Scottish Health Minister Michael Matheson has resigned after his son ran up a telephone bill of more than €12,000. He prefers to leave the government so as not to distract from political work.
The Scottish National Party (SNP) MP said this in his resignation letter on Thursday. Matheson’s son watched football on his father’s work tablet during a family holiday in Morocco in the winter of 2022/2033 and racked up horrendous roaming charges.
When the story came to light in November 2023, Matheson initially claimed the charges arose solely from the business use of his tablet during the trip. Opposition parties then calculated that the minister would have had to send thousands of emails within a few hours to come up with such a bill.
Matheson subsequently admitted his son had used the tablets and said he had fully reimbursed the costs initially paid by the Scottish Parliament.
Scottish Prime Minister Humza Yousaf backed Matheson in November and expressed his confidence in him.
Opposition politicians welcomed the minister’s resignation, saying Thursday that the story also cast a bad light on Yousaf. “The First Minister must be confronted with questions about his poor judgement,” said Scottish Labor deputy leader Jackie Baillie.
Independence supporter Matheson joined the Scottish Government in 2011 and has since held various positions, including Justice Secretary and Transport Secretary. He has been Minister of Health since March 2023. (saw/sda/afp)
Soource :Watson
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
