Minister's 4 dinners with sidekick of tax row boss

An SNP minister went out for dinner with an associate of lobbying scandal businessman Lex Greensill four times in six months.

- John Ferguson

Rural Economy Secretary Fergus Ewing is facing allegations he broke conduct rules over a meal with the Australian banker and steel billionaire Sanjeev Gupta in June 2017.

Taxpayers could lose more than £360million as a result of deals struck between the men and Scottish Government.

Also at the dinner was Jay Hambro – chief investment officer of Gupta’s GFG Alliance conglomerate.

We can reveal Ewing dined with Hambro again on September 13, October 22, and November 22. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon also met with Gupta in March 2018. Ewing had another dinner with Hambro in May 2018, and a meeting with the GFG Alliance in May 2019.