John Swinney or, I’m guessing, a member of his staff spent £278.12 to send a baby box to the Mayor of New York City. Some sad soul has just spent considerably more of your tax funding on a Freedom of Information Request (up to £600) to find that out so that they can use it to demonstrate SNP waste!
https://www.gov.scot/publications/foi-202600503246/
On the 24th April, Anas Sarwar, Labour Leader in Scotland, was in Holyrood for FMQs. He stayed overnight in a hotel, before and after, so that he would not be tired for the 12 noon start to the 45 minute session, costing £318.
It wasn’t well worth it for his contribution. In it he claimed:
The measure of success for the Scottish Government is how it uses its power to improve the lives of Scots. For 18 years, John Swinney’s SNP has been in charge of our NHS, but we have one in six Scots on waiting lists.
chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.parliament.scot/api/sitecore/CustomMedia/OfficialReport?meetingId=16375
Not true.
There was estimated to be 639,579 individuals on at least one new outpatient, inpatient or day case waiting list at 30 June 2025. This equates to 1 in 9 of Scotland’s population (mid-2024 population estimates Scotland).
That is significantly fewer when you remember that 1 in 6 Scots is around 900 000 and 1 in 9 was 640 000, 260 000 fewer.
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