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The first minister, the wheelbarrow, and the potato peeler |
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Tom Gordon 11 January 2005
The Herald
JACK McConnell was last night facing fresh questions about not registering a holiday with Kirsty Wark, the BBC broadcaster, after it emerged he has declared dozens of other personal gifts since becoming first minister.
On Sunday, Mr McConnell said he had not registered a holiday with Ms Wark's family in Majorca as it did not exceed the ?250 threshold set out in the codes of conduct for ministers and MSPs.
But between November 2001 and May 2004, Mr McConnell declared 87 minor gifts to the head civil servant in Scotland, including seven under ?15. The list includes trivial items such as a keyring, a mug and a CD, as well as bizarre objects such as a wheelbarrow, a wooden horse, a shepherd's crook and a "souvenir potato peeler"
A cashmere scarf for Mrs McConnell was also logged with John Elvidge, permanent secretary, under the ministerial code's rules on reporting gifts.But the holiday the first minister and his family spent at the villa owned by Ms Wark in January 2003 was not registered. The records pre-date the McConnell family's recent trip to Majorca at New Year.A spokeswoman for Mr McConnell last night insisted there had been no need to declare the holiday as it had involved old friends. The first minister's care in logging other items was proof of his familiarity with the rules, she said, and his absolute confidence they did not apply to the holiday.She added: "The first minister registers all official gifts and hospitality ? regardless of cost. His recent private holiday was with longstanding family friends and therefore does not require to be registered." However, Conservatives said the first minister's excuse for not declaring his 2003 holiday had been shattered. They also said Mr McConnell's line of defence had shifted from cost to friendship in barely 24 hours.David McLetchie, Scottish Tory leader, said: "Jack McConnell has been damned by his own previous disclosures. There is absolutely no consistency in his approach. If he can declare all these trivial gifts, then why does he regard a week's stay at a Spanish villa as of no consequence?"The SNP kept up the pressure by contrasting the first minister's holiday with one taken by Tony Blair, who registered an 18-day trip with his family at Sir Cliff Richard's villa in Barbados last year.The prime minister made a donation to charity in lieu of accommodation costs, as well as paying for all other expenses, including flights.Nicola Sturgeon, the SNP leader at Holyrood, said it was clear Mr McConnell should have declared his holiday too, and he must explain himself to parliament.A Scottish Executive spokeswoman said the two cases were different, as Mr Blair had rented out the villa in Sir Cliff's absence.Last night, Mr McConnell's office wrote to George Reid, presiding officer, saying Lord Fraser had been "mistaken" in doubting the first minister's commitment to the Holyrood inquiry. Lord Fraser was reported at the weekend to be uneasy about the first minister's refusal to back a Holyrood vote last year, which would have forced the BBC to release a film about the project.Perks of the jobThe first minister registered 87 items with John Elvidge, the permanent secretary, between November 2001 and May 2004.They include: 11 bottles of whisky, six bottles of other alcohol, five sets of cufflinks, five clocks, five jumpers and sweatshirts, five pens, four ties, four quaichs, three vases, and three decanters and glasses.There are also a number of unusual items:These include a miniature helicopter from Amerada Hess Oil & Gas in February 2002 valued at between ?15 and ?50; souvenir potato peeler from Albert Bartlett & Sons in February 2002 valued at between ?15 and ?50; shepherd's crook from Argyll and Bute Council in October 2002 valued at between ?50 and ?100; shinty stick from Inverness Council (sic) in November 2002 valued at between ?100 and ?140; wooden horse from the Chinese ambassador in December 2002 valued at between ?50 and ?100; souvenir mug from Cairngorm Mountain Gift Shop in April 2003 valued at less than ?15; small wheelbarrow from the Etna Group in March 2004 valued at between ?15 and ?50; and honorary citizenship of the city of Baltimore from its mayor in April 2004 valued at under ?15.
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