Achi news desk-
READ MORE: Operation Branch: Police send Murrell’s report to the Crown Office
It was a difficult day for the SNP and their new leader.
News of the latest development in the long-running Operation Branchform investigation came just hours after the First Minister picked a fight with Holyrood’s Standards Committee to recommend Michael Matheson be suspended from parliament for 27 working days.
Although the cross-party group of MSPs were split over the penalty, they had unanimously backed calls for his salary to be withdrawn for 54 days, a financial penalty roughly equivalent to the size of a data roaming bill £11k per former health secretary. .
Mr Swinney claimed that the inquiry into his “friend and colleague” had been “prejudiced” because of comments made by one of the Tory members of the committee.
He pointed to comments made by Annie Wells when she said Mr Matheson’s “desperate attempts” to justify his claim for expenses were “filled with lies, cover-ups and the need for us all to suspend our disbelief.”
Mr Swinney said that if a constituent faced disciplinary action at work and their employer made similar comments, it would “come down on that employer like a tonne of bricks”.
He added: “That is the situation that Michael Matheson is facing here, and that is why I will not support the sanction.”
Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross accused Mr Matheson of “fraud and abuse of trust.”
He said his party would present a motion calling on the former minister to resign next week. Although that would not be binding, it could be embarrassing. It will only pass if it is supported by all opposition parties.
Mr Ross said: “That is incredible and indefensible from the Prime Minister.
“He told us when asking for our support to make him First Minister, he would be the First Minister of all of Scotland.
“What Scotland is seeing is that he is a Prime Minister who supports his friends.” Mr Ross said if the vote is approved, a by-election could be held on July 4 – the same date as the General Election.
Scottish Labor leader Anas Sarwar said the First Minister’s comments were “totally unbelievable and embarrassing”.
He added: “He has despised himself and the position of Prime Minister.
“Two weeks in and the pretense of a new type of Government has gone.
“Party first – country second.”
READ MORE: Swinney will not support Holyrood’s Matheson ban
The row overshadowed the first event of the party’s election campaign.
The key message at the hastily arranged launch was unity.
In the Prime Minister’s ten minute speech, the word unification was mentioned 15 times, unity three more and unification twice.
“I’ve only been back in frontline politics for a month,” he said.
“I couldn’t have imagined even two months ago standing here launching the SNP’s campaign for the 2024 General Election.
“But I’m here because I knew I could unite my party. I’m two weeks in and I’ve already done that.”
He insisted he was “relishing the opportunity” to campaign across Scotland.
“I expect over the next six weeks that we will see the Tories and Labor really go at it. They will go hammer and tongs to discredit each other.
“I will also go hammer and tongs – but not against anyone. I will go hammer and tongs to put Scotland first.”
When asked at the launch of his campaign if he believed – as did Humza Yousaf – that Mr Matheson was an honest man, he described the former minister as “a good man who made mistakes”.
“I want people to be treated fairly, because I would want that to be done to me. And I do not believe that has been done in this case. ”
Mr Swinney added: “Parliament has to make sure it gets things right.
“I simply went out to parliament the risks I thought parliament was taking.”
He declined to say whether Mr Matheson should lose the party whip.
Asked if the Falkirk West MSP should resign if the Tory proposal is supported by a majority at Holyrood, Mr Swinney replied: “We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.”
The First Minister denied that it had been a chaotic start to the campaign.
“It’s been a great day to be honest. I’ve been up since the crack of dawn. I’ve had my usual run through the streets of Edinburgh. I’m fit as a fiddle.
“I’ve done loads of broadcast interviews. I have dealt with the Prime Minister’s Questions.
“I have asked some quite difficult questions which the Senedd must address. “I’m here with all my friends and all my journalistic friends answering questions and it’s off to a great start.”
Mr Matheson came under scrutiny last November when the Daily Telegraph revealed a data roaming bill of £10,935.74.
He initially agreed to pay £3,000 of his taxpayer-funded expenses, with the Scottish Parliament paying the rest.
However, days later, after journalists and MLAs questioned the payment, he agreed to pay the full amount out of his own pocket.
At first, he claimed the measure was the result of parliamentary work while on a family holiday in Morocco and a misunderstanding with a new sim card.
He then told MLAs in an emotional statement on November 16 that he had discovered that his sons had been watching football during the family trip.
He said he was informed by his wife on November 9 that the teenagers had used his parliamentary device as a wifi hotspot.
However, on November 13, when asked directly if there was “any personal use” of the device during the family vacation, he told reporters: “No.”
It also emerged that he had met with parliamentary authorities, including President Alison Johnstone during the period and did not tell them that his boys were responsible for racking up the charges.
The full Scottish Parliament Corporate Body report revealed that officers had asked him seven times over a four-month period to give assurances that he was satisfied that the use of data for parliamentary business was exclusive.
Speaking to journalists after Prime Minister’s Questions, Mr Matheson said he would not be resigning.
“I think it’s quite clear that the process has become highly politicized, which has compromised the process and the fairness of the process,” he said.
“I also think that the sanctions they have imposed are excessive and they are unfair.”
Mr Matheson said that it is now up to the Senate to decide on the next steps, and he promised to “stick” to whatever decision it takes.
