MSPs can claim money back for "expenses" (costs). These must be costs from carrying out their duties in Parliament or helping their constituents.
The Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body (SPCB) provides financial assistance to opposition parties in the Parliament. This is sometimes known as 'Short money'.
The table shows the amounts eligible parties actually claimed in the period 2023-24. The annual entitlement per member was £11,208.69.
| Eligible party | Members | Total Eligible Amount | Amounts claimed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party | 31 | £347,469.39 | £345,677.88 |
| Scottish Labour Party | 22 | £246,591.18 | £232,181.03 |
| Scottish Green Party |
6 | £67,252.14 | £59,367.41 |
| Scottish Liberal Democrat Party | 4 | £44,834.76 | £41,782.08 |
| Total | 63 | £706,147.47 | £679,008.40 |
Payments are only made for expenses incurred and claims must include a breakdown of what is being claimed and a statement that the expenses have been claimed were incurred by the Party exclusively for the purpose of assisting Members of the Parliament who are connected with the Party to perform their Parliamentary duties. A certificate must be provided to the Parliament by an independent professional auditor annually.
Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party expenses certificate (78KB, pdf) posted 13 November 2024
Scottish Labour Party expenses certificate (382KB, pdf) posted 13 November 2024
Scottish Green Party expenses certificate (288KB, pdf) posted 13 November 2024
Scottish Liberal Democrat Party expenses certificate (391KB, pdf) posted 13 November 2024
The Scotland Act 1998 provided for an Order in Council to allow the SPCB to provide assistance for opposition parties by making payments to registered political parties in the Parliament “for the purpose of assisting members of the Parliament who are connected with such parties to perform their Parliamentary duties.”
Section 97 of the Scotland Act 1998
Order in Council: The Scottish Parliament (Assistance for Registered Political Parties) Order 1999
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