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POP star Sandi Thom was at the centre of an expenses row last night after the SNP campaigner pocketed £10,000 from the Scottish Government.
Sandi, one of Alex Salmond’s favourite singers, was handed the cash for supporting a string of Nats initiatives — many involving the First Minister.
The £9,514.58 bill included hotel bills, flights, car hire, food and drink.
But last night it was claimed the expenses were “kickbacks” for helping with the SNP’s election campaign.
Last December, Homecoming icon Sandi was paid a £1,000 agency fee and £1,478 for flights to sing at the launch of Mr Salmond’s Christmas card.
The First Minister hired the Wish I Was A Punk Rocker star to appear at the bash in plush Duff House art gallery in Banff.
Just a month earlier, the taxpayer had footed another bumper bill for the singer and her entourage to appear at a St Andrew’s Day party.
She flew up to Scotland with her three-piece band and her tour manager, at a cost of £1,440.53, to perform at the bash at Edinburgh’s West Princes Street Gardens.
Hotel accommodation totalled £860 with breakfast, dinner and refreshments costing an extra £581.75.
Car hire at £404 and an agency fee of £750 pushed the bill to over £4,000.
And in 2007, Sandi was paid a flat rate of £3,000 towards covering expenses associated with appearing at Scottish Government-supported St Andrew’s Day events.
Sandi — brought up in Banff, at the heart of Alex Salmond’s Westminster constituency — publicly backed the Nats in the 2007 elections, with a personal letter to young voters in key seats.
Last month she appeared on stage with Mr Salmond when she returned to her home town for a concert.
The pair dueted on folk-anthem Caledonia, which Sandi performed in a promotional video to advertise the government’s Year of Homecoming celebrations.
SNP chief executive Peter Murrell — deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon’s partner — also wrote to all SNP members encouraging them to buy tickets for the singer’s tour.
Last night John Robertson, Glasgow North West MP, said: “The SNP are using taxpayers’ money to return Sandi’s favours.
“These lavish expenses are kickbacks for helping the SNP election campaign. This stinks.
“The SNP have cut 1,000 teachers in the year but they can fritter away money to pay posh hotel bills and £500 breakfasts.
“It’s an outrage that public money is being used as backhanders for electioneering favours.”
Details of the bill were revealed by Culture Minister Mike Russell in a written answer to Lothians Labour MSP Lord Foulkes.
Last night a spokesperson for the First Minister said he could not go into the detail of the expenses.
He would only say: “Sandi Thom has not received a performance fee for any of the Scottish Government-supported events she has participated in to promote Scotland.
“All celebrities, including Sandi Thom, who were involved in producing and launching the Homecoming Scotland television advert, gave their time for no charge.”
He added: “Having celebrities waive their normal performance fees for taking part in events which promote Scotland is saving thousands of pounds, and no one would be expected to contribute without having their expenses covered.”
On the plus side looks like she won't be around for much longer, as these were just about the only gigs she could get these days:
Quote:
I won't perform for SNP again, says Sandi Thom
SCOTS singer Sandi Thom last night revealed she is to sever ties with the SNP in the wake of a £10,000 expenses row.
The singer-songwriter said she would no longer play gigs with Alex Salmond, the First Minister, because she is fed up with the "playground politics" at Holyrood.
The row began after it emerged the SNP spent £10,000 providing her and her band with hotels, flights and meals.
Labour accused the SNP of paying Thom "kick-backs" for helping its 2007 election campaign and demanded to know who authorised the payments. Thom, 27, from Macduff, Aberdeenshire, featured on a campaign leaflet and is a staunch SNP supporter. She recently performed a duet of Caledonia with Salmond..
In the wake of the revelations, the singer said she waived her performance fees for the events and added: "All I see within the parliament is just playground politics, people trying to make the other one look like an idiot… That is just people being petty. It is something I don't want any part of any more. I won't do any more gigs for the government."
Former West Midlands police officer Tom Watkins, who formed Animal Search UK almost 10 years ago, is in charge of the hunt.
He said: “We have put up more than 500 posters, e-mailed every rescue centre in the UK, organised a number of searches of the local area and carried out door-to-door inquiries. The local rambling club in Edzell very kindly agreed to carry out a search for Sandi Thom’s cat, as did the members of an Edzell cycling club.
Sandi Thom is offering a reward of £1,000 for the safe return of Toots.
You've got to love the shit non-stories that make it into the EE.
Plus she got dropped by her record label last week.
How the fuck did she ever get a deal with Sony in the first place? She is utter gash, and everyone outside North East Scotland can see that.
Some Sony "artistes":
Alexandra Burke
Backstreet Boys
Eoghan Quigg
George Sampson
The Hoosiers
Il Divo
John Barrowman
Jordin Sparks
Lemar
Lil' Chris
Paul Potts
Rhydian
Ricky Martin
Scouting For Girls
Shayne Ward
Westlife
Will Young
Alexandra Burke
Backstreet Boys
Eoghan Quigg
George Sampson
The Hoosiers
Il Divo
John Barrowman
Jordin Sparks
Lemar
Lil' Chris
Paul Potts
Rhydian
Ricky Martin
Scouting For Girls
Shayne Ward
Westlife
Will Young
How can George Sampson have a record contract? He's a dancer....
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30-03-2009, 16:29
Sandi Thom 
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