Liz Smith, Scottish Conservative MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife has called on Perth & Kinross Council to review the decision to pay celebrity TV personality Mark Wright £5000 to turn on the Perth Christmas lights. SNP controlled Perth & Kinross Council has cut services to make savings of £56 million by 2014. Liz Smith, Scottish Conservative MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife said: “I think local residents across Perth & Kinross will be very surprised and disappointed to learn that SNP controlled Perth & Kinross Council will be using £5000 of the Common Good Fund to pay a sizable fee to a TV celebrity to turn on the Perth City Christmas lights when these occasions are often run on a charitable basis. “The fact that Mr Wright’s fee represents such a large part of the Perth Winter Festival budget is totally unacceptable and does not represent value for money. “The fact that Perth & Kinross Council has had to make savings of £56 million in recent years only makes the decision to give £5000 to a celebrity with no link to Perth & Kinross even more bizarre. “I believe Perth & Kinross Council should urgently review the decision and look to cancel the booking if possible and choose someone more suitable or alternatively give the money to a worthy cause like CHAS.”