SNP minister defends being driven to Old Firm game in ministerial car with teenage son
A senior SNP minister has defended travelling with her teenage son in a chauffeur-driven ministerial car to the Old Firm league cup final on Sunday.
Angela Constance, the justice secretary, said she was not a football fan, but had felt “compelled” to attend because of growing concerns over the use of pyrotechnics at games.
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She said it was not uncommon for ministers to attend official engagements accompanied by a family member. It comes after Health Secretary Neil Gray was criticised for being chauffeured to a series of football matches involving the team he supports, Aberdeen.
Mr Gray apologised in Holyrood after admitting he had given the impression of “acting more as a fan and less as a minister”, and said he should have “attended a wider range of games”.


The Daily Record reported Ms Constance and a relative, understood to be her son, attended the game as guests of the Scottish Professional Football League, with the SPFL discussing the need for an increased use of football banning orders with the justice secretary.
The Conservatives said Ms Constance’s journey showed the Government had “learned nothing” from Mr Gray’s apology.
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Hide AdOn Tuesday, a new version of the ministerial code was published. It encourages ministers to use public transport “where practicable” and says close family members can only use official cars “where it is clearly in the public interest for them to attend an official engagement and/or where it is justified on security grounds”. It adds: “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.”
Sunday’s match at Hampden saw Celtic defeat Rangers in a penalty shootout. The revised ministerial code came into effect on Tuesday, meaning Ms Constance’s journey would have been covered by a previous version of the code.
Speaking to journalists in Holyrood on Thursday, Ms Constance said: “The invitation was extended to me as justice secretary. I’m not known as a football fan, I’m not a follower of football, but I did feel compelled to attend this particular football match, bearing in mind the growing concerns we have about the use of pyrotechnics within our communities, but also within football stadiums.
“I can assure you that my attendance and discussions, extensive discussions with the SPFL were instructive. Unfortunately, there was demonstrable use of pyrotechnics at the match - completely unacceptable. And what I’m now focused on is the work that I will follow through.”
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Hide AdAsked why she brought a family member, Ms Constance said: “It’s not uncommon for either ministers or MSPs to attend engagements, whether it’s in their own constituency or elsewhere, accompanied by a family member. That has been the case.
“As I said, it’s not something that I am in the habit of attending. I’m not in the habit of attending sporting events. But given my capacity as justice secretary and the serious risk of harm both to members of the public and indeed to those law abiding football fans [I attended].”
Scottish Tory deputy leader Rachael Hamilton 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 ‘limogate’ scandal where he charged the taxpayer to watch his favourite team, Aberdeen.
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Hide Ad“It’s no wonder public trust in politicians is at an all-time low when senior SNP figures are using taxpayer-funded limos to take family members to football matches, all under the flimsy pretence of ministerial duties.”