Sacked aide accuses MSP of misusing public funds

A NATIONALIST MSP faces allegations that she misused parliamentary resources, after being secretly recorded by a former employee.

Christine Grahame, who is convener of the justice committee, denies having staff work on SNP business and her election campaign in Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale earlier this year while being paid from the public purse.

Mark Hirst, who was sacked by Ms Grahame for gross misconduct, also alleges those staff costs were not included in her Holyrood election return.

The claims have been passed to the Scottish Parliament standards commissioner and the Electoral Commission.

However, Lothian and Borders Police, which also received a complaint, said Ms Grahame has no criminal case to answer.

Holyrood rules ban the use of parliamentary resources for party political work.

One piece of film reportedly appears to show the MSP suggesting Mr Hirst claims travel expenses from parliament for a 100-mile trip to Galashiels, during the election campaign.

A clip, from 17 March, 2011, is said to show Ms Grahame ask him to key election campaign data into a party database.

She then suggests he input the information from the Galashiels office and also go out campaigning for her there, it is said.

In the clip, she reportedly says: “See if you can get your travel on members’ staff allowance travel.

“Just tell them you can’t work from here [the Scottish Parliament] for now, and you’ll have to work from Gala.”

Mr Hirst, who reportedly gathered e-mails and secretly recorded his former boss in her Holyrood office over a number of months, is now planning to take her to a tribunal.

He said: “I and my union believe we have a very strong case that we expect to bring against Ms Grahame in due course at an employment tribunal.

“I believe I was unfairly dismissed on grounds of gathering information with a view to whistle-blowing her questionable party political and election activity at parliament and in her constituency office.”

A spokeswoman for Ms Grahame said she was unable to comment because of the on-going standards inquiry.

A Lothian and Borders Police spokeswoman said: “We did receive a complaint and we then had a number of discussions with the Electoral Commission and procurator-fiscal, and established that no crime had been committed and no further action is to be taken.”

A spokesman for the Electoral Commission said: “We’ve just received a complaint. We need to look at it before we decide whether to launch an investigation.”

The Scottish Parliament standards commissioner is not allowed to comment on investigations.