LABOUR MSP Hugh Henry used more than £1,500 of taxpayers’ money to pay for a website that has not appeared online.
The Renfrew MSP paid Glasgow firm Fuzzylime £1,542 in 2012-2013 to build and design him the site. But due to a “heavy workload” and changes to staff, the MSP claims he has not had time to put the website online.
Henry’s current official website is a free blogspot containing copies of articles written for newspapers and copies of parliamentary questions.
The Paisley-based MSP said that despite being three years late, and it being only nine months before the next elections, the website would still go online.
Henry said: “The initial work on the technical construction of the website was completed, paid for and is still valid. However, following changes to personnel in my office, the work to finalise the content was interrupted.”
He continued: “We have had a heavy workload from constituents needing help and dealing with this has been a higher priority for me than finalising the website. I have retained the domain name and I intend to continue with the website as soon as our workload permits.
“In the meantime I have made sure that my constituents are aware of what I am doing through my column in the Paisley Daily Express and other media outlets.”
Henry is currently the convenor of the Scottish Parliament’s Public Audit Committee, the group charged with making sure the Scottish Government spend public money wisely. Recent investigations.
The MSP insisted to The National that until his website was up and running he was contactable to his constituents by phone or email, and they could keep up to date with his work in the local press.
Fuzzylime, who have also made websites for Labour MSPs Mark Griffin and Jayne Baxter, along with a number of other clients, declined to comment, saying they could not share “confidential” information.
Since the last Scottish Parliament election in 2011, MSPs have claimed £46,298.51 to pay for “website costs”. Some, like Henry, have paid one-off fees of more than £1,000 for the sites. Others have paid significantly less.
In a survey of the web presence of all 128 sitting MSPs, The National found that 19 did not have a website, including party leaders Nicola Sturgeon, Ruth Davidson and Willie Rennie. A further six MSP have websites that simply do not work.
Scottish Government Minister Aileen Campbell’s site has been hacked and now redirects to a shoe shop.
Yesterday, the Taxpayers’ Alliance told the Paisley Daily Express that Henry needed to “stop wasting our money”.
Jonathan Isaby from the organisation said: “This is a classic example of the contempt with which politicians spend our money without showing any commitment to seeing through projects that are paid for by us.
“The MSP concerned either needs to get his website up and running or stop wasting our money on the domain name.”
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