Jenny Gilruth did not break ministerial code, says First Minister

Jenny Gilruth did not breach the ministerial code in her time as transport minister, Humza Yousaf has said.

The first minister looked into the allegation that Gilruth, now education secretary, had prevented rail improvement works taking place in her constituency after Douglas Ross raised the matter at FMQs last month.

The works, which are part of decarbonisastion plans between Haymarket and Dalmeny stations, would have caused eight days of disruption to services over Christmas last year, including in Gilruth’s Mid Fife and Glenrothes constituency.

The Scottish Tory leader said it was a “clear-cut sackable offence” for the MSP to use her powers as transport minister to intervene.

But Yousaf has concluded the disruption that would have impacted several constituencies and there was “no evidence” to suggest Gilruth’s would have been “impacted to a greater degree” than any other.

He added: “I am therefore satisfied that there was no impropriety and that Ms Gilruth was acting entirely legitimately in seeking advice on the network wide impact of rail works on a major piece of national infrastructure.”

The first minister added that changing travel patterns meant public holidays were no longer necessarily the quietest period for work to take place, and that the work had been planned over the first festive period without Covid restrictions since 2019.

“I am of the view that there has been no breach of the Ministerial Code,” he said.

Ross had suggested Gilruth has “pushed a change in order to give preferential treatment to her constituents” which would cost more in the long-run.

Speaking at the time, Yousaf said he “did not believe” the code had been broken but agreed to look into the matter further after Ross requested an investigation in writing.