SNP ministers took friends and family with them to dozens of official engagements which involved government business, including trips in the taxpayer-funded ministerial limousine.
The Scottish Government has revealed 49 separate occasions over three years where a spouse, partner, family member or friend accompanied ministers on a government engagement.
It confirmed some instances when they were transported to the events in a taxpayer-funded limousine, including a festival launch, film screenings and a tennis tournament.
But it said that for the majority of the engagements the information is ‘not held’ on whether the guest travelled using the chauffeur-driven government car service.
It follows the controversy over Health Secretary Neil Gray, who apologised to Parliament for taking the ministerial car to eight football matches, half of which involved his favourite team, Aberdeen.
First Minister John Swinney has now set out new rules which say ministers can only take friends and relatives to official events ‘on an exceptional basis’.
Scottish Conservative deputy leader Rachael Hamilton said: ‘The public will be appalled that this culture of taking family members in the ministerial limo appears to be rife within the SNP’s ministerial corridor.
‘Senior SNP figures must urgently explain why they have deemed it appropriate to have family members alongside them when they were supposed to be conducting government business.
Neil Gray and his wife attended the Edinburgh International Festival together
‘It is little wonder trust in SNP politicians is broken when they keep seeing ministers taking them for a ride.
‘They are sick of their jollies to sporting occasions and other events being dressed up as government business.’
In response to a freedom of information request by the Mail, the Scottish Government confirmed that there were 49 ministerial engagements where a spouse, partner, other family member or friend accompanied a minister.
Mr Swinney took his wife or another family member along with him to three official engagements in September: a Scotland-Poland football match, his official audience with the King and Queen, and a Sunday church service with the King and Queen.
When he was First Minister, Humza Yousaf took his wife, a friend or other family member along with him to a Scotland-England Six Nations rugby match in February 2024, as well as to a festive volunteering event at the Dundee United Community Trust in December 2023 and to the Scottish BAFTA awards ceremony in November 2023.
Public Health Minister Maree Todd took friends or family to 21 ministerial engagements over the three years, including a gig by the celtic rock band Skerryvore, a day at the Wimbledon tennis championships, and a visit to the Stade Nicois French rugby club.
The Scottish Government was also asked the specific reason that a friend or family member accompanied ministers but said this is ‘not routinely recorded’ – although it said sometimes additional invitations are offered for events.
It was also asked to provide details of whether the friend or family member used the government car service or if other travel expenses were incurred by them.
The Scottish Government said that ‘this information is not recorded for all engagements’ so could not provide a full response.
But it did confirm four occasions when the government car service was used. Culture Secretary Angus Robertson was accompanied by his wife, the former PR executive Jennifer Robertson, in the ministerial car for the Scottish BAFTAs last month, and to the formal launch of the Edinburgh International Festivals in August, while Ms Todd was accompanied by one of her children in the ministerial car to attend the Billie Jean King Cup tennis tournament in November 2022.
As previously disclosed, Mr Gray and his wife also used the government car service to attend a Screen Scotland reception in August this year.
When he apologised to Parliament, Mr Gray had insisted that he was carrying out ministerial duties when he attended a series of football matches, but admitted to giving ‘the impression of acting more as a fan’ because of the number of times Aberdeen were involved.
At six of the matches, from 2022 onwards, he took a ‘partner, friend or family member’.
A new edition of the Scottish Ministerial Code, published this week, states: ‘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.
‘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.’
A Scottish Government spokesman said: ‘Ministers attending events in a ministerial capacity are entitled to use government transport. On occasion and depending on the nature of an official ministerial visit, family members or guests are able to attend events at no cost to the public.’
