Nicola Sturgeon complained to parliamentary officials after a secret rule change meant MSPs were granted a so-called ‘skiving charter’.
The policy change, only made public last week by the Scottish Mail on Sunday, means taxpayers won’t be able to access information telling them how many times their elected representative shows up to work.
After MSPs raised concerns about the publication of the data, officials determined releasing the information could endanger the “physical and mental health or safety” of politicians.
The change was made quietly in May 2024.
However, it is following this change that the former first minister complained to Holyrood officials.
Her attendance logs, originally obtained through freedom of information requests, remained in the public domain while others had been deleted.
Ms Sturgeon’s attendance logs have since been deleted but showed she used her security pass to access Holyrood just once between April and August 2023 – the immediate period after she was replaced as first minister.
Sources close to the former first minister said it was used just once because the Glasgow Southside MSP still benefited from a tax-payer funded chauffeur, allowing her to bypass security.
From September 2023, her pass was used on 42 of 72 days, meaning Ms Sturgeon was not present in Holyrood around 40% of the time.
Following her complaint to officials, her data was removed and she received an apology.
But this is more than just the former first minister’s attendance records.
Shouldn’t taxpayers be able to know if the MSPs they elect to represent them are skiving off work?
John O’Connell, chief executive of the TaxPayers’ Alliance made this argument, dubbing the secret rule change as a ‘skivers charter’.
After all, our politicians are paid a startling £72,000 per year to serve their communities.
Both Ms Sturgeon and Michael Matheson, for example, have participated in a handful of debates since their resignations (February 2023 and February 2024 respectively).
Meanwhile, Ms Sturgeon’s predecessor Humza Yousaf has contributed to just one parliamentary debate since his exit as first minister in May.
But the number of times they are present in parliament will no longer be known.
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Of course, the level of abuse directed at MSPs and their staff shouldn’t go unreported.
Records show there were around 500 potential criminal threats made about MSPs online reported to the police last year.
That’s unacceptable and should be challenged.
But in any other job, failing to show up to work wouldn’t go unpunished, and in extreme cases, could result in people losing their jobs.
There are jobs considered so vital – health, police and fire services – that if staff did not show up to work, there could be harrowing consequences for the public.
If MSPs fail to participate in adequate parliamentary proceedings without a valid reason, they could be removed from the role under a new Bill making its way through Holyrood, introduced by Scottish Tory MSP Graham Simpson.
It is without doubt that parliamentarians should be safe at work. But it is also fair that taxpayers should be able to hold their MSPs to account if they suspect they’re skiving from work.