£98,442. That is how much John Swinney’s World Cup trip cost taxpayers. At a time of serious pressure on Scotland’s finances, it is a figure that will sit uncomfortably with many of us.
Almost half of the bill was spent on business class flights for the First Minister and two of his senior aides. Another £11,800 was accounted for on economy flights for several officials who accompanied Swinney, while car hire in Boston and Kentucky added more than £10,000 to the costs.
That is a relatively insignificant sum in the wider context of Scotland’s multi-billion pound economy.
Taken in isolation, it will not determine whether the NHS can meet demands or whether councils can balance their books.
Public confidence in government matters. These decisions look marginal on a balance sheet but they reveal how seriously those in power take the responsibility of spending other people’s money.
When households are under pressure, and public bodies are being told to make savings and operate more efficiently, taxpayers are entitled to expect ministers and civil servants to show the same restraint.
No one is saying that the First Minister should fly economy or limit international travel. There are legitimate practical, security and scheduling reasons why a head of government requires this travel.
The First Minister wasn’t just in Boston for Scotland’s first World Cup tournament in decades. A government seeking investment, promoting tourism and protecting the interests of the Scotch whisky industry cannot conduct all its business from Edinburgh.
Fine. But the public deserves more than a list of meetings.
It’s also not unreasonable that the First Minister would travel to the US to witness Scotland in its first World Cup finals appearance since 1998, especially when it takes place in a country with a major Scottish diaspora and political links.
His programme wasn’t just watching a ball being kicked around. It included meeting political and academic representatives before taking part in trade engagements linked to the Scotch whisky industry.
There’s a clear argument that such a trip could be in the best interests of Scotland. Yet that makes transparency more important, not less.
The Scottish Government’s own travel policy allows business class travel only on flights of ten hours or more. Yet, direct flights from Scotland to Boston are considerably shorter.
But the public need full transparency. The First Minister, and senior ministers, need officials alongside them on important business trips but questions must be asked about the size of the delegation.
A private secretary, chief of staff, content manager, visits and events staffer, communications official and overseas officials all accompanied the First Minister on his visit to the US. That demands explanation.
