Former Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon has defended the use of public money on airport upgrades, saying spending on this was “probably less” than one flight by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in a private jet.
She was speaking after her successor, Humza Yousaf, ordered a review of Scottish Government bank card spending by civil servants.
That came in the wake of reports that £14.2m of taxpayers’ money had been spent by Scottish civil servants in three years – with this said to include almost £10,000 on VIP airport upgrades.
Appearing in Iain Dale’s All Talk show at the Edinburgh Fringe, Ms Sturgeon said first ministers need to have “the ability to travel through an airport quickly and securely”.
I think I saw £10,000 over a couple of years. That’s probably less than one private jet flight for Rishi Sunak— Former first minister Nicola Sturgeon
She added: “I don’t know if that is an outrage, make up your own mind.”
On spending on airport services she said: “I think I saw £10,000 over a couple of years. That’s probably less than one private jet flight for Rishi Sunak.”
Ms Sturgeon added that “being careful with public money, taxpayers’ pounds and pennies, of course that is important”.
But she also said: “For any first minister, probably for any head of government anywhere, all of your travel is informed by security considerations.”
Mr Sunak last month defended his use of planes to travel about the UK.
After flying to Scotland in July, he said: “Every prime minister before me has also used planes to travel around the United Kingdom because it is an efficient use of time for the person running the country.”
