The leader of the Scottish Conservative party, Douglas Ross, is being accused of potential misuse of public funds by using Westminster expenses to travel for his job as a football linesman. If the allegations, which were reported in the Sunday Mail, are accurate they amount to a serious misuse of public money. John Swinney, Scotland’s first minister, called on Ross to provide all available information regarding the matter.
Advisers to Ross raised concerns over 28 parliamentary travel claims, which may have combined his work as a linesman. Ross reportedly claimed a £58 parking fee at Inverness airport in July 2018 while parliament was in recess. The same claim reportedly included £43 rail travel from Heathrow to central London, claimed the day after Ross worked as a linesman in a match in Iceland.
The claims follow the row over the deselection of David Duguid, a Conservative candidate. Ross is now contesting the Aberdeenshire North & Moray East seat instead of Duguid, who has been in hospital due to ill-health. Scottish Conservative chairman Craig Hoy previously stated that Ross was not directly involved in the unanimous decision taken by the party board on Mr Duguid’s candidacy, although the leader sat on the board himself.
Ross maintains that he only ever claimed expenses relating to his role as an MP, and that they were agreed upon by the independent parliamentary body overseeing expenses. Speaking on the matter, Ross said he would have no issue with the expenses being scrutinized again. Scottish Conservatives deputy leader Meghan Gallacher has expressed support for Ross and confirmed that he would welcome any further scrutiny. The parliamentary rules state that MPs can only claim travel expenses from their home airport, which in Ross’s case were either Inverness or Aberdeen, when he was MP for Moray
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