Arabic version: سويني يدافع عن تكاليف رحلات درجة رجال الأعمال إلى كأس العالم
According to BBC News, John Swinney has defended spending more than £45,000 of public funds on business-class flights for himself and two senior aides travelling to the World Cup in the United States. Scotland’s first minister flew to Boston on 11 June for Scotland’s opening match before taking part in trade talks in Kentucky three days later.
The Scottish government spent £98,442 in total on US trips for Swinney, Sports Minister Maree Todd and their officials, covering flights, hotels and expenses. Flights for Swinney and his private secretary, John Webster, cost £17,893 each, while a business-class ticket for special adviser Colin McAllister cost £9,864. A further £11,800 was spent on economy-class flights for several officials accompanying Swinney, and more than £10,000 on car hire.
Government travel rules state that business class should only be used for flights lasting more than 10 hours unless otherwise agreed. Direct flights from Edinburgh to Boston typically take about seven hours. Swinney said that when flights have to be booked under intense time pressure, costs are likely to be higher, adding that the government had tried to “minimise” costs.
Justice Secretary Neil Gray said business-class travel was proportionate because ministers needed to arrive fresh and be ready to work immediately. He said the visit helped increase Scotland’s “soft-power reach” and make international connections. Economy Secretary Stephen Flynn also defended Swinney, arguing that politicians arriving after travelling in economy class would be less prepared for engagements with US officials.
The government said the trips supported Scotland’s national team at the World Cup and included talks on trade, tourism, culture and investment. Todd and four accompanying officials travelled to Miami for Scotland’s final game, with plane tickets costing £5,485. Conservative MSP Stephen Kerr criticised the spending, saying ministers should have met the significant costs from their own pocket.
