A Tory MSP has come under fierce criticism after reports revealed he spent £100,000 of taxpayer money submitting nearly 1,000 questions to the Scottish Parliament—many of them seemingly trivial.
Douglas Lumsden, the Conservative MSP in question, has not denied using artificial intelligence to generate an extraordinary 987 official queries throughout January, costing around £100 each.
The revelations, which surfaced in media reports yesterday, have sparked outrage, with SNP MSP Kevin Stewart demanding that Lumsden repay the money and apologise to taxpayers.
Among the more bizarre questions submitted were requests for information on missing Scottish Parliament flags over the past decade, the height of Parliament-owned flagpoles, and the profit margins of honey jars sold in the Parliament shop.
Lumsden also queried how Parliament ensures the beeswax used in the Great Seal of Scotland comes from its own bees and asked how many visits the beekeeper has made to the estate in the last five years.
Other questions covered the number of straws procured by the Scottish Government over the past decade, the cost of PAT testing Christmas decorations, and the amount of sauce and condiment sachets used within Parliament.
Stewart has branded Lumsden’s actions as a “flagrant disregard for taxpayers’ cash” and questioned why a Conservative MSP would engage in such costly behaviour during a cost-of-living crisis.
“MSPs have a duty to hold the Government and Parliament to account, but this incredible volume of questions is completely unacceptable,” Stewart said.
He added that while Lumsden appears to be treating the situation as a joke online, voters will not be amused by the misuse of public funds.
“Costing around £100 per question, reports suggest Lumsden has cost the Scottish taxpayer £100,000 by using AI to ask nonsense questions about bees, straws and pepper sachets,” Stewart continued.
“In a cost-of-living crisis, voters will rightly be asking what on earth he is up to.”
The SNP politician has now called on Lumsden to take responsibility for the costs incurred by his AI-generated inquiries.
“Will Douglas Lumsden apologise and pay back the cost for his AI-generated frivolity?
“Or will the taxpayer be left to foot the £100,000 bill for Lumsden’s capers?”
As public frustration mounts, Lumsden has yet to directly respond to the demand for repayment, leaving many to question whether any consequences will follow.
