FORMER SNP Cabinet Secretary Aileen Campbell has been ordered not to give an “unfair advantage” to her new employers after changing careers at the Holyrood election.

The former minister for sport has been warned not to use her contacts to help secure funding in her new role as chief executive of Scottish Women’s Football (SWF).

Ms Campbell was advised by the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (Acoba), the UK watchdog on jobs taken by former ministers and top civil servants.

It banned her from lobbying the Scottish Government and its quangoes on behalf of SWF for two years, or giving SWF advice that would help it get public funding or other unfair benefits.

It has also stopped her taking up the job until three months after her last day in office in May, and told her not to draw on or disclose any “privileged information”.

Ms Campbell, 41, was a minister for 10 years, including two years at public health and sport, before promotion to Communities Secretary in June 2018.

SWF manages the women’s club game, running 66 competitions, including the Scottish Women’s Premier League.

Ms Campbell warned Acoba in the spring the new job was likely to bring her into contact with the Scottish Government in the form of the sports quango, SportScotland.

Ms Campbell also told Acoba she had been in contact with the Scottish Football Association while in office, but took no decisions that benefitted the SWF directly.

However she did approve a £50,000 SportsScotland fund, £12,000 of which went to the SFA, some of which helped the SWF “deliver free products” to girls and women’s teams.

In April, Acoba sent Ms Campbell a heavily caveated approval letter.

The watchdog said it had considered her application and did not believe she had been offered the post in return for her past actions or decisions.

However it said “there could be a perceived risk you had access to information that is relevant to the sports sector” and reminded her she was “subject to a three month waiting period after leaving office before taking up any roles”.

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It went on: “The Committee also agrees with the Scottish Government’s view that you would offer an unfair advantage to SWF if you were to be involved in any future bid for funding or contracts from the Scottish Governnment.

“Therefore, it would like to draw your attention to the ban on providing advice on a bid or a contract relating directly to the work of the UK Government, including with regard to funding, to mitigate the risk you may offer an unfair influence in the government’s funding decisions in the future.

“The Committee noted that given the contacts you will have gained from your time in office, there is a risk this could be seen to unfairly advantage SWF.

“The lobbying ban... makes clear it would be inappropriate for you to use your contacts across government to the unfair advantage of SWF.”

But Acoba said it would “not be improper” for Ms Campbell to have contact with the Government about helping SportsScotland deliver government policy.

The watchdog said that as she applied to it before leaving office, it was prepared to give Ms Campbell advice on condition she “revert to the Committee for further advice” if her circumstances changed.

“You should also recuse yourself from any further discussions in your current ministerial role on SWF,” it added.

The SWF said Ms Campbell had “followed the same application procedures as all other candidates” and was “happy to abide by Acoba’s advice”. It refused to give her salary.