Spend, Spend, Spend, Absentee 'SNP' MSP Derek Mackay is spending taxpayer's cash like a lottery winner, despite being in disgrace, Mackay claims yet more Holyrood expenses, why does he need to claim money for a flat in Edinburgh when he is no longer a Minister, is it time for a rules change or better still new government in 2021 to end a loophole costing us thousands of pounds a year?

Dear All

As the world descends into madness, there are some things which will never change, one such is the status quo is the SNP MPs and MSPs raking in as much UK taxpayer money as possible. When the 'schoolboy' scandal of homosexual SNP Minister Derek Mackay became public, the Nationalists were noticeable by their lack of condemnation of his actions. So, what was sleazy Derek up to? Let's look back at history to get a sense how it shaped his future, previously he was photographed with a crook who swiped £10,000 from a bank he worked at. Normally, this type of story should have been the end of him, but his closeness to Nicola Sturgeon saved him. Mackay and the fraudster it was reported were often seen reveling at gay clubs and bars. As part of his alleged seedy lifestyle, sources say Mackay and his crooked pal were part of a group that “cruised the scene using their power to get what they want”. 

As in any scandal, somewhere, you will find someone who is willing to talk, an insider said:

“Mackay and Barclay were regulars in venues like the Polo Lounge in Glasgow. They were both in a group that liked to hang out at the parties and drink and try it on with younger men. There was behaviour I would call eyebrow-raising. Mackay always seemed to be drunk and he was handsy. It’s part of that culture: older men cruising younger men and using their status and power to get what they want, which is ultimately in most cases is whoever they’re after. It is creepy but it’s widespread.”

As the insider spilled their brand of beans, you might have thought this would have sent the alarm bells going off at SNP HQ. Apparently not, given the status of Mackay and the wider lgbt wing of the SNP who control the party, SNP HQ were Sturgeon's husband is the CEO were surprisingly unconcerned. As the world kept turning, Derek Mackay found a new interest for his attention, he saw a young 16 year old boy. Mackay in his 40's, liked the look of 16 year old, he thought he was cute, he liked his hair, and was constantly sending him texts. What Mackay's ultimate plans for the boy were, we will never  know because when the boy's heroic mother found out, she put a stop to it and later people eventually said what was going on was “predatory” and “grooming”. SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon initially attempted to down play the scandal as Mackay was her Finance Secretary, her spokesman said continually and made reference to there being “nothing illegal or unlawful” in Mackay’s behaviour which produced circa 270 messages of Mackay pestering the boy. As the scandal built up steam, Mackay was later suspended from the party and its Holyrood parliamentary group, pending an internal probe. The probe hasn't been heard from in ten months, maybe someone should ask who are the investigators?

Derek Mackay couldn't be saved by Sturgeon. I was half expecting the Nationalists to come out with a narrative bordering on 'love story', but in the end as more material made its way to the public domain, Sturgeon didn't want to catch the bad PR from Mackay. He rapidly quit and became rightly a leper. In politics, people talk, they talk about what you say, what you write and what you do, and all of it, is then used against you when they find a suitable juncture. You can bet a pound to a penny that somewhere someone or group is reading everything I write on social media for the purposes of revenge. I am a marked man by the Nationalists, however, I will point out when I said the SNP was a 'rat ship' under Salmond and Sturgeon, how many people on the Nationalist side, nearly the best part of a decade have managed to come to the same conclusion. If you check out the replies from people on the Wings over Scotland posts regarding what people call the 'stitch up' or 'conspiracy' against Alex Salmond, you will see many people echo in part what my thoughts about the SNP. Oh, they really hate Sturgeon, and the guy who shares a house with her, Peter Murrell, Wings' crowd hate both their guts.

Currently the Wings posts on woke and genderwoowoo are having to steer a tricky course through SNP supporting waters.

https://wingsoverscotland.com/two-women/  

The reason I highlight this post is because, awhile ago while in the SNP I had the misfortune to meet the 'Hunter Clan', check the Wing's post and comments section on what they think of Sturgeon's election agent now. SNP Cllr Mhairi Hunter, obviously I could do a tirade on her but I think I covered all that needs to be said about Sturgeon's dug, and her odious mother on this post of 2016. You should click on the link contained within it, for something I wrote in 2012. I did coin the phrase, 'the Hunter virus' years ago, basically it referenced my opinion of how thick the Hunters were. In a post Sturgeon world, I doubt there will be a place for Mhairi Hunter in the SNP, or on Sturgeon's coat tails.

