The iPad that brought down Scotland's Health Minister

Scotland's Health Minister quits over corruption not health.

At one point the UK had an envious free health care system. However, for a variety of reasons it has been eroded away. Not least because there have been influx of people into the UK who expect to use the service without having been paying taxes to help fund it.

If you thought England's NHS (National Health System) was not in a good shape, then Scotland's is even worse.

It is managed by the Scottish National Party.

Scots are tight with their money.

Has long been taken as gospel. Of course, it is a myth perpetuated by those South of the border, i.e. the English.

Canny with their money would be more appropriate or thrifty. I guess it just means pennies are watched.

Ironically I am the world's worst saver. For me as my mother would say, I had holes in my pocket, as whenever I got coins or money it would fall through the holes in my pocket! She was right. I spent it faster than I received it!

The iPad that brought down Scotland's Health Minister

In November, it was revealed that a £10,935.74 bill had been charged to Mr Matheson's iPad following a holiday to Morocco with his wife and two sons.

He agreed with parliament in March that he would pay £3,000 from his own office expenses, with the rest to be paid by parliament.

Parliament said he had given an assurance that the device had only been used for constituency business.

When the story was first reported, Mr Matheson blamed an out-of-date Sim card and agreed to pay the money back.

The background

Scotland's health secretary Michael Matheson has finally resigned just before the release of a report into an £11,000 bill that was racked up on his parliamentary iPad.

Mr Matheson said he was standing down because he did not want the row over the bill to become a distraction.

In November 2022 he took his family to Morocco for a two week holiday and his iPad racked up huge charges.

There was much outcry here in Scotland, as this bill was initially paid by the public!

Another of a long list of things that the Scottish public pay for that is being bought for the benefit of Scottish National Party ministers....

The outdated SIM card barefaced lie

In November 2022 it was revealed that a £10,935.74 bill had been charged to Mr Matheson's iPad following a holiday to Morocco with his wife and two sons.

Matheson then agreed with the Scottish parliament in March 2023 that he would repay £3,000 from his own office expenses. The remainder (almost eight thousand pounds) would be paid by parliament.

Matheson had told the Scottish Parliament that the iPad had only been used for constituency business.

In typical corrupt politician style when the story was first broke Mr Matheson tried to blame the bill on an old out-of-date Sim card. He then agreed to pay ALL the money back.

In a statement to parliament two weeks later the truth came out!

He admitted the iPad had been used as a hotspot by his sons so they could watch football.

Corrupt Incompetent or Both

When the iPad story first broke, Mr Yousaf the unelected Scottish First Minster initially described it as a "legitimate" expense. But then again having seen his record (Yousaf's) that is no surprise. He is a former Scottish Health Minister.

That clip was Yousaf when Health Minister and just sums up his government.

What the opposition parties say

"He has resigned but Humza Yousaf should have sacked him the minute it became clear Michael Matheson had not told the truth," Mr Ross told MSPs.

I might not see eye to eye with either the Labour party or the Conservative party, but the Tory leader has got this spot on as he also said "Humza Yousaf's own reputation is in tatters over this scandal. He looks weak."

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said: "The health secretary has finally resigned.

"That will make the headlines today, but the crisis in our NHS has been 17 years in the making."

Yes sheer bloody incompetence!

Sources and Reference documents

Michael Matheson: Scotland's health secretary quits over iPad row

All ramblings are from me, the mad Scotsman TengoLoTodo unless otherwise stated, note lead image is generated with AI on pixlr .com from a prompt by me.

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