- Guidelines state any postage or stationary purchased on bills ‘should be used for just for parliamentary duties’
- Probe by presiding officer follows nameless criticism
The SNP is being investigated by the Scottish parliament authorities over the potential misuse of postage stamps purchased utilizing MSPs’ bills.
An allegation has emerged that stamps purchased on bills had been handed to UK election candidates for campaigning actions together with mailouts to potential voters.
MSPs have as much as £5,500 a yr to spend on postage and stationery however guidelines state they ‘should be used just for parliamentary duties and should not be used for some other objective, together with celebration political functions’.
Parliament officers have confirmed they’re investigating an nameless criticism submitted to Holyrood’s presiding officer, Alison Johnstone.
A spokesman stated: ‘We take the usage of publicly funded sources very significantly. Officers are investigating the matter to ascertain whether or not there was any misuse of parliamentary sources.’
Presiding Officer Alison Johnstone has been requested to analyze claims that MSPs used bills to purchase stamps that had been then handed onto candidates for campaigning
Parliamentary guidelines state than any postage or stationary purchased with MSPs’ bills can’t be used for celebration political functions
Newest accounts present the SNP plunged to an £800,000 monetary loss as membership numbers slumped and donations dried up.
The SNP Holyrood group dismissed the seriousness of the criticism and informed the BBC the foundations had been ‘crystal clear’.
A spokesman added: ‘We might anticipate the workplaces of MSPs of all events to co-function with the Parliamentary Company Physique. Supplies, together with stamps, can solely be used for parliamentary functions similar to representing constituents and campaigning on their behalf.’ The complainer emailed the presiding officer, saying: ‘I’m anonymously sharing a screenshot from the
SNP workplace managers WhatsApp group chat as a result of my issues that a number of MSPs are utilizing stamps paid for by Scottish parliament bills to cross to UK Parliament election candidates for marketing campaign actions similar to sending goal letters to hard-to-reach addresses.
‘I’m involved about this open dialogue involving a number of members’ workplaces.’
Leaked messages from an SNP group chat known as ‘Workplace Supervisor Chat’ particulars exchanges between employees members about the usage of postage stamps.
Based on newspaper experiences, one staffer requested: ‘Guys, the brand new stamps. Can they be traced?’ Somebody from former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon’s workplace replied: ‘Like who bought them and what they’re getting used for?’
A 3rd particular person, stated to work for deputy chief Keith Brown, wrote: ‘I requested [name of non-SNP parliamentary worker] on the mailroom and he stated no.’
There was one other query about tracing stamps again to the one who purchased them, to which the consensus was ‘no’, earlier than an worker at Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville’s workplace added: ‘If they will, then just a few folks could also be up in entrance of company physique.’
Nonetheless, there’s nothing to counsel any of the workplace bearers had been conscious of any points concerning stamps.
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