SNP Health Secretary chauffeured to Hampden and given free tickets for Aberdeen games

The SNP's Health Secretary was chauffeured to Hampden Park in a ministerial car to watch three Aberdeen games.

Neil Gray was gifted VIP tickets to watch the Dons - who he supports - play Hibernian, Rangers and Celtic in League and Scottish Cup fixtures, the Sunday Post revealed.

The Scottish Government said he was attending the games as a guest of the SFA to discuss "essential" business.

It comes after the SNP heavily criticised Labour Prime Minister Keir Starmer earlier this year for accepting free tickets to Arsenal and England matches.

Airdrie and Shotts MSP Gray declared the football trips as official business. His first trip was on November 4, 2023 when he watched Aberdeen beat Hibs 1-0 in the League Cup semi-final. He registered the ministerial visit as discussing the “social impact investment in sport”.

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Gray was back at Hampden on December 17 to watch Aberdeen lose 1-0 to Rangers in the final. After taking over from Michael Matheson as Health Secretary in February 2024, Gray watched the Dons play Celtic in the Scottish Cup semi-final on April 20, 2024. He registered the visit as "sport".

Gray was not the only SNP government minister to use a ministerial car for trips to Hampden. Rural Affairs Secretary Mairi Gougeon travelled to Murrayfield to watch Scotland play rugby. Community safety minister Siobhian Brown also went Scotland’s recent football match against Finland.

Employment minister Tom Arthur was driven to Hampden on May 25 to watch the Scottish Cup final between Celtic and Rangers.

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “Ministers are invited to a range of engagements and attend select events in an official capacity, details of which we publish proactively.

“This is an essential part of government business that allows ministers to engage and build relationships with key stakeholders and to help promote Scotland as a place to visit, work and invest in.

“All travel costs are in accordance with travel and subsistence policies to ensure we deliver the best value for money possible for the Scottish public.”

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