EMBATTLED Nats minister Michael Matheson came under fresh pressure today over claims he flouted government rules on holiday lets.
The Health Secretary – accused of lying amid the scandal over his £11,000 MSP iPad data charges – failed to comply with controversial new laws surrounding the £200,000 cottage on Skye, according to reports.
It was claimed he failed to declare his licence and energy rating on adverts – then updated the details three days after the Sunday Mail revealed his ownership of the home.
Opposition politicians accused Mr Matheson of another cover-up, following similar claims over the iPad scandal.
Scottish Labour deputy leader Jackie Baillie said: “This will pile more pressure on Mr Matheson as his flagrant disregard of his own government‘s rules comes to light.”
A Scottish Conservative spokesperson said: “The discredited SNP health secretary who has lied to the public now appears to not even be following his own government’s regulations on holiday lets.
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Humza Yousaf should grow a backbone and sack him.”
A spokesperson for Mr Matheson said: “The cottage now complies fully with Scottish Government regulations.”
But Fiona Campbell, Chief executive of the Association of Scotland‘s Self Caterers, said: “A government minister should lead by example and comply with the government’s short-term lets policies.
“He should be doing absolutely everything right.
“You have to display your EPC rating on every online and offline advertisement, and now the licence number.
“It is an additional regulatory burden for no demonstrable benefit but it is the legal position so a government minister should know better.”
It also emerged today that Mr Matheson had rejected an offer of help from the UK Government in August to cut NHS waiting lists – despite numbers continuing to soar this year to a record 830,000 at the end of September.
Tory ministers offered for Scots facing delays to be treated in English hospitals, but a Scottish Government spokesman claimed “did not need to accept any support as we are investing an additional £100 million each year to reduce waiting lists”.
Mr Matheson initially got taxpayers to fork out the £11,000 racked up for data charges while on a family holiday to Morocco.
But after a usage rundown was published last month indicating that football matches may have been watched, he claimed he’d just found out his sons had been watching matches.
It came after he misled journalists over the scandal, flatly denying any personal use of the iPad or use by his family, days after he said he’d found out his kids had used it.
But Mr Matheson has refused to quit and First Minister Humza Yousaf has repeatedly defended him, despite polling suggesting fewer than one in three Scots think he should remain in post.
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