Why Mairi McAllan's 'brave' bid to make us forget Michael Matheson scandal may backfire – Scotsman comment

McAllan, John Swinney and co would certainly like voters to put from their minds the fact that their party colleague wrongly claimed £11,000 in expenses and then lied about it. And perhaps they would also like us to think no more about their long-standing support for Matheson, who only reluctantly resigned as Health Secretary following months of pressure to do so.

The fact he was eventually persuaded to quit that job – he retains a limpet-like grip on his MSP's office – demonstrates the benefit of persistence, of not forgetting, for those with an interest in maintaining high standards in public life.

McAllan claimed the Matheson scandal had not “cut through” to the public. However, if this was true, which it isn’t, she would not need to be urging people to forget. Furthermore, even if this was the case, that would not be a reason to stop discussing it. Many scandals fail to ‘cut through’ – until they eventually do.

As shown by the 2009 MPs’ expenses scandal – a similar affair, just on a larger scale – most voters want politicians who take care when claiming taxpayers’ money and who tell the truth in the event they come under scrutiny. Those who argue that such things do not matter are venturing down a dangerous road, encouraging the growth of cynicism and the often-expressed idea that “politicians are just in it for themselves”.

McAllan and Swinney’s attempts to belittle this scandal may be with that jaded, apathetic audience in mind. However, it is a ‘brave’ politician who, weeks away from an election, banks their party’s reputation on the idea that few voters expect their elected representatives to adhere to the highest standards of honesty, probity and integrity. Their numbers may have been reduced but there still remains, we suggest, a sizeable constituency.