SNP Government defends chauffeur trip by minister to attend football match just two days before rule change
Justice Secretary Angela Constance took a close family member in a chauffeur-driven government car to the Old Firm league cup final at the weekend.
Ms Constance took the trip just 48 hours before First Minister John Swinney introduced new rules clamping down on relatives using ministerial limos.
The pair watched the match for free as guests of the SPFL.
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An SPFL source told the Daily Record: “The SPFL stance on the need for an increased use of football banning orders is very well known and this was an opportunity to discuss this issue with the justice secretary.”
Only two days after this trip, Mr Swinney published a new code on ministerial ethics restricting the use of government cars for relatives.
This comes after Health Secretary Neil Gray came under fire for using a ministerial car to take a family member to Aberdeen games at Hampden Park.
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Hide AdThe new code says: “It is permissible for a close family member to travel with a minister in an official car on occasions where it is clearly in the public interest for them to attend an official engagement and/or where it is justified on security grounds.
“In all other circumstances, close family members should only travel with a minister in an official car on an exceptional basis and where this does not incur any additional public expenditure or impact on the delivery of the official duties of the minister concerned.”
Rachael Hamilton MSP, deputy leader of the Scottish Conservatives, said: “The public will be astonished that Angela Constance deemed it appropriate to use a ministerial car to go to the Old Firm this weekend.


“Clearly she has learned nothing from how angry the public feel about Neil Gray’s limo-gate scandal where he charged the taxpayers to watch his favourite team, Aberdeen.”
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Hide AdThe Scottish Government however says Ms Constance has not broken any rules.
A spokeswoman said: “The justice secretary attended Sunday’s match for official government business.
“During the engagement, she discussed with the SPFL the continued efforts to tackle the illegal use of pyrotechnics at football matches and observed the policing of such sporting events.”
An SPFL spokesman added: “For many years, as is customary, we’ve been very pleased to be joined by members of the Scottish Government and politicians from different parties at these flagship occasions.”
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