Justice Secretary Angela Constance has been accused of breaching Holyrood rules after SNP logos appeared on her taxpayer-funded MSP website. A complaint was lodged on Friday, alleging that the site, which must not promote a political party, featured party branding and content related to her ministerial role.
The material has since been removed. A spokesperson for Constance said: 'Upon being made aware of this issue, action was taken to rectify the matter.' Constance is the SNP MSP for Almond Valley and a key member of John Swinney’s Cabinet.
Holyrood rules state that publications funded from parliamentary resources must not relate to an MSP’s work as a minister, and party political logos are not allowed on MSP websites funded by the parliament. The complaint alleges multiple breaches and includes links to articles featuring Constance in her role as Justice Secretary, as well as press releases displaying the SNP logo.
The complaint states: 'Angela Constance is using the publicly funded site to promote her work as a Scottish Government Minister... The site includes party-political content and references that go beyond the factual, non-partisan remit.' It calls for a Holyrood probe into the website.
A Scottish Labour source criticised Constance, saying: 'It’s not enough that Angela Constance expects taxpayers to foot the bill for her chauffeur-driven trips to Old Firm matches, now she wants the public to pay for SNP propaganda online too.' The source also referenced previous controversies involving other SNP figures.
A Scottish Parliament spokesperson said: 'The Parliament’s policies reflect that parliamentary resources cannot be used for party political purposes. As a matter of standard practice we won’t comment on or confirm receipt of complaints.'
