Police will take 'no further action' after complaint over Michael Matheson iPad bill

Police will take no further action against the former Scottish health secretary Michael Matheson following complaints over a near £11,000 iPad roaming bill.

Matheson has been banned from Holyrood for 27 days for racking up the bill on the parliamentary device.

He initially said the device was used for work purposes before later confessing his teenage sons had used it as a wifi hotspot to stream football while they were on holiday in Morocco over Christmas in 2022.

Matheson resigned from government in February, apologised to Parliament and paid back the bill.

Police Scotland said no action was taken following an initial complaint in relation to the matter last November but have been assessing another.

On Tuesday, police confirmed that no further action would be taken.

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “This matter has been assessed and no further action is being taken.”

Holyrood has voted for tough sanctions which will see Matheson suspended for 27 days and lose his MSP salary for twice that period – the heaviest sanction ever given out in the Scottish Parliament.

MSPs voted by 64 to zero to impose the punishment, although the 63 SNP MSPs abstained.

An SNP amendment highlighting the party’s concerns that the committee which recommended the sanctions had been prejudiced, “thereby bringing the Parliament into disrepute”, was also passed.