Derek Mackay, Scotland’s finance and economy secretary, has resigned just hours before he was to deliver his annual budget speech following allegations he sent hundreds of texts to a 16-year-old.
The shock departure of Mr Mackay, who had been seen as a favourite to succeed Nicola Sturgeon as Scotland’s first minister, is a hammer blow to the governing Scottish National party as it seeks to step up pressure for a second referendum on independence from the UK.
The Scottish Sun newspaper said Mr Mackay, 42, sent 270 online messages to a schoolboy over social media across a six-month period. The Sun said the messages included comments on the boy’s appearance.
It reported that Mr Mackay continued to send messages even after the boy told him that he was 16 and that the politician should not “try anything”.
In a government statement, Mr Mackay — who was due to deliver his budget speech in the Scottish parliament on Thursday afternoon — did not comment on the details of the allegations. But he apologised unreservedly to the boy and said he was “sorry to have let colleagues and supporters down”.
“I take full responsibility for my actions. I have behaved foolishly,” he said.
Mr Mackay had been one of the SNP’s most powerful younger politicians. He had been promoted by Ms Sturgeon and was widely tipped to succeed her as party leader and potential first minister. As finance and economy secretary he announced in 2017 the introduction of Scotland’s first separate income tax rates and bands.
“Derek has made a significant contribution to government, however he recognises that his behaviour has failed to meet the standards required,” Ms Sturgeon said in the statement.
The first minister said that the budget speech would be made instead by Kate Forbes, minister for public finance. The move will catapult Ms Forbes, seen as one of the SNP’s rising stars, into the political limelight.
Polls over the past few weeks have suggested that the SNP is on track to win an unprecedented fourth term in government at Scottish parliamentary elections in May 2021.
A poll by Survation carried out in late January found that 51 per cent of voters would back the SNP in constituency voting for the Holyrood parliament, far ahead of the second-placed Scottish Conservatives on 23 per cent. On the proportional representation list vote, the SNP enjoyed a 17-point lead on 38 per cent.
However, the party’s preparations for the 2021 elections had already faced potential complications with a trial scheduled for March of former SNP leader and Scottish first minister Alex Salmond.
Mr Salmond, who is still popular among many in the SNP, is charged with 14 sexual offences including one of attempted rape and one of sexual assault with intent to rape. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges and said he is “innocent of any criminality whatsoever”.
Mr Mackay has been the member of the Scottish parliament for Renfrewshire North and West since 2011, and was appointed finance secretary in 2016.
