The extent of bad feeling within the SNP over the future of a Dundee fire station was such that the convener of Tayside Fire and Rescue Board implied that a senior party colleague had been “bank rolled” into his stance on the matter by the Fire Brigades Union (FBU).
The allegations made by Ken Lyall against Dundee East MP Stewart Hosie have come to light as fears have surfaced that Balmossie fire station on the outskirts of the city could be facing closure within the next two years.
Email correspondence from January 7 between Mr Lyall and Ken Guild, leader of Dundee City Council, details Mr Lyall’s belief that Mr Hosie campaigned on Balmossie because he was “afraid” of losing his seat in this year’s general election.
Mr Lyall wrote, “I know he (Mr Hosie) has been bank rolled in the past by the FBU and wonder if this is the case now?”
As previously reported in The Courier, Mr Guild had contacted Mr Lyall earlier that day to state he was “very disappointed at the timing of this controversial proposal in a key sector of a marginal seat in the run up to an election.”
In turn, Mr Lyall said he would not be “bullied” on the matter and that he felt he had given his “all for this party and in return only been kicked in the face.”
Mr Hosie refuted the allegations on Monday and said he had received no donations from the FBU at the time the exchange took place.
He added that he had accepted £500 from the union towards his successful campaign but this had been declared in his electoral expense return at the end of the election.
But he maintained his decision to oppose a consultation that would see full night cover at Balmossie the quietest whole-time station in Tayside removed to allow a dayshift at busier Forfar was taken solely with the safety of his constituents in mind.
Mr Lyall had championed the proposals on advice from chief fire officer Stephen Hunter, sparking a row which saw him temporarily suspended from the SNP.
Mr Hosie said, “As far as I’m aware the FBU gave donations to a number of candidates from a number of parties and this certainly had no relation whatsoever to my Balmossie decision.
“It doesn’t affect my stance on Balmossie and any decision I took was based on the interests of the constituents I serve.”
FBU Scottish secretary John Duffy confirmed Mr Hosie had received the £500 in the spring but had never been given any donations prior to this.
He added that Angus SNP MP Mike Weir had been given a similar sum and Dundee West Labour MP Jim McGovern had also received union funding.
Mr Lyall told The Courier on Monday that he didn’t “know for certain” what financial support Mr Hosie had received from the FBU.
He said, “The FBU has probably given a lot of candidates donations. That’s what unions do. I don’t want to be any more specific than that.”