Why Scotland’s finance minister has resigned hours before budget

Derek Mackay steps down over messages to 16-year-old boy on social media

Derek Mackay
Derek Mackay had served as Scotland’s finance minister since 2016
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Scotland’s finance secretary has quit just hours before he was to deliver the nation’s budget, amid reports that he bombarded a 16-year-old boy with hundreds of messages on social media.

The Scottish Sun claims that Derek Mackay “pestered” the teenager on Instagram and Facebook after contacting him “out of the blue”.

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