Parliament helped Derek Mackay 'avoid media attention'

They also show that Presiding Officer Alison Johnston was “content with this arrangement.”

When Mr McGill was appointed to the £155,000 a year role in 2019, the then presiding officer, Ken Macintosh said he: “shared the Parliament’s vision of a new way of doing politics founded on the principles of promoting equality, accessibility, transparency and the sharing of power with the people of Scotland.”

However, when Mr Mackay was in the building last month for the first time in two and a half years the CEO went out of his way to help him “avoid any additional media attention.”

The 45-year-old ex-SNP MSP vanished on the eve of the Scottish budget in 2020 after it emerged he had contacted a teenage boy over social media - without knowing his age - then bombarded him with over 270 messages. 

A report in the Scottish Sun revealed he called him “cute”, invited him to dinner, and asked for their conversations to stay secret.

Opposition parties called it “predatory” and a textbook example of “grooming”.

Though he disappeared from public life, he continued to draw his MSP’s salary of £64,700.

He was also paid an automatic grant of £11,945 for “loss of ministerial office”, and a further £53,725 “resettlement grant” when he left for good at last year’s elections.

While Mr Mackay apologised “unreservedly” to the boy, he has never answered questions or justified taking more than £130,000 in public money.

After he was invited to discuss his role in the Ferguson Marine fiasco, the committee’s clerk wrote to Mr McGill to make him aware.

The official then let the Presiding Officer know “so that she is sighted before the inevitable media coverage.”

Two weeks before his appearance the parliament’s communications office then arranged a “quick chat on the logistics” with the committee clerks.

Nine days before he arrived the committee’s clerks then emailed the office of the Presiding Officer, to say that Mr McGill had “been in contact with Derek, and to avoid any additional media attention, he can use the Parliament’s car park.”

Ms Johnstone’s office then responded to say: “Thanks very much for getting in touch. Yes, David mentioned this to the PO yesterday and she is content with this arrangement.”

The parliament’s communications office also spoke to the ex-minister ahead of his appearance. One email showed that a press officer “had a good chat with Derek MacKay” and “ran him through the arrangements for management of the media tomorrow and he’s content with them.” 

They added: “He’s aware that there may be a camera/snapper on arrival and that we’ll have pooled cameras outside [Committee Room 1] and media in the public gallery seats.

"He doesn’t plan to say anything to the media tomorrow and I’ve made it clear that he’s under no obligation to do so.”

Despite their best efforts, Mr Mackay was pursued by a single reporter.

He refused to say a word as he was asked whether he wanted to apologise to the public for pestering a 16-year-old with text messages in 2020.

Asked whether his behaviour amounted to “grooming”, Mr Mackay said nothing.

Asked how he could justify taking £130,000 in wages and resettlement grants despite not appearing at parliament, he again said nothing.

At the time, the Scottish Tory MSP Russell Findlay said: "It is understandable that journalists would seek to question Derek Mackay after he went to ground since exiting Nicola Sturgeon’s cabinet.

“They have a right to ask why he continued to claim every available penny from taxpayers for 15 months after resigning in disgrace and it’s not the job of parliament officials to help him evade legitimate and responsible journalistic scrutiny.”

A spokesperson for the Scottish Parliament said: “The arrangements put in place by the Parliament ensured media had access to cover Mr Mackay’s arrival at the committee and his full evidence during the public session.”