The Scottish government has defended the expenditure of more than £45,000 on business-class flights for First Minister John Swinney and two senior aides to attend the World Cup and engage in trade talks in the United States. The total cost for the official visits to the U.S. in June, which included flights, hotels, and expenses for Swinney, Sports Minister Maree Todd, and their staff, amounted to £98,442.
Swinney traveled to Boston on June 11 for Scotland's opening World Cup match and subsequently participated in trade discussions in Kentucky three days later. While Swinney and two senior officials opted for business-class travel, Sports Minister Maree Todd and other officials flew economy class on significantly less expensive tickets.
Officials asserted that the government made efforts to "minimise" costs. Justice Secretary Neil Gray defended the business-class flights, stating they were necessary to ensure ministers could "arrive fresh" for overseas engagements. The cost of business-class tickets for Swinney and his private secretary, John Webster, was £17,893 each. A special adviser to the First Minister, Colin McAllister, incurred a cost of £9,864 for a business-class ticket.