UNDER-fire Nats minister Neil Gray is facing fresh demands to “immediately” publish a record of the talks he had with SFA chiefs while attending footie matches.
The Health Secretary has been under pressure to explain his trips to four Aberdeen games, having taken a ministerial car to attend the fixtures.
Neil Gray was forced to apologise in parliament after backlash from the public over accepting VIP tickets to football matches[/caption]
Mr Gray attended four Aberdeen matches including games against Celtic and Rangers, and rivals have put him in the firing line to explain his actions[/caption]
A backlash over his attendance at matches – registered as official ministerial engagements – prompted him to make a statement to parliament in which he apologised, admitting they made him appear “more as a fan and less as a minister.”
But, despite having said that “summaries” would be available for all of his engagements at football games, the Scottish Government has so far failed to publish them.
Scottish Tory deputy leader Rachael Hamilton said: “Neil Gray promised to publish details of the discussions he supposedly had when he was driven to Aberdeen games at taxpayers’ expense.
“More than a week later, we’re still waiting. He seems to be hoping the public and press just forget about it.
“There’s no good reason to delay.
“Neil Gray presumably didn’t discuss top-secret, highly-sensitive government business over a half-time Bovril and a pie, with his friends and family next to him.
“If records exist, they can be published immediately. Unless, of course, they’re a work of fiction.
“This scandal reeks of typical SNP secrecy and arrogance.
“The longer this goes on, the more it seems like these documents might be so damning that the SNP want to hide them for as long as possible.
“Neil Gray should really be refunding taxpayers but, at a minimum, he needs to immediately publish the minutes of the discussions that he claims happened.”
The register of interests show that Mr Gray has been given VIP tickets to Aberdeen matches at Hampden three times since becoming a cabinet minister last year.
The Airdrie and Shotts MSP watched Aberdeen v Hibernian in Scottish League Cup semi-final as a guest of the SPFL in November 2023.
He also watched the Dons in the final against Rangers in December last year as a guest of the SPFL, and the semi-final of the Scottish Cup against Celtic in April this year as a guest of the SFA.
Mr Gray was also driven by government limo to an Aberdeen home league match against Livingston in May, on a day when he also carried out ministerial visits in the city.
He was a guest of the Aberdeen Community Trust.
In his statement to the Scottish Parliament on November 14, Mr Gray said: “There are and will be summaries of the discussions that have taken place, which is in accordance with the ministerial code.
“The ministerial code does not require minutes of meetings in that type of format, but those summaries will be available for all the engagements that I have been participating in.”
Mr Gray attended matches using a ministerial vehicle, and has apologised for his actions saying he appeared ‘more as a fan than a minister’[/caption]
