Fife businesses fear being shut out of contracts if they dare to criticise the council, a leading trade figure has claimed.
Janet Torley, chairwoman of the Fife branch of the Federation of Small Businesses, said the council can seem like a ”North Korean dictatorship”, with business owners afraid to speak out against it for fear of reprisals.
She said there are concerns the council’s position as a major source of business for firms would be used against companies that criticised the leadership.
The claim came as the FSB held a breakfast meeting in St Andrews on Tuesday to give local small business owners the opportunity to question candidates in next week’s local elections.
Starting the session in The Golf Hotel, Ms Torley noted that several members had expressed a reluctance to attend due to concerns it could have negative consequences for their business.
”They are afraid to put their head above the parapet because they think it will cost them,” she said. ”This will have to remain anecdotal because I obviously can’t name the people involved.”
Speaking to The Courier afterwards, Ms Torley added that she could ”understand” why business owners would feel that way.
”To level any kind of criticism could be perceived as a dangerous thing,” she said. ”It can sometimes seem like a dictatorship the North Korean Republic of Fife.”
Among the candidates present was the SNP’s Peter Grant, the leader of Fife Council. He denied that any such action would be taken against people who complain about the council.
The discussion, which included Labour candidate Brian Thomson, Lib Dem candidate Francis Melville and Tory hopeful Dorothea Morrison, also took in planning and parking.