Derek MacKay: Scotland's finance secretary resigns after allegedly sending hundreds of messages to 16-year-old boy

Scotland’s finance secretary has resigned after he allegedly sent hundreds of messages to a 16-year-old boy.

Derek Mackay, 42, announced he was stepping down with immediate effect after The Scottish Sun published a string of texts in which he reportedly told the teen he was “really cute”.

The Renfrewshire North and West MSP is said to have sent the boy 270 messages after befriending him over Facebook and Instagram.

The allegations emerged hours before Mr Mackay was due to unveil the Scottish government’s budget for the next financial year on Thursday.

Mr Mackay said: “I take full responsibility for my actions. I have behaved foolishly and I am truly sorry. I apologise unreservedly to the individual involved and his family.

“I spoke last night with the first minister and tendered my resignation with immediate effect. Serving in government has been a huge privilege and I am sorry to have let colleagues and supporters down.”

First minister Nicola Sturgeon accepted Mr Mackay's resignation and told Holyrood he had also been suspended from the SNP pending a party investigation.

She said: “Derek has taken full responsibility for his actions and apologises unreservedly for them to the individual involved and to those he has let down. He has submitted his resignation as a government minister, which I have accepted.

“Derek has made a significant contribution to government, however he recognises that his behaviour has failed to meet the standards required.”

The government’s budget will now be presented by public finance minister Kate Forbes.

According to The Scottish Sun, Mr Mackay bombarded the 16-year-old boy with texts over the last six months and attempted to arrange to meet him even after he learned his age.

The SNP minister, who had been tipped by some to succeed Ms Sturgeon as first minister, offered to take the teenager to a rugby match and to dinner and complimented him on his appearance.

“You are looking good with that new haircut,” he told him in one message sent just after midnight on December 2017.

After checking whether “our chats are between us”, he added: “Cool, then to be honest I think you are really cute. Is that Ok? Just as long as you know but you can delete that message. Lol.”

The father-of-two, who came out as gay in 2013, messaged the boy regularly from August last year until 1 February – at times sending multiple messages without reply over several weeks.

Commenting on his resignation, Labour MP Jess Phillips tweeted: “Young people will trust adults, add on top of that respectable positions of power and the trust deepens.

“If as an elected official you don’t recognise that power dynamic or worse if you recognise it and exploit it you are not fit for office.”

In 2017, then childcare minister Mark McDonald quit the Scottish government after an investigation by the SNP led to him being accused of "inappropriate behaviour", which was said to include the sending of inappropriate and unwanted messages.