edinburgh South West seat to Labour, said there was “huge strategic failure” on the former first minister’s part to further the cause of independence and reach unconvinced voters.

She said Ms Sturgeon was “reversing us very slowly down a blind alley on independence”.

Ms Sturgeon, who is still the MSP for Glasgow Southside, said on air that it would be the “easy solution” for people to “take refuge in somehow it’s all my fault”.

She called the result “devastating”, adding: "We've got to reflect on how we regain that trust with people on core issues of delivery and also re-inject a bit of hope for the future. And you know, is that going to be easy after a result like tonight? Undoubtedly not."

She said the “scale of the swings to Labour suggest that Scotland, or a big chunk of Scotland, wanted to give the incumbent government of 17 years standing a bit of a bloody nose”.

Scottish Conservative chairman Craig Hoy said: “If ever there was a reward for failure, it was this. Nicola Sturgeon probably reckons she earned every penny of her huge fee for having to squirm on live TV as her own toxic legacy led to SNP seats tumbling on election night, but this declaration exposes her shameless hypocrisy.

“Having the ITV fee paid to her company is clearly a ruse to avoid paying the higher rates of income tax her incompetent SNP Government have imposed on hard-working Scots and which she personally championed.

“So much for those with the broadest shoulders bearing the heaviest burden. It’s hard not to conclude that Nicola Sturgeon is an utter fraud.”