A TORY MSP has been accused of "deserting" his responsibilities as he jets off to Seville while Parliament is sitting to catch Rangers playing in the Europa League final.
Murdo Fraser, a regional MSP for the Mid Scotland and Fife region and his party's Covid recovery spokesperson, boasted in a BBC interview that he was flying out via Barcelona for the “once-in-a-lifetime” opportunity.
Standing on the tarmac at the Spanish airport in a clip for The Nine, the long-serving Tory said he was looking forward to the match since it’s a “long time since Rangers got to the final of a major European trophy”.
Seville! pic.twitter.com/oo2apGHK1q
— Murdo Fraser (@murdo_fraser) May 17, 2022
On Tuesday afternoon the MSP shared a snap from the historic Spanish city, simply captioned “Seville!”.
Fraser is also in the process of writing a Europa League final diary for The Times, in which he expresses excitement over his “great adventure”.
Rangers fans gather in Seville
At the same time, he and members of his party have been attacking First Minister Nicola Sturgeon for travelling to America to promote Scotland’s global aims.
In a Scotsman column published on Tuesday, Fraser told readers: "When the going gets tough, the tough get going, and the First Minister has gone to Washington, plaintively telling us it has been a full three years since she last got to go to the US at the taxpayers’ expense."
When her trip was announced last week, Scottish Tory constitution spokesperson Donald Cameron said Scots would be “outraged to see the First Minister taking her eye off the ball so soon after the local elections – not to mention furious at this waste of taxpayer money in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis”.
Kerr – the Scottish Tory chief whip who Fraser claims in The Times told him he “must go” to Seville – also said Sturgeon’s government visit meant she “clearly can’t be bothered to be First Minister any more”.
He went on: “Leaving massive local issues under her remit behind to fly to the US to shake hands and get photos is yet more evidence she takes her role for granted, and sees devolved issues as beneath her.”
Pete Wishart (below), the SNP’s longest-serving MP who represents Perth and North Perthshire – part of Fraser’s region – criticised the Tory MSP for his decision to abandon Holyrood.
“It is absolutely astounding and the height of hypocrisy to learn that Murdo Fraser is deserting his parliamentary responsibilities to go and watch a football match,” he told The National.
“While it is fantastic for Rangers to be in this final, Murdo Fraser perhaps needs gently reminded that there is a Tory imposed cost-of-living crisis and a Covid recovery needing attended to.
“All week the Scottish Tories have been bumping their gums about the First Minister visiting the United States to promote Scotland’s interests. Apparently standing up for Scotland is all bad whilst attending a football game is OK.
“Perthshire has rejected Murdo Fraser on multiple occasions and after this I’m sure he will be heading for another red card.”
READ MORE: Tory and LibDem MSPs attack Nicola Sturgeon after US meeting with Nancy Pelosi
Another SNP source added: "The shameless hypocrisy the Tory party has become well known for is on display yet again - they clearly have no problem continuing with their 'one rule for us, another for everyone else' motto."
A spokesperson for the Scottish Parliament told The National: “As elected representatives, MSPs do not have contracted annual leave terms and conditions.”
The Scottish Tories have been contacted for comment.
Tens of thousands of Rangers supporters will be in Seville on Wednesday as the Ibrox side take part in their first European final in 14 years.
It will be the Gers’ 19th European game of the season, with the road to the final starting early last August with a Champions League qualifier against Malmo in Sweden.
The Light Blues dropped into the Europa League and lost their first two group matches under Steven Gerrard. But it all came good under his replacement Giovanni van Bronckhorst who oversaw thrilling wins against Borussia Dortmund, Red Star Belgrade, Braga and RB Leipzig.
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