Swinney rejects calls to fire health secretary amid row over ministerial car use

John Swinney has insisted health secretary Neil Gray acted “entirely appropriately” as he rebuffed calls for him to be sacked and investigated over a possible breach of the Scottish Government’s ministerial code.

Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay and his Labour counterpart Anas Sarwar both used First Minister’s Questions on Thursday to demand Mr Swinney removes Gray from his Cabinet.

It comes amid a row sparked by the health secretary’s use of official Government limos to travel to football matches.

Gray was this week forced to apologise for an “inadvertent error” when he said notes were available for meetings he had held at all the games he had attended.

Branding Gray “another dishonest, disgraced and distracted Health Secretary who is failing to bring down waiting lists”, Findlay told the First Minister he should go.

“In the real world, if people can’t do their jobs properly or don’t tell the truth, they get the sack,” said Findlay.

“Is it not time for John Swinney to show some leadership by sending Neil Gray – in a chauffeur-driven limo if he likes – to collect his P45?”

Describing the NHS as being “in a permanent state of turmoil”, Findlay also said the health secretary is “failing to do his job and refusing to be straight with the public”.

Meanwhile, Sarwar said: “The SNP’s record on the NHS is one of abject failure.

“Our NHS and care system is in permanent crisis and we have a health secretary that no-one has confidence in.

“He should be sacked for mismanaging our NHS, not just misleading this Parliament.”

But Swinney defended the minister, insisting both he and Gray are “entirely focused” on turning around performance in the NHS.

The First Minister did however accept that when answering questions in Holyrood over his use of Scottish Government cars to travel to football matches, Mr Gray should not have said there were minutes available for all the meetings.

Swinney conceded: “In one answer Neil Gray used one word he shouldn’t have used, the word ‘all’.”

But he said by coming to Parliament and informing MSPs about the error, he believes the Health Secretary had “acted entirely appropriately in his responsibilities to Parliament and in accordance with the ministerial code”.

He added independent advisers, who consider potential breaches of the ministerial code, could however take a “different view”.

The Scottish Government recently changed the ministerial code so potential breaches no longer have to be referred by the First Minister, with the advisers now able to launch an investigation if they feel it is warranted.

Speaking about the “strengthened” ministerial code, Swinney said: “Of course it is up to the independent advisers I have appointed to take a different view to the one I have taken.

“I will be inviting my independent advisers to consider the view I have taken and it will be free to them to take that decision, that is why I have strengthened the ministerial code, it is why I have strengthened the independent advisers.”

He went on: “Fundamentally what matters to the people of Scotland today is that they have got a Government that is focused on the concerns of the people, about making sure we strengthen the National Health Service, that we bring down waiting times.

“That is what is the focus of the First Minister and the Health Secretary.”

Findlay claimed Swinney is in a “state of denial”, insisting he “appears to have given a free pass to his distracted Health Secretary, no matter what he does”.

Sarwar added: “No matter who they choose as the next Health Secretary, the SNP can’t deliver the new direction our country needs.”

Later asked by journalists if the health secretary should stand down, Swinney said: “No, he shouldn’t.

“We’re just getting on with steps that we’re taking to improve the health service, that’s what Neil Gray and I are focused on.”

He also added that no health leaders had voiced misgivings about Gray during a recent meeting.