Disgraced SNP Michael Matheson refuses to resign as MSP over iPad scandal

Michael Matheson (centre) attends the Scottish National Party's weekly group meeting in Edinburgh on Tuesday. Photo: Geoff J Mitchell/Getty Images < p>A defiant Michael Matheson insisted he will not resign as MP as he returned to Holyrood for the first time since quitting as health secretary over the taxpayer's take to face an £11,000 roaming bill.

The disgraced Falkirk West MSP said he will await the verdict of the Scottish Parliament's standards committee, which is due to meet on Thursday afternoon to begin considering his punishment.< /p>

This could include his suspension from parliament, which would put pressure on him to resign as an MP. However, Humza Yousaf also insists he should not resign as the move could trigger a by-election.

Mr Matheson refused to say if he would refuse to accept the £13,000 golden farewell , which he has the right to demand from the state treasury 90 days after leaving the post of minister.

He withdrew from the media, also refusing to answer. questions about why he was absent from Holyrood last week while continuing his voter outreach.

Douglas Ross, leader of the Scottish Conservatives, said: «As he has done throughout this scandal, Michael Matheson has grinned and avoided answering key questions about the lies he has told and his attempts to force the taxpayer to foot the bill for his data costs.» /p>

“It is significant that, despite weeks of avoiding attention, the only question he chose to answer was one confirming that he would not do the decent thing and resign as an MP.”

Mr Matheson resigned from his post as health secretary last month Photo: Andrew Milligan/PA

Mr Matheson was asked whether he would resign as he left an SNP group meeting at Holyrood on Tuesday lunchtime.

He replied: “No, and as you know, there is a standards development process currently underway, and I will maintain the confidentiality of this process, and I look forward to its completion soon.”

Former Minister health racked up a £10,935.74 bill for his parliamentary iPad at Christmas 2022 while on a family holiday in Morocco. . He then told Holyrood authorities that all the charges related to voter work.

Holyrood allowed him to use taxpayer-funded spending to fund the £3,000 bill and provided the balance of £7,935.74 from his own budget.

Mr Matheson paid the money back from his own pocket on November 10 last year. , two days after The Telegraph published the bill. He told the media that the device was not used for personal purposes.

However, in a statement to MSP, he admitted that on November 9 he learned that his sons were using the iPad at an Internet hotspot to watch football matches.< /p>

Mr Matheson finally resigned as health secretary last month after the ruling Scottish Parliament body corporate body (SPCB) concluded an investigation. He was informed that he would soon be served with a copy of the report.

Earlier this month it emerged that the SPCB had concluded that he had breached two sections of the MSP code of conduct.

It is understood that the full report was referred to the standards committee on Tuesday. It will be published once the committee decides whether to sanction it, likely after Holyrood returns from the Easter break.