The leader of the Scottish Greens has become the first MSP to call on his colleagues at Holyrood to hand back any profits made on their taxpayer-funded second homes.
Paul Hutcheon and Tom Gordon
The leader of the Scottish Greens has become the first MSP to call on his colleagues at Holyrood to hand back any profits made on their taxpayer-funded second homes.
Patrick Harvie urged MSPs to relinquish any capital gains for the sake of the Parliament's reputation.
He said: "If MSPs were to make a commitment to pay back any profits, they would command a certain amount of respect. The commitment should be made voluntarily."
The call comes after The Herald's sister paper, the Sunday Herald, yesterday revealed 28 MSPs would make £1.7million of profits if they sold their Edinburgh flats.
The MSPs currently claim mortage interest relief on their second homes, but are not obliged to hand back the profits when they sell up.
Following a critical review of the practice last year, all mortgage interest claims will stop in 2011.
The end of the perk is expected to trigger a wave of house sales as MSPs switch to renting and staying in hotels instead of using a second home.
According to property expert DJ Alexander, Nicol Stephen, the former LibDems' leader, would make a profit of £206,000 if he sold his second home tomorrow.
John Swinney, Scottish Finance Secretary, is sitting on a nest egg of £95,000.
His colleague, SNP chief whip Brian Adam, is projected to make a profit of £122,000.
Last week, Nick Clegg, the UK leader of the LibDems, said his MPs would hand back any profit made by selling second homes in London.
However Tavish Scott, the Scottish leader, who stands to make £120,000 on his second home in Edinburgh, said MSPs would not follow suit, pointing out last year's review of expenses decided it was too complicated to work.
But Clegg's call has put MSPs of all parties on the spot as well.
None of the 28 MSPs who claim the mortgage interest allowance have indicated a desire to hand back any capital gain to the taxpayer.
But while last year's Langlands review of MSP expenses did not support a "claw back" scheme", there would be nothing to prevent Holyrood's politicians from voluntarily writing out cheques to the Parliament or to charity. The possibility of MSPs keeping the profits from their flats was criticised by Mr Harvie.
The Glasgow MSP said: "We run the risk of tarnishing the Scottish system as much as the Westminster has been damaged. It seems blindingly obvious that any MSP who is considering making a profit should think about whether it is defensible."
The spokesman for First Minister Alex Salmond refused to give his view on profits from house sales, dismissing the subject as "a legacy issue".
An internal memo was sent by the SNP press office to MSPs on Thursday about second home profits. "I advise that you don't get into that issue," wrote Liz Lloyd, head of communications.
It is understood the five LibDems' MSPs involved held an emergency meeting at Holyrood on Thursday to agree a line on defending non-repayment.
However, one LibDems' MSP said: "Personally, I don't know how they can sleep at night. They're having a panic attack and hiding behind the independent review.
"Given the scale of the profits, I doubt if any of them could lay their hands on that kind of money in any other way.
"It's not beyond the wit of man or woman to work out a method of compensating the public purse for some of it."
The Scottish Parliament is expected to publish the latest quarterly expense claims this week.
MSPs earn £55,381 a year in salary. Ministers receive an extra £26,069 and cabinet secretaries an extra £41,618.
The 28 MSPs claiming mortgage interest
Nicol Stephen
LibDem, Aberdeen South
Bought property in 2002 for £193,333
Estimated price now: £400,000
Potential profit: £206,667
Alex Fergusson
Presiding Officer, Galloway and Upper Nithsdale
Bought property in 2003 for £250,000
Estimated price now: £375,000
Potential profit: £125,000
Brian Adam
SNP, Aberdeen North
Bought property in 1999 for £78,000
Estimated price now: £200,000
Potential profit: £122,000
Tavish Scott
LibDem, Shetland
Bought property in 2005 for £380,000
Estimated price now: £500,000
Potential profit: £120,000
John Scott
Conservative, Ayr
Bought property in 2000 for £93,500
Estimated price now: £200,000
Potential profit: £106,500
Alex Neil
SNP, Central Scotland
Bought property in 1999 for £94,495
Estimated price now: £190,000
Potential profit: £95,505
John Swinney
SNP, North Tayside
Bought property in 2004 for £355,000
Estimated price now: £450,000
Potential profit: £95,000
Hugh Henry
Labour, Paisley South
Bought property in 2000 for £82,600
Estimated price now: £175,000
Potential profit: £92,400
Murdo Fraser
Conservative, Mid-Scotland and Fife
Bought property in 2003 for £171,000
Estimated price now: £225,000
Potential profit: £54,000
Rhoda Grant
Labour, Highlands & Islands
Bought property in 2000 for £91,100
Estimated price now: £175,000
Potential profit: £83,900
Richard Lochhead
SNP, Moray
Bought property in 2000 for £91,600
Estimated price now: £175,000
Potential profit: £83,400
Linda Fabiani
SNP, Central Scotland
Bought property in 2000 for £92,000
Estimated price now: £175,000
Potential profit: £83,000
Adam Ingram
SNP, South of Scotland
Bought property in 1999 for £57,000
Estimated price now: £140,000
Potential profit: £83,000
Peter Peacock
Labour, Highlands & Islands
Bought property in 1999 for £89,950
Estimated price now: £170,000
Potential profit: £80,050
Ross Finnie
LibDem, West of Scotland
Bought property in 2001 for £116,950
Estimated price now: £180,000
Potential profit: £63,050
Stewart Stevenson
SNP, Banff & Buchan
Bought property in 2003 for £170,000
Estimated price now: £225,000
Potential profit: £55,000
Stewart Maxwell
SNP, West of Scotland
Bought property in 2003 for £117,500
Estimated price now: £170,000
Potential profit: £52,500
Fergus Ewing
SNP, Inverness East, Nairn & Lochaber
Bought property in 2001 for £178,000
Estimated price now: £220,000
Potential profit: £42,000
Rob Gibson
SNP, Highlands & Islands
Bought property in 2003 for £130,000
Estimated price now: £175,000
Potential profit: £45,000
Duncan McNeil
Labour, Greenock & Inverclyde
Bought property in 2003 for £115,000
Estimated price now: £160,000
Potential profit: £45,000
Andy Kerr
Labour, East Kilbride
Bought property in 2004 for £138,950
Estimated price now: £180,000
Potential profit: £41,050
Andrew Welsh
SNP, Angus
Bought property in 2002 for £145,000
Estimated price now: £180,000
Potential profit: £35,000
Jackie Baillie
Labour, Dumbarton
Bought property in 2006 for £140,950
Estimated price now: £160,000
Potential profit: £19,050
Nanette Milne
Conservative, North East Scotland
Property received as a gift in 2004
Estimated price now: £150,000
Nigel Don
SNP, North East Scotland
Bought property in 2008 for £165,000
Estimated price now: £165,000
Jamie Stone
LibDem, Caithness, Sutherland & Easter Ross
Bought property in 2007 for £180,000
Estimated price now: £180,000
David Stewart
Labour, Highlands & Islands
Bought property in 2007 for £225,500
Estimated price now: £210,000
Potential loss: £15,500
Mike Rumbles
LibDem, West Aberdeenshire & Kincardine
Bought property in 2005 for £299,000
Estimated price now: £200,000
Potential loss: £99,000
