Humza Yousaf backs Jenny Gilruth over ministerial code breach claim
- Published
Jenny Gilruth faced accusations at first minister's questions that she had broken the ministerial code
Humza Yousaf has defended SNP minister Jenny Gilruth over claims she intervened in a constituency issue while she was transport minister.
The Scottish Conservatives claim she broke the ministerial code by delaying vital rail works, costing taxpayers £1m.
They said Ms Gilruth gave "preferential treatment to her constituents".
The first minister insisted the Tories were "throwing mud" and said her decisions benefitted the whole network.
Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross raised the issue at first minister's questions on Thursday.
He called for an urgent independent investigation into the claims Ms Gilruth intervened inappropriately to delay a rail upgrade for purely political reasons.
Following the session, he confirmed that he had written to the first minister formally requesting that Ms Gilruth be investigated.
The row centres on proposed line electrification work between Edinburgh Haymarket and Dalmeny, external, which would have caused eight days of disruption from Boxing Day last year.
It was part of a "decarbonisation" scheme to replace diesel trains with electric units on rail routes from Edinburgh to Fife.
Douglas Ross held up emails obtained by a freedom of information request
Ms Gilruth, who represents Mid Fife and Glenrothes as an MSP and is now education secretary, asked for the works to be postponed.
The Tories say that officials told the Scottish government this would lead to an extra £1m in cost and cause disruption to 9,000 passengers a day due to the work taking place at non-holiday times.
The work has still not been carried out.
'Sackable offence'
Mr Ross said: "Ms Gilruth appears to have forced a change in order to give preferential treatment to her constituents at a higher cost to taxpayers and far more disruption to passengers".
He said that a freedom of information response the party had received made clear that, "instead of a few days of closures after Christmas, Jenny Gilruth pushed for more than six weeks of disruption, including four full weekend closures".
He added it looked like a "clear-cut sackable offence".
He read out Scottish Rail Holdings Board papers, which stated: "The board is asked to note that Network Rail and ScotRail chose to do the work at this time precisely to minimise the number of passengers impacted, and Transport Scotland were fully aware of and endorsed this approach."
He said the board papers also showed that Chris Gibb, who worked in the rail industry for more than 40 years and chaired ScotRail in 2022, raised concerns over "micromanagement by Scottish ministers, advisors and officials".
Mr Gibb resigned just a few weeks after Ms Gilruth's decision.
First Minister Humza Yousaf said Mr Ross was making "very serious accusations indeed" and there would be an "appropriate investigation".
The first minister insisted Douglas Ross was "throwing mud"
However, he said the situation was not as Mr Ross described, saying the decision was made for the "correct reasons" in order to benefit the "entire network".
Mr Ross then quotes emails he had obtained. He said that ScotRail officials told the government the changes would lead to "greater cost, with more customers disrupted or inconvenienced with the revised access plan", he said.
Mr Yousaf said the works would have led to disruption further afield than Fife and Ms Gilruth had said she wanted more done to avoid more delays on the rail network over the festive period.
Mr Ross said: "She should not even have been involved in this decision, she should have recused herself because of the clear potential for a conflict of interest."
He suggested the "political interference" forced Chris Gibb to resign as chief executive of ScotRail Holdings.
Ms Gilruth's decision led to a poorer service, he said, and "looks like a clear breach of the ministerial code".
Mr Yousaf said: "What (Mr Ross) is hoping to do, because he is undoubtedly desperate, is throwing as much mud as possible and hoping that some of it sticks."
The first minister said Mr Ross was being "selective" in his reading of the emails.
He said it was "pretty clear" that Ms Gilruth made the decision to minimise disruption for passengers across the network.
Scottish Labour were also critical of the decision.
Their business manager, Martin Whitfield, said: "We urgently need an investigation into what appears to be a breach of the ministerial code.
"It would be grossly inappropriate for a minister to use their position to try and win favour with local voters."