Scotland finance minister inappropriate messages to 16 year old?

[anicebag]

He allegedly sent texts to 16 year old boy saying he was cute and inviting him out to a day out. Is this inappropriate? How would we feel if it was a 16 year old girl? He announces Scotland's new budget today.

Also OP if you grudge £3pw to give those better off support then it says a lot about you.

The oddest thing is that looking online I couldn't find agreement on his course (s).

Having done a quick search I am none the wiser.

Jkscot4. I know our representatives across the board are often not qualified. I'm not slagging off the snp. I was more slagging off his wee grooming arse.

And I don't grudge the £1500 but I don't think the SNP are doing a good job

Far better job than the Tories, the increase in poverty and social division in England is shameful. I always find it odd when people criticise SNP who have far more inclusive policies and ambition for improvement yet laud the Tories who have dragged people down for years with their austerity cuts but still are voted for. I’m forever grateful I live where I do.

Who is lauding the tories here? You can be uncomfortable with the SNP and never have voted Tory in your life. He's been abusive in my opinion. I think he should resign entirely. I admire NS, her response to this guy was fine, but I am uncomfortable with the kind of one party state we've become.

I didn’t say you were, but to be unhappy with SNP when your alternative is Tory. A party who have no interest in Scotland but to segregate us whilst draining our resources. One party state occurs when the rest are useless.
NS was correct in her swift reaction.We do need to bear in mind whilst distasteful and lacking in judgement DM hasn’t done anything illegal, it’s acceptable when male celebrities are targeting teenage girls, the undercurrent of homophobia is not pleasant.

Whether DM's critics support the snp or not, or are homophobic or not- ( and for me the sex of the child or adult in this case is irrelevant, his actions whilst not illegal are an abuse of power.

I'm confused OP. Are you concerned about grooming or just wanting to criticise the SNP?

I am not criticising the snp. I'm criticising DM. I did slag his finance degree. But yes predators and non experienced msp's / mp's exist everywhere. He's been ousted. Good. That's really all I've said. I said I admire NS and he's a dick. As an further discussion into the Snp I've said I'm not a supporter or a fan of different tax rates to rest of Uk. Is that allowed?

Genuinely shocking stuff from Mackay. Glad he was kicked out of his ministerial position pronto, has he resigned as an MSP yet?

Your comment about the pleasure of being ruled by the SNP just made me question what your point was. It seemed a bit of a leap from grooming to party politics.
Grooming isn't a party politics issue. And all the men in politics from all sides rushing to make excuses for DM are despicable imo. Richard Leonard was quick to call out the minimising and it's probably the first time I've agreed with him.

Like others, I just cannot imagine what was going through this guy’s head when he did this. Truly reprehensible. And he has children too, who’ll be mortified. What an IDIOT. I imagine the boy hasn’t been mentioned for privacy reasons. I’ve one that age and there’s no way he’d be able to deal with this abuse in an adult way. The man wants some very serious re-educating, I don’t care what the age of consent is. (Likewise men who prey on 16yr old girls.)

I’d love to know the gossip about the SNP but I guess I’m not going to find it here 🤣 Is it likely to be in the media any time soon?

Most of my posts were about grooming based on my belief that protecting under 18s is a wave of change we need to see. I deal with kids who have been flattered by attentions of more "sophisticated" adults and ended up in abusive situations. All political representative posts are important but finance minister is really high profile one and this makes his already shocking behaviour more so. That either he didn't see the risk or knew it and wasn't arsed about the consequences/felt untouchable. Who knows.

timetostartcaring.com/a-list-of-members-of-parliament-convicted-of-sex-offences/
This makes for sobering reading, do these men think they won’t be found out?

Questions again need to be asked about what Sturgeon knew. The self appointed 'Chief Mammy' is alleged to have banned Mackay from drinking at party conferences because of his behaviour.

www.heraldscotland.com/news/18217581.nicola-sturgeon-banned-shamed-derek-mackay-drinking-snp-conferences/

And the Scottish Government is accused of trying to cover up his recent behaviour.

www.thescottishsun.co.uk/news/5257550/derek-mackay-scottish-sun-scottish-government-texts/

@regina
I wouldn't hold much stead in quoting the Sun, an openly biased ‘newspaper’ who toady to the Tories. It does smack of convenience for The Scum; the day of the Scottish budget, the push for indyref2, how long have they had the story?
Can look suspicious from either side.
DM was lacking in judgement and incredibly stupid but he’s not committed a crime.
Odd how few of the Tory/Lab sex offences are well known, the press choose their sides and it’s bloody obvious in the UK where their loyalty lies.

JKscot - And yet knowing all that he engaged in blatant, easily detectable predatory behaviour...

All of these predatory fuckers should get the same treatment. You could argue in Scotland we do not have the same layers of privilege to conceal wrong doings and the SNP do have powerful people with vested interests in bringing them down. It's a small place too. So even more important for leadership to nail the idiots within.

That'll be the Sun whose ex-editor is your new head of comms @JKScot4?

Derek MacKay has a 15 year old son, as do I. The thought of sending texts like that to one of my son's pals... this is not foolishness, this is grooming.

And there we have it. The “professional Scots” apologisers are coming out to defend the party and divert attention away from the fact that one of their most senior politicians is a sleazy preying groomer. They think that by slinging mud in general towards the Tories then it will divert attention. The paranoia about timing of the story is another tactic.

And someone said up above that no one in politics suspected that he was sleazy. This is completely untrue. I’ve got a friend who works in Parliament and this has come of a surprise to absolutely no one in Holyrood. They just thought he was doing it with older and less vulnerable people and that no one would blow the cover.

My apologies @JKScot4, new comms director is from the Record. Got my tabs mixed up.

@LonnyVonnyWilsonFrickett
Former Daily Record editor 😉
@bartlet
If you’re referring to me, I’m not an apologist, I’ve said his behaviour is reprehensible.
Just again disappointed in the double standards of MN, plenty poo pooed BJ domestic violence and disgusting treatment of women, all politicians should be held to account not the just who suits us.

To be honest the minute we spend time discussing holding others to the same standard, age of consent, why did the mother go to the papers, Tory scum behaviour too, I think- get in the sea!

He's a predator. Shouldn't be an MSP. Same for anyone else up to the same unsavoury business. And I hope he becomes cautionary tale and this situation moves the cultural dial.

Yes I did wonder about the mothers motives in going to the Sun,did she attempt to approach the SNP to raise concerns? I certainly wouldn’t run the risk of my sons name getting out.

Says a lot that this thread is only 4 pages long and has degenerated into the usual whatabboutery and finger pointing at evil Tories.