Neil Gray is under fire for allegedly misleading the Scottish Parliament about his attendance at football matches in government cars
Edinburgh: So, Neil Gray is in a bit of hot water. He’s been accused of making a false statement to the Scottish Parliament about meetings he had at football matches while riding in official limos.
Apparently, he told MSPs that there were minutes taken at all these meetings, but a recent Freedom of Information request revealed there were no notes from the League Cup Final at Hampden Park, where Rangers played against Aberdeen.
Gray, who’s a fan of Aberdeen, had previously said it’s totally fine for ministers to attend sports events. He even mentioned he’d been to six matches, including two involving the Scottish national team, all while being driven in a government car.
But he later apologized, admitting he might have come off more like a fan than a minister and should have mixed it up a bit more with different games.
First Minister John Swinney thinks the whole thing is “closed,” and some folks in the SNP are backing Gray. But the Tories are not letting it slide. Tory MSP Stephen Kerr pointed out that the government’s response contradicted Gray’s earlier claims about having minutes from all meetings.
Kerr asked the Presiding Officer what could be done about a member who might have made a false statement. The Presiding Officer, Alison Johnstone, said it’s crucial that accurate info is shared in Parliament.
Labour’s Neil Bibby also jumped in, calling for Gray to clarify the “glaring inconsistency” in his statements. He’s worried that Gray might have misled Parliament, and that’s not something that can just be brushed aside.
The Scottish Government hasn’t commented yet, so we’ll see how this unfolds.
