John Swinney has faced criticism after choosing business-class flights costing about £18,000 for a World Cup trip to the United States, instead of using a roughly £1,000 seat on an SFA charter flight. He said the alternative was necessary to attend parliamentary First Minister’s Questions while also watching Scotland’s first World Cup match in 28 years, but opponents called the decision disrespectful to taxpayers and questioned whether travel rules were followed.

The wider travel bill included nearly £35,786 for flights for Swinney and his private secretary, plus £8,864 for his chief of staff. The SFA flight left on 11 June, but the Scottish Government later cancelled the planned seats because of parliamentary business; Swinney subsequently flew from Edinburgh to London and then to Boston in business class. He said the timing made flights particularly expensive and that the trip also involved discussions intended to attract investment and jobs to Scotland.