Well, theres a surprise, everyone.. SNP ministers under fire for five-star foreign trips Humza Yousaf, the minister for Europe and international development, stayed at the Ritz Carlton in Qatar Lindsay McIntosh Scottish Political Editor, The Times Published at 12:01AM, December 29 2014 SNP ministers have been accused of enjoying luxury lifestyles after it emerged that members of the party’s top team at Holyrood have stayed in some of the world’s grandest five-star hotels. Among those to enjoy top treatment while on government business are Humza Yousaf, the minister for Europe and international development. He stayed at the Ritz Carlton in Qatar – which boasts its own exclusive island and the Middle East’s largest chandelier, decorated with 2,300 crystals. The stay cost almost £1,400. On a separate trip, Mr Yousaf stayed at a string of elite hotels, including the Yas Viceroy Hotel on Yas Island, home to the Abu Dhabi grand prix, the Dubai Grand Hyatt and the Doha Grand Hyatt. The details were revealed by Scottish Labour using freedom of information legislation. James Kelly, the party’s Scottish parliament business manager, said: “When SNP ministers travel abroad, they are staying at some of the world’s top hotels. There is absolutely no justification for staying in luxury hotels on private islands while on government business. Between April and September this year, 15,000 children in Scotland had to rely on foodbanks for a decent meal. When so many people are struggling, the fact that SNP ministers are spending taxpayers’ money on luxury hotels for themselves and their staff is simply unacceptable. “Some, such as Humza Yousaf, need to look again and ask how they can justify this spending.” The MSP added that, for many of the trips, there was no official record of ministerial engagements. He said: “The SNP government has to end their luxury lifestyle and commit to publishing all meetings that took place during these trips.” It is not the first time nationalist ministers have faced criticism over their overseas trips. Alex Salmond, as first minister, fought to prevent the details of his accommodation during the 2012 Ryder Cup in Chicago from being publicised. He had said that calls to account for the costs of his September trip were “ridiculous frippery”. It later emerged that he and his wife had spent £3,000 on four nights at the five-star Peninsula Hotel. They were booked into a grand deluxe suite, which boasts a marble bathroom with spectacular views across the city. A spokesman for Mr Yousaf said: “This is a silly boomerang attack by the Labour party since Gordon Brown stayed in the same hotel as Mr Yousaf at the conference they attended in Doha – as did UK and other international ministers. It is also a short-sighted attack since the purpose of these visits is to promote jobs and investment in Scotland. During his visit to the Gulf states, Humza Yousaf led a delegation of 40 Scottish companies promoting our expertise in oil and gas.”
Posted on: Mon, 29 Dec 2014 09:11:43 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015