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The National (Scotland)
The National (Scotland)
National
Xander Elliards

Scottish Tories to force vote on Neil Gray's position as Health Secretary

THE Scottish Tories will force a Holyrood vote on Neil Gray’s position as Health Secretary.

In an announcement on Tuesday, the Conservative group said it would ask MSPs to back a call for Gray to resign from his role amid continuing focus on his use of Government cars to attend football games.

Holyrood is already due to vote on a motion tabled by Scottish Labour deputy leader Jackie Baillie on Wednesday. This, if passed, would call on the SNP Government to “urgently bring forward a 10-year health and social care workforce plan that meets the needs of the people of Scotland”.

The Tories are set to table an amendment to the motion which would call on Gray to resign after what they describe as a “disastrous” tenure in charge of Scotland’s NHS.

Sandesh Gulhane, the Scottish Tories’ health spokesperson, said: “Neil Gray’s time in charge of Scotland’s NHS has been disastrous.

“Things were bad enough for suffering patients and overwhelmed staff under his predecessors, but the latest SNP health secretary is overseeing a permanent crisis in the health service. His complete lack of leadership means patients’ lives are being put at risk and waiting lists are continuing to soar.

“People still cannot get GP or dentist appointments easily and many patients are stuck in hospital unnecessarily, despite the SNP’s pledge a decade ago to end delayed discharge.

“Not only is Neil Gray similar to Michael Matheson in that he is distracted by a personal scandal, he also has no vision for the future of our NHS.

“I urge MSPs from other parties to join the Scottish Conservatives and tell Neil Gray to resign.”

Health Secretary Neil Gray (Image: PA) It comes after First Minister John Swinney repeatedly gave his backing to Gray, saying that he will still be in post in the autumn.

The SNP run a minority administration at Holyrood, meaning that Gray could face intense pressure to resign should all opposition parties – representing a majority – vote for the Tory motion.

Last week, Swinney insisted the Health Secretary had acted “entirely appropriately” as he rebuffed calls for him to be sacked and investigated over a possible breach of the Scottish Government’s ministerial code.

Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay and his Labour counterpart Anas Sarwar both used First Minister’s Questions to demand Swinney removes Gray from his Cabinet amid a row sparked by the Health Secretary’s use of official Government limos to travel to football matches.

Gray was this week forced to apologise for an “inadvertent error” when he said notes were available for meetings he had held at "all" the games he had attended.

Swinney conceded: “In one answer Neil Gray used one word he shouldn’t have used, the word ‘all’.”

But he said by coming to Parliament and informing MSPs about the error, he believes the Health Secretary had “acted entirely appropriately in his responsibilities to Parliament and in accordance with the ministerial code”.

The Scottish Government recently changed the ministerial code so potential breaches no longer have to be referred by the First Minister, with the advisers now able to launch an investigation if they feel it is warranted.

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