Dundee East MP Stewart Hosie has laughed off Labour calls for him to be drafted in to head up the Tay Cities Deal bid.
Dundee-based MSP Jenny Marra has accused the councils of Dundee, Angus and Perth and Kinross of not doing enough to drive forward the Cities Deