SHAMED MSP DEREK Mackay has now claimed more than £8,500 in parliamentary expenses sign he resigned in disgrace over a sleaze scandal, it has emerged.
New figures released by the Scottish Parliament show the former SNP Finance Secretary billed taxpayers for £4,164 between April and June this year.
The money was on top of £4,406 he claimed in February and March, making a total of £8,570.
The Tories called the scale of the claims "shocking".
Most of the expenses have been for his Edinburgh flat, even though he hasn’t been seen in the Scottish Parliament since he quit at the start of February.
In February and March he claimed £1990 for two months’ rent, and between April and June he claimed a further £1990 rent plus £663.50 for council tax and £41.32 for utility bills.
It means £4,684.82 of the total claimed since his resignation has been for accommodation close to a parliament he no longer attends.
His April to June expense claims also include £1,125 for office rent, and £344.10 for other office costs.
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Earlier this year it also emerged Mr Mackay had claimed £327 for 10 days accommodation costs in Edinburgh in July, nine of them when Holyrood was in recess.
His spokesman said at the time that the claim had been within the parliament’s rules, which do not require an MSP to attend parliament to claim Edinburgh accommodation provision.
Mr Mackay resigned on the eve of the Scottish budget on February 6 after the Scottish Sun revealed he had been pestering a 16-year-old schoolboy on social media.
The paper reported the 43-year-old MSP had contacted the boy out of the blue without knowing his age the previous August, then sent him 270 messages over six months.
Mr Mackay, who came out as gay in 2013, had been tipped as a future First Minister until the scandal abruptly ended his political career.
The Renfrewshire North and West MSP has not been seen at Holyrood since, and the SNP has selected a new candidate for his seat in 2021.
However, Mr Mackay continues to collect his £64,470 salary.
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He was also paid an automatic grant of £11,945 for loss of ministerial office after he quit.
He will get a further automatic resettlement grant of £53,725, the first £30,000 of which will be tax-free, when he leaves Holyrood at the 2021 election.
Scottish Conservative Glasgow MSP, Annie Wells, said: “It is shocking the former SNP Cabinet Secretary has totted up over £8,000 in expenses when hide nor hair has been seen of him in Parliament.
“Derek MacKay is given this money to help represent his constituents. There is no evidence he is, following a disappearance that would impress Harry Houdini.
“If he can’t do his job, and turn up to Parliament, he should resign, instead of hiding at home while claiming expenses and an MSP salary.”
A spokesperson for Mr Mackay said: “The expenditure complies with Scottish Parliament allowance rules and Mr Mackay’s Renfrewshire North and West constituency office is continuing to operate in line with the Scottish Government’s Coronavirus guidance in dealing with casework and making representations on behalf of constituents.
"The constituency office has directly assisted with more than 680 cases this year.”
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