JACKSON Carlaw and Oliver Mundell face a warning over publicly ridiculing a senior civil servant over her work to try to remove the Union Jack from Scottish products, The National can reveal.
The Tory duo openly mocked the First Minister’s special adviser Kate Higgins, belittling her efforts to persuade Marks & Spencer’s not to market Scots beef with the British flag.
The trade union for senior servants, the FDA, has now written to Holyrood’s standards committee raising its concerns about the attacks on Higgins. However, a Tory spokesman suggested that the issue was not with Higgins specifically, but with the “misguided priorities of the SNP Government”.
Though the letter does not name Mundell and Carlaw, the two Tory MSPs were involved in the episode.
Allan Sampson, national officer for the FDA in Scotland, wrote to committee convener Bill Kidd describing the criticisms as “wholly inappropriate” and asking him to remind MSPs that special advisers are civil servants and should be treated with respect.
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“I write to you in relation to recent media coverage arising from public comments made by a number of MSPs with regards to Kate Higgins, who is a special adviser working for Scottish Government,” Sampson said in the letter to Kidd. “You will be aware that although political appointees, special advisers are nevertheless civil servants working under the instruction of the First Minister, and that public criticism, particularly of the kind witnessed over the last two weeks, is wholly inappropriate.
“Special advisers are entitled to the same level of respect and protection as permanent civil servants, and it is very disappointing that some MSPs appear to be unaware of this, and have conducted themselves in an inappropriate manner by continuing to name Ms Higgins on social media in a disparaging manner.”
Sampson commented: “It is wholly inappropriate for MSPs to attack individual civil servants, either on social media or in comments to the press, as they know that civil servants are unable to publicly respond to these kinds of criticisms. MSPs would do well to remember that, although they are political appointees, Special advisers are civil servants working under the direction of the First Minister. Any criticism should be directed towards the First Minister and politicians should not be engaging in public attacks against any civil servant.”
The attack on Higgins was launched by Mundell, the Scottish Tories’ rural affairs spokesman, in a Tory press release sent to journalists in mid-October.
Mundell was quoted in the release describing Higgins’ work – which had led to the supermarket reviewing its Scottish meat labelling policy – as “jaw-dropping”. He also complained that the efforts made by Higgins, Nicola Sturgeon’s adviser on rural affairs, were “a waste of time” and suggested her attention should instead be focused on the Covid pandemic.
Carlaw joined in the mocking on Twitter. “Global pandemic, rising cases, rising hospitalisation. Yet what is the priority for one of Nicola Sturgeon’s special advisers? Labelling of Beef. Staggering,” he tweeted.
Newspapers published stories based on the Tory release, with one journalist on Twitter pointing out Mundell was ridiculing Higgins.
“Nicola Sturgeon’s top adviser has been ridiculed after it emerged she ordered civil servants to investigate the use of the Union flag on Scottish beef during the pandemic ... wow,” he tweeted.
The LibDem’s Alex Cole-Hamilton entered the debate. He highlighted the reporter’s post, which linked to an article which was carried under the headline: “What’s the beef? Nicola Sturgeon adviser sparks row over Union flag on Scottish meat.”
Cole-Hamilton tweeted: “Government control, private sector capitulation, micro-management – all because they don’t like flag of United Kingdom labelling on beef farmed in flag of United Kingdom.
“Not as if there’s anything else going on, LIKE AN ACTUAL PANDEMIC... But with this shower, it always comes back to flags.”
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The Scotland the Brand campaign, which favours the Saltire on Scottish food products over the Union flag, was launched in a bid to highlight the premium quality of Scots produce. It fears that a number of products, including Scottish beef, Scottish lamb and Scotch whisky, could lose their special protected status after Brexit.
A Scottish LibDem spokeswoman said: “Alex Cole-Hamilton did not name any individual civil servants but retains the right to remind the SNP and their political advisors that this is not North Korea, no matter how much they wish it was.”
A spokesman for the Scottish Conservatives added: “The Scottish Conservatives were not criticising a civil servant, we were attacking the misguided priorities of the SNP Government and its obsession with flags.
“We will be happy to clearly state again that our issue was with the SNP and not Ms Higgins.”
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