Scottish Ministers and Social Media

SNP MSP Christina McKelvie to take medical leave from ministerial role | HeraldScotland

I've written to the First Minister about the behaviour of one of her colleagues, Christina McKelvie, on Twitter.

Seems that Scottish Ministers can't have their cake and eat it at the same time - they must be held accountable for their behaviour on personal social media accounts.

   

Dear First Minister 

Scottish Government - Christina McKelvie, Minister for Older People and Equalities

I wish to make a formal complaint regarding the conduct of Christina McKelvie, the Scottish Government's Minister for Older People and Equalities, on social media. 

On 15 February 2021 Ms McKelvie published the following false public statement on Twitter:

"Sorry but TWAW (Trans Women Are Women) is actually the law so no false equivalence"


In my view, Ms McKelvie's conduct is a serious breach of the Scottish Government Ministerial Code for the following reasons.

Firstly, the Minister's tweet is completely untrue because the statement that 'Trans Women Are Women' does not, of course, represent the law in Scotland.  

Secondly, the Minister is straying into territory way beyond her own area of responsibility and the Minister ought to have checked her facts with senior Scottish Government law officers before making this untrue and highly misleading public statement.

I realise this statement was made from Christina McKelvie's personal Twitter account, but this simply highlights an obvious problem if individual ministers mistakenly think that they are free to say whatever they like on social media, without being held to account for their actions.

I disagree profoundly that Scottish Ministers can behave in this way and believe it is reasonable to expect a certain level of intelligence and sound judgment from highly paid individuals who ought to know better drawing, as they do, generous salaries worth over £100,000 a year from the public purse. 

In my view, the Ministerial Code applies at all times and Ministers cannot be allowed to simply sidestep the requirements of the code by ensuring that any inappropriate conduct or bad behaviour takes place via their personal Twitter accounts.  

I am happy to discuss my complaint further if you decide to refer this matter to the independent advisers on the Ministerial Code in which case I can be contacted on the following mobile phone number.

I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Kind regards



Mark Irvine 


  

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