Michael Matheson iPad scandal

Michael Matheson, then serving as Cabinet Secretary for NHS Recovery, Health and Social Care in the government of Humza Yousaf, was revealed to have incurred nearly £11,000 in roaming charges after taking a Scottish Parliament iPad on a family holiday to Morocco.

Matheson initially attempted to claim the charges as a parliamentary expense, but later admitted that the iPad had been used by his sons to stream football matches, and agreed to personally pay back the full cost of the data roaming bill.

Michael Matheson, serving as Scotland's Health Secretary, incurred an £10,935 data roaming bill on his Parliamentary iPad during a family holiday in Morocco over Christmas 2022.

Matheson claimed that he incurred the charges while completing constituency work, and that he had not been aware that he needed to replace the SIM card in the iPad to switch over to the Scottish Parliament's current mobile contract.

[3] It was subsequently revealed that Matheson had been emailed by Parliamentary officials in February 2022, warning him of the need to update the SIM cards in his devices almost a year in advance of his holiday.

The affair also drew criticism towards First Minister Humza Yousaf for his initial support of Matheson and perceived failure to take swift action.

Jackie Baillie, the Scottish Labour Deputy Leader, criticized Yousaf's judgment and leadership, suggesting the scandal indicated broader issues of accountability within the SNP.

[15] The Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy, Màiri McAllan, insisted on 30 May 2024 that the Matheson scandal was a "political bubble issue... which I now think needs to be put to bed".

[19] The Scottish Parliament voted on the committee's recommendations on 29 May 2024: SNP Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes introduced an amendment that re-iterated the party's complaints about the investigation into Matheson, but did not attempt to change the sanction.

Critics argue that Yousaf's support for Matheson, despite the evidence of misconduct, weakened his position and raised questions about the party's internal controls and ethical standards.