Nicola Sturgeon has been warned against flouting ministerial rules after she was signed up by a national newspaper as their star columnist.
The First Minister was unveiled on Friday as an opinion writer for the Daily Record.
She will pen a weekly column on issues including Brexit, independence and domestic policies, but will not receive a fee, the newspaper said.
The ministerial code allows serving cabinet members to write for newspapers, but warns they should “avoid promoting an individual company’s products or services by association”.
Jackson Carlaw, for the Scottish Conservatives, said it is “unusual to say the least” for a serving head of government to have such a column.
“Nicola Sturgeon will have to be careful not to breach the ministerial code, bypass parliament with major announcements or have her government give preference to one newspaper over another,” he added.
A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: “The ministerial code is clear that ministers may engage in writing for newspaper publications and the relevant safeguards set out are all being observed.
“As such, this is entirely in line with the code’s provisions.”
Nicola Sturgeon warned over her new Daily Record column
