Tomkins did not breach code of conduct with tweet, committee finds

A former Tory MSP did not breach the code of conduct in a tweet about another member of Holyrood, the Scottish Parliament’s Standards Committee has concluded.

MSPs on the Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee considered the issue after a complaint was made against Adam Tomkins.

The Ethical Standards Commissioner concluded the former MSP had breached parts of the Code of Conduct for MSPs which relate to “courtesy and respect” in a tweet posted on March 1.

Delighted that, after months of ludicrous and taxpayer funded expensive investigation, Holyrood’s Standards Committee, overruling the Standards Commissioner l, has cleared me of breaching the MSP Code of Conduct. But what a nonsense.
— Adam Tomkins (@ProfTomkins) December 16, 2021

However, Standards Committee Convener Martin Whitfield said it did not agree with those findings – adding that this was a unanimous decision.

Mr Whitfield noted that the code of conduct “specifically excludes” comments where members are expressing political views in their capacity as a member of a political party or organisation.

The convener added that the committee had “concluded that a link between the tweet in question and the member’s Parliamentary duties was not sufficiently established”.

The decision comes six months after Tomkins, who had been an MSP for the Glasgow region, left the Scottish Parliament.