Keith Brown also faces a fine if he drives his 11-year-old diesel car into any of Scotland's supported low emission zones SNP. Photo: Jane Barlow/Pennsylvania.
Deputy SNP leader became the latest high-profile nationalist to commit a driving violation after failing to pay a car tax.
The tax on Keith Brown's Volkswagen Passat expired earlier this month, according to The Telegraph.
Meanwhile, it also emerged that Mr Brown, who ran Scotland's justice system until earlier this year, faces a fine if he drives his 11-year-old diesel into any of Scotland's Low Emission Zones (LEZs) supported by SNP, due to the pollution it can cause.
The tax watchdog, which MSP accused of an «honest mistake», came after he sent an email to the party administrator to confirm his participation in the September 1 SNP «exit day», which party politicians were ordered to attend.
< p>Mr Brown confirmed he planned to come to the event at Edinburgh Napier University and shared the car's license plate to secure a parking space.
Online checks, however, showed the car was tax free. and that, despite SNP's position as an environmentally responsible organization, its deputy owns a car so filthy it's banned from city centers.
Humza Yusuf caught early
Enforcement of the LEZ has already begun in Glasgow, with Edinburgh, Dundee and Aberdeen to start issuing fines next year.
Mr Brown's refusal to tax his car follows Humza Yousaf, the current First Minister, who has been fined for driving without insurance in 2016.
When Mr. Yusuf was Minister of Justice, he was caught by police driving a friend's car without proper coverage. Like Mr Brown, he blamed an «honest mistake» he said was linked to the breakdown of his first marriage.
Sue Webber, Conservative MP, said: «Deputy SNP, shameful , followed in the footsteps of its leader, Humza Yusaf, by not keeping his car affairs in order.
«Given that they were both Ministers of Justice, they needed to be more careful that they were allowed to travel on Scotland legally.
«I'm sure Keith Brown will quickly correct this oversight, which may have been due to his being distracted by the scandal and civil war engulfing his party.»
Seven topics discussed at the SNP event
G- Mr. Brown shared his car's registration details with other MSPs and party workers in response to an invitation to an SNP event, despite assurances that the venue was «also very well served by Edinburgh buses and trams.»
The nationalist politicians were told that there was a «three-line stick» for the «full-day event» and that any absence must be addressed in advance.
They are expected to participate in «policy discussion groups» on seven topics, including energy, justice and international relations. Independence was not on the agenda.
According to an online audit conducted by Transport Scotland, the agency that Mr Brown ran between 2010 and 2014, his car “does not meet the required standards and cannot be used at any low temperature. emissions zone in Scotland.
As Minister for Transport a decade ago, Mr Brown encouraged the Scots to buy expensive electric cars and agreed to spend millions of pounds of taxpayer money on charging infrastructure.
>Since his dismissal as Attorney General in March, he has also strongly supported the new measures on pollution control when he accused the Conservatives in June of trying to «discredit» the LEZ in Glasgow.
If Mr Brown drove his car into the Glasgow LEZ, he would face a £60 fine, doubling for each subsequent offense, although there is no suggestion that he did.
He was elected Deputy Leader party in 2018 and became Minister of Justice. in 2021, having previously held other cabinet positions. Cabinet secretaries in the Scottish government are currently entitled to a salary of nearly £120,000.
Sources close to Mr Brown say the car has not been driven tax free since he was outside the country.
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Persons caught driving an untaxed vehicle are first subject to a fine which, if not paid, may result in prosecution, a £1,000 fine and confiscation of the vehicle funds.
Mr. Brown's spokesman said: «Keith did not receive a reminder to renew the tax on this vehicle, so it was an honest mistake that he immediately corrected.»
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