Kemi Badenoch hits out at Swinney over business-class flights to World Cup

The UK Conservative leader said the trip was a “jolly” and not work, and insisted there are better ways to spend taxpayers’ money.

Mr Swinney jetted across the Atlantic to watch the Scotland men’s national team take part in their first World Cup in 28 years in June.

According to data published by the Scottish government under freedom of information legislation, almost £100,000 was spent for Mr Swinney and officials to visit Boston and on a subsequent trip to Kentucky, along with another visit to Miami by sports minister Maree Todd for the team’s final group stage tie against Brazil.

Flights for the First Minister, his private secretary John Webster and chief of staff Colin McAllister – all business class – cost more than £45,000. Hotels for the trio cost £3,212, according to the data.

READ MORE: Swinney defends £100,000 costs of World Cup trip

Both Ms Todd and her private secretary flew in economy class, with the flights costing £1,471.

Mr Swinney previously said the government had tried to “minimise” costs.

But Ms Badenoch, who was visiting the Balgone Estate in North Berwick on Friday, hit out at the First Minister over the expenditure.

“To be honest, I wasn’t surprised,” she told journalists. “John Swinney was dealing with the Peter Murrell scandal. He could not wait to get as far away from Scotland as possible.

“And look, we all enjoyed the World Cup. If you’re getting hospitality that’s a different thing. He spent taxpayers’ money, £18,000 on his own ticket alone, before we get into the roughly £100,000 that was spent on various aides going for what was a jolly - it was not work.

“I think John Swinney is more interested in enjoying himself than actually being First Minister and working hard for the people of Scotland.”

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She added: “The First Minister of course should go and watch Scotland play in the World Cup, but other ministers went on economy. Even for business class, £18,000 is a lot of money, and he took a lot of aides with him - he didn’t need to do that as well.

“There are better ways of spending taxpayers’ money. There is a cost of living issue that many people are facing. A lot of people are paying taxes - I think they want to see their taxes being spent on making their lives better, not for John Swinney to go have a great time in the US at vast expense.”

Mr Swinney previously told the BBC: “Obviously, when flights have got to be booked, when there’s intense pressure on the time involved, then the costs are likely to be higher.”

He added: “We tried to minimise those costs.”

Responding to Ms Badenoch’s comments, an SNP spokesman said: “Kemi Badenoch served in a UK Tory government in which the Prime Minister flew around the world in a private jet.

“Not only that but she asked UK government officials to use taxpayers money to pay for a flight for her to go on holiday. To have someone with that track record try to suggest the First Minister of Scotland should not represent the country internationally shows exactly why the Tories are a joke in Scotland.”