John Swinney speaks to the Media in Leven about Michael Matheson vote in Parliament later today

Transcript

00:00Are you going to back the sanctions against your friend Michael Matheson tonight, or not?

00:12The Parliament's going to decide on these issues this afternoon.

00:14And how are you going to vote?

00:15Well, all the arguments will be set out to Parliament this afternoon.

00:18And how are you going to vote?

00:19Parliament will be able to hear how we're going to vote later on this afternoon.

00:22And why can't you tell me how you are going to vote?

00:25Because it's important that we have a parliamentary debate, and we shouldn't prejudge things.

00:29We should listen to the debate, and that's exactly what we'll do.

00:31That sounds to me like you're not going to back these sanctions against Michael Matheson.

00:34What we'll do is we'll make sure that we've got colleagues in Parliament taking part in

00:38the debate, and you'll find out later on today how we take our stance.

00:41Isn't this derailing your whole campaign?

00:44We're all talking about Michael Matheson.

00:45We're not talking about what you want to talk about, because you can't say how you're going

00:49to vote on sanctions.

00:50Well, you've just got to be patient, Catherine.

00:52You'll get your answer this afternoon.

00:53Parliament's got to have its debate.

00:55You can't just prejudge everything.

00:56Doesn't it look like cronyism, though?

00:57Aren't your MPs worried about this, and what it says?

00:59Backing a pal?

01:00Well, I'll tell you what's wrong, Catherine.

01:03What's wrong here is that Parliament has allowed a process to take place that in no other walk

01:09of life would be allowed, because an individual has prejudged a process, a disciplinary process,

01:15by making public comments before they've heard the evidence.

01:19Now, in no walk of life would that be allowed.

01:22So that's the issue that I've raised.

01:24I think voters say the issue was a minister racked up an £11,000 bill on an iPad and

01:29then repeatedly lied about it.

01:31Well, those issues are at the heart of the report from the corporate body.

01:36But the issue I've raised, which I raised last week, was the fact that Parliament is

01:40allowing a member of Parliament to take part in a disciplinary process who has prejudged

01:46a case, and in no other circumstance would, in any other walk of life, would that be allowed

01:52to happen.

01:53What I'm saying is that we should be patient and wait for the debate this afternoon, David.

01:57It's only going to be a matter of hours before you've got the answer.

01:59You said you wouldn't support the motion this morning.

02:01Is that still the same position?

02:03Let's just wait until we hear the debate this afternoon.

02:05Thank you.

02:06Thank you.