Background knowledge gives you a sense of what these people are really like, beyond the false media presentation, so I like to fill in the gaps for readers.

http://glasgowunihumanrights.blogspot.com/2016/01/the-great-escape-snp-councillor-mhairi.html    

Back to less than amazing, Derek Mackay, a decent man who had been exposed such as SNP MSP Derek Mackay had been, would have resigned as an MSP immediately. But when you consider the characters of filth which gets passed in the SNP, you cannot expect standards of decency to apply to basically low brow and immoral people. Derek Mackay decided to stay, as per the norm, the first thing a scandal laden SNP MSP does is 'go to ground'. They chose to hide as the initial strategy, in the hope that the media scrum moves on. And that is what Mackay did, he ducked for cover. While in cover, did he and the SNP plot a return through the back channels, who knows, but given the background, and given other issues, Mackay was frozen out publicly. People speculated why but the reasons don't matter, the court of public opinion has found against him, parliament turned their back on him, and Sturgeon lost a close lgbt ally. In the case of Mackay, he may be gone from Holyrood, but he still makes news, he has claimed more than £8,500 in parliamentary expenses since he resigned in disgrace. New figures released by the Scottish Parliament show the former SNP Finance Secretary has no problem that the public should fund his lifestyle, he billed taxpayers for £4,164 between April and June this year. The tally just keeps going up, the money was on top of £4,406 he claimed in February and March, making a total of £8,570.

Regardless that we are now in six months leading up to an election in 2021, the Scottish Conservatives who have ran with this story from the start, called the scale of the claims "shocking". We all know the axiom, a fair days pay for a fair day's work but Mackay isn't working as an MSP, he isn't attending parliament. Most of the Mackay's expenses have been for an Edinburgh flat, and to make the point again because it is important, he hasn’t been seen in the Scottish Parliament since he quit at the start of February. People have the right to know what Mackay needs expenses for, especially when you read that he claimed £327 for 10 days accommodation costs in Edinburgh in July, nine of them when Holyrood was in recess. So, what was Mackay doing in Edinburgh, and who was he meeting and why? Did he just go through to Edinburgh with a loaf of bread to feed the ducks in a public park pond?

One thing which surprises me is that Mackay still has a 'spokesman', I suppose when you need money, you have to sometimes hold your nose, less the stench of your employer causes you to vomit. His spokesman said the claim had been within the parliament’s rules. Under the rules, MSPs can get the money even if they don't to attend parliament under the Edinburgh accommodation provision. Anyone think that loophole should closed?  

Scottish Conservative Glasgow MSP, Annie Wells, said:

“It is shocking the former SNP Cabinet Secretary has totted up over £8,000 in expenses when hide nor hair has been seen of him in Parliament. Derek MacKay is given this money to help represent his constituents. There is no evidence he is, following a disappearance that would impress Harry Houdini. If he can’t do his job, and turn up to Parliament, he should resign, instead of hiding at home while claiming expenses and an MSP salary.”

A spokesperson for Mackay added:

“The expenditure complies with Scottish Parliament allowance rules and Mr Mackay’s Renfrewshire North and West constituency office is continuing to operate in line with the Scottish Government’s Coronavirus guidance in dealing with casework and making representations on behalf of constituents. The constituency office has directly assisted with more than 680 cases this year.”

Of the 680 cases, how many did Derek Mackay have an active involvement in? How many people involve in the 680 cases did Derek Mackay meet face to face? I ask this because Mackay's spokesman only talks about the constituency office directly assisting people. They don't appear to mention him, which you would think they would be at pains to stress on his behalf. The Mackay case represents what is wrong with Holyrood, bad people cannot be removed because the political class resist any attempt to put in mechanisms so the public can recall the rotten apples. Is Derek Mackay, one of the rotten apples, I would say look at the stories in the public domain and judge for yourself. He was accused hanging around with a crook, he was accused of "grooming" and "predatory" behaviour towards a 16 year old boy. He has been accused of failing to represent his constituents properly, and he keeps claiming public funds to rent a property which he need not do so anymore, which also isn't in his constituency. The train service to Edinburgh is fast and regular, he doesn't need an Edinburgh flat, so why is he hanging onto it?  

Finally, and to remind you yet again, Nicola Sturgeon told Holyrood that she was “not aware of any further allegations or any conduct of a similar nature” relating to Mackay. It seems that SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon is the most ignorant woman in politics, of the activities of those people who are close around her. Do you think it is possible that in every major SNP scandal which has broken about people close to her, she had no knowledge of their shortcomings. Given her closeness to the lgbt community is this possible she knew nothing given their massively disproportionate size in the SNP holding elected positions, staffer jobs and running party committees and other offices? Her defence is that she is a 'leader' who isn't told things by anyone, until it effectively appears in the national press. Given the size of the support staff et al that Sturgeon is linked too as well, given the size of her Glasgow Southside clique, how much weight do you place on her denials? Mackay will hang onto the end because in staying to the bitter end, he will get a shed load of cash.

Yours sincerely

George Laird                                                                                                                        The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University