Swinney: Parliament stamps not used for marketing campaign

First Minister John Swinney has mentioned he’s “assured” that no public cash has been used on the SNP’s election marketing campaign.

The occasion is beneath investigation by Scottish Parliament officers following a grievance that stamps purchased on parliamentary bills had been handed to UK election candidates for campaigning actions.

Talking on the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg on Sunday, Mr Swinney mentioned he had been “assured that no parliamentary stamps which were offered by Parliament have been used to help election functions.”

His feedback got here after the Sunday Mail reported Mr Swinney’s workplace supervisor telling an SNP employees WhatsApp group chat that “stamp fairy may be very helpful in terms of campaigns”.

The BBC reported on Thursday that an nameless grievance was submitted to Holyrood’s presiding officer Alison Johnstone.

The Scottish Parliament mentioned it was investigating the matter to determine whether or not there had been any misuse of parliamentary assets.

A screenshot from a WhatsApp group made up of employees who work for SNP MSPs included a dialogue about whether or not or not the stamps will be traced again to the purchaser.

MSPs are allowed to spend as much as £5,500 a yr on postage and stationery as a part of parliamentary assets offered by the Scottish Parliamentary Company Physique (SPCB).

The parliament’s guidelines state that they “should be used just for parliamentary duties and should not be used for another function, together with occasion political functions”.

Talking on Sunday, Mr Swinney described the message referring to the “stamp fairy” as “humorous remarks made in a WhatsApp channel”.

He added: “I’ve clearly mentioned this with my employees and I have been assured that no parliamentary stamps which were offered by Parliament have been used to help election functions.”

He later added he was “assured” there had not been any use of public cash to prop up the SNP’s marketing campaign.

“What’s necessary is the reassurance that I’ve had that parliamentary stamps haven’t been used for election functions,” he mentioned.

“We have clearly been partaking in a fundraising marketing campaign to help the election marketing campaign.

“It has been supported by the numerous members that we’ve got across the nation,” he mentioned.

Mr Swinney was additionally requested about his occasion’s manifesto dedication to opening negotiations on a second referendum with the subsequent UK authorities within the occasion of his occasion successful a majority of Scottish seats in subsequent month’s election.

He was requested how he may preserve that promise when each the Conservatives and Labour have mentioned they might not enter into discussions on independence.

Mr Swinney mentioned: “I feel that is actually within the palms of the individuals of Scotland, to be trustworthy, and it is a deeply democratic query.

“In 2021, the individuals of Scotland elected a parliament that was dedicated to holding an independence referendum and which supported independence.

“And basically the UK authorities has not enabled that view, that expression of an opinion of the individuals of Scotland to be put into democratic impact.

“So what I’m saying on this election is that if individuals in Scotland need us to progress on the arguments about independence, if they need Scotland to be an unbiased nation, then they have to help the Scottish Nationwide Celebration as the one technique of guaranteeing that may come about”.

Mr Swinney declined to say whether or not a failure to win a majority of Scottish seats within the basic election would see him settle for that the desire of the Scottish individuals was to not have one other independence referendum.

“I am not going to pre-judge the result of the election,” he mentioned.

Mr Swinney mentioned the results of the 2021 Scottish election gave Holyrood the mandate for a referendum and Westminster ought to “take away the obstacles” to that.