A Scottish Conservative MSP has been reported to the Ethical Standards Commissioner after criticising new laws on Botox and dermal fillers at Holyrood without declaring that his partner runs an aesthetics business in Inverness. This is exactly the sort of story that makes people cynical about politics, and I understand why.
The Declaration That Was Not Made
The new legislation regulates non surgical cosmetic procedures. It is designed to protect the public from unqualified practitioners offering injectable treatments. It is, by most reasonable measures, a sensible piece of public health legislation. The MSP in question stood up in the chamber and attacked it. What he did not mention was that his partner operates a business in Inverness that provides precisely the kind of services being regulated.
This is not a criminal matter. It is a standards matter. But the principle is straightforward: if you are going to use your platform as an elected representative to criticise legislation, the public has a right to know whether you have a personal financial interest in the outcome.
Why This Matters Beyond the Individual
Scotland’s parliament was built on the promise of transparency. After decades of watching Westminster operate behind closed doors, Holyrood was supposed to be different. The register of interests exists for a reason. Declaration rules exist for a reason. They are the minimum standard of public accountability.
When an MSP fails to declare a relevant interest, it does not just reflect on them. It damages the institution. It gives ammunition to those who argue that politicians are all the same, that they all have hidden agendas, that the system is rigged. And in an election year, that kind of cynicism is corrosive.
The Aesthetics Industry Deserves Better Too
I should say that I have no objection to the aesthetics industry. People should be free to spend their money on whatever treatments they choose. But that industry also has a real problem with unqualified practitioners, botched procedures, and inadequate aftercare. The new legislation addresses those problems, and opposing it without declaring a financial interest undermines legitimate debate about how the regulations should work.
The Ethical Standards Commissioner will investigate. The MSP will have his say. But the damage to public trust has already been done, and no amount of filler can fix that.