SHAMED ex-health secretary Michael Matheson was last night blasted for his “shameless” decision to stand as a candidate at the 2026 Holyrood election.
Reports last night said the ex-minister had put in an application to be an SNP candidate when the voters next go to the polls.
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He was forced to resign in February over his £11,000 parly iPad roaming bill which he racked up watching the football while on holiday in Morocco.
And he was handing the Scottish Parliament’s longest suspension ever for misleading parly officials about the claim.
Scottish Tory deputy leader Rachael Hamilton blasted the decision.
She said: “Scots will find this news scarcely believable. SNP politicians are so disconnected from how the public feel about them that they see no issues in seeking to be elected for another five years.
“Michael Matheson’s application to stand as a candidate is particularly shameless. He lied to the taxpayer and claimed thousands of pounds of their money yet he still wants the privilege of being an MSP.
“People are sick and tired of this attitude from the same old SNP faces who have failed Scotland for over 17 years.
“It is unbelievable that they will not do the right thing, recognise that their trust with the public is broken and step away from frontline politics.”
Mr Matheson was found guilty after a parly probe of two breaches of expenses rules after he provided false information to justify a £11,000 iPad roaming bill.
He later quit the government after it turned out his MSP device had been used to stream football matches while he was on holiday in Morocco around New Year 2023.
Holyrood’s Standards Committee recommended he serve a 27 day suspension from the chamber and pay a £10,000 fine.
Despite public outrage over the scandal, First Minister John Swinney stuck up for Mr Matheson.
It even emerged civil servants drew up a briefing note for Mr Swinney which listed Mr Matheson’s apparent achievements in order for Mr Swinney to fend off questions about the scandal on May 23.
