Scottish Labour MPs have spent almost £55,000 of public money on external media and PR consultants since being elected to Westminster last year – despite having party spinners available to them, The Scotsman can reveal.
Since helping Sir Keir Starmer secure the keys to Downing Street in July 2024, Scottish Labour’s 37 MPs have tallied up £54,871 for media and PR contractors – a total of £47,025 in the 12 months following the 2024 election and £7,846 that has been claimed so far since September 2025.
MPs can only use their budgets for parliamentary purposes to support their role as a constituency MP. They cannot use it for costs related to party political or campaigning costs, or to support a ministerial role. All Scottish MPs have spent £60,861 of public money on media and PR experts since the general election.
Scottish Labour MP for East Kilbride and Strathaven, Joani Reid, has spent the most of any Scottish MP on media and PR consultants – with £18,664 of public money spent on services provided by Causeway Creative, which Ms Reid claims as “comms and media”.
Glasgow South West Labour MP, Dr Zubir Ahmed, now a UK government health minister despite the brief being devolved, spent £15,082 on PR and media support from Causeway Creative.
Dr Ahmed, who earned £17,920 for surgical work at Ninewells Hospital in Dundee during the summer recess, also claimed £6,000 for “professional support services”, including £2,000 from former Labour and Ministry of Justice special adviser, Ellie Cumbo.
Labour MP for Livingston, Gregor Poynton, claimed £9,600 for communications and media support from BB Partners Advisory Ltd. Edinburgh East Labour MP Chris Murray spent £4,000 on media and communications training for his staff and another £3,000 for a “communications strategy” with a “focus on local campaigns, press and national reach”.
Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy Labour MP, Melanie Ward, spent £4,000 of public money for “communications support”, while former Scottish Secretary Ian Murray spent £2,000 on media and communications support.
In February 2025, Labour MP for Stirling and Strathallan, Chris Kane, charged taxpayers £114 on “business head shots” which he said were “for use promoting constituency events, press releases, and online”.
An SNP source said that “Labour MPs should focus on standing up for their constituents being let down by an out-of-touch UK government instead of spending thousands trying to polish their image as the party plummets in the polls”.
But one SNP MP, Stephen Gethins has also charged taxpayers for outside communications services. The Arbroath and Broughty Ferry MP claimed £3,000 for “consultancy services in relation to international relations and communications”.
Scottish Lib Dems MP for Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire, Angus MacDonald, claimed £3,000 of public money for a “personalised presentation and speech skills workshop”.
No Scottish Conservative MPs have claimed any PR and communications consultancy since the 2024 general election.
Taxpayers have also been charged for AI services by Scottish MPs.
Labour MP for Edinburgh Northern and Leith, Tracy Gilbert, made three payments of £500 each to a company called Elect AI which boasts it trains staff to “make the most of AI”.
Scottish Labour MPs Frank McNally and Michael Shanks and Tory MP Harriet Cross have claimed public money for AI-powered video-editing platform, Veed.
Mr Poynton, along with Scottish Lib Dem MPs Wendy Chamberlain, Jamie Stone, Susan Murray and Mr MacDonald have claimed public money for AI video editing company, Kapwing – while Mr MacDonald has also charged taxpayers for Notion Labs, billed as an “AI workspace”. Mr Poynton also claimed for Asana, which bills itself as “the platform for human and AI collaboration”.
Scottish Labour has been contacted for comment.
