John Swinney has defended his decision to challenge the sanction ordered against his colleague Michael Matheson, insisting the process on a Holyrood committee was damaged by “prejudice” from one of its members.
It comes as it emerged the Scottish Greens will back the 27-day suspension for Matheson after the row over a near-£11,000 data roaming bill on his parliamentary iPad.
However, the first minister said he would not support the cross-party Holyrood standards committee punishment because one of its members, the Conservative MSP Annie Wells, had previously made critical comments about Matheson’s explanation for the bill, which Swinney believes prejudiced the decision.
The Conservatives said voters would punish Swinney for his “shameful defence” of his former ministerial colleague.
On Saturday the SNP leader visited several constituencies around Scotland during the party’s first “day of action” for the general election campaign.
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Speaking to journalists, he said: “I’m not going to have prejudice taken forward in any part of Scottish life, it shouldn’t happen in the Scottish parliament.”
He noted that another Conservative MSP had withdrawn from the standards committee due to previous comments about Matheson, adding: “We cannot have our national parliament presiding over prejudice and certainly not prejudice from the Conservatives.”
Asked if Wells’s comments had undermined the entire committee’s decision, he said: “I think when you bring prejudice into a process, you have to recognise the process is damaged as a consequence.
“Now parliament will sort out these issues, it will address these issues as it considers the [committee’s] report.”
He acknowledged that Matheson had “made mistakes” and had faced consequences.
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A Scottish Greens spokesman confirmed the party would support “further parliamentary sanction” against Matheson but would not call for him to resign.
“However, we are united in our concern that the standards committee does not appear to have a consistent approach to the level of sanctions proposed, has allowed members to prejudge the case, and has also seen draft proposals leaked,” he added. “It is clear that if it is to retain confidence, the committee will require a more rigorous approach in future.
“What we will not do is support the unscrupulous and vindictive calls for him to resign from the Tories who are being not just shallow and callous, but abusing their positions as parliamentarians through partisan self-interest which is the hallmark of Conservative politicians the length and breadth of the country.”
Swinney also responded to criticism of the SNP from Patrick Harvie, co-leader of the Scottish Greens.
Harvie, who left the Scottish government last month when the parties’ power-sharing deal was ended by Humza Yousaf, said the SNP was “trying to face both ways on climate and the fossil fuel industry”.
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The first minister said he wanted to see a just transition to net zero, and the government would be giving its response to a draft energy strategy.
He backed a “balanced approach to energy transition that will get us to net zero but will get us there in a way that supports our economy”.
Swinney commented on the fact that his Westminster leader, Stephen Flynn, recently cancelled a trip to Germany to see Scotland play in the Euros, saying “I’m really pleased he’s going to be working so hard”.
Swinney said he was still exploring whether he could go to any Scotland games in the tournament and was particularly keen on the Germany match, but added: “We’ll have to see what the lie of the land is”.
Jackie Baillie, the Scottish Labour deputy leader, said: “John Swinney’s shameless attempts to defend the indefensible shows how deep the rot is in the SNP.
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“The SNP has sunk to new depths as it once again puts its own party interest ahead of the national interest.
“Both the SNP and the Tories are too mired in scandal and sleaze to deliver for the people of Scotland.
“Only Labour can deliver the change Scotland needs, and the general election is our chance to do that.”
