Alex Salmond spent nearly half a million pounds of taxpayers' money on Ryder Cup trip

A parliamentary question has revealed that Alex Salmond spent £468,580 – or nearly £100,00 per day – of Scottish government money on his recent visit to Chicago for the Ryder Cup.

The Telegraph reports:

The First Minister and his wife, Moira, are understood to have stayed at the five-star Peninsula Hotel in the city, popular with celebrities such as Jay-Z, Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston…Unfortunately for the First Minister, who is an avid fan of the game, he was booed by the crowd as he delivered his speech at the official handover ceremony.

Sounds like money well spent…

Tags: Alex Salmond /

Mark Ferguson

Mark Ferguson is the Labour MP for Gateshead Central and Whickham, and was the editor of LabourList from 2010 to 2015.

View all articles by Mark Ferguson

Letters to the Editor – week ending 1st February 2026

Read what people have been writing to our editor about this week. Find out how to share your…

LabourList Staff

1st February, 2026, 4:00 pm

Comment

‘Marketised social care has failed. It’s time to rebuild local, democratic social services’

The imposition of the market on Social Services has been an abject failure, economically and societally. As Michael…

Bob Rhodes

1st February, 2026, 10:00 am

News

Former Labour General Secretary David Triesman dies aged 82

Lord David Triesman has passed away aged 82. Triesman was General Secretary of the Association of University Teachers…

LabourList Staff

1st February, 2026, 8:58 am

Alex Salmond spent nearly half a million pounds of taxpayers’ money on Ryder Cup trip

Mark Ferguson

More from LabourList

Letters to the Editor – week ending 1st February 2026

Former Labour General Secretary David Triesman dies aged 82