Scotland’s health secretary Michael Matheson has quit his role after weeks of fury around an enormous £11,000 roaming charges Bill racked up on holiday.
Mr Matheson ran up the whopping £10,935.74 bill during a family trip to Morocco, before insisting the data had been used for conducting constituency business.
The MSP agreed to contribute £3,000 of the Bill from his office expenses, while the Scottish Parliament agreed to pay the remainder.
It was only later that he confessed his sons had used the iPad and its data as an internet hotspot to livestream football matches.
His shock decision to quit today, plunging hapless Humza Yousaf into yet another row, comes ahead of parliamentary investigation into the scandal, which will reportedly include further damaging facts about his conduct.
In a resignation letter to the SNP First Minister, Mr Matheson said: “It is in the best interest of myself and the government for me to now step down to ensure this does not become a distraction to taking forward the government’s agenda”.
Accepting his Health Secretary’s resignation, Mr Yousaf replied: “It is right that, having requested that the Scottish Parliament Corporate Body review your data roaming charges from last year, that you fully engage with that process as it comes to its conclusion”.
“I agree that it is therefore best for you to now step down to ensure you are able to give the Parliamentary process the attention it deserves without it becoming a distraction to taking forward the Government’s agenda.”
Labour deputy Scottish leader Jackie Baillie said that while she welcomes the resignation, it leaves Mr Yousaf with “big questions to answer over his lack of judgement”.
“While our NHS is in crisis, Humza Yousaf has shown his weakness by putting the SNP before our NHS. Now more than ever we need a health minister focused on the crisis at hand.
“It’s clear that the First Minister has no plan to save our NHS and that shuffling the SNP deckchairs will make no difference – it’s time for change.”
Scottish Tory MSP Stephen Kerr said the resignation is “an utter humiliation for Humza Yousaf”.
“It shows again the terrible judgement of the First Minister. This cannot be allowed to continue.”
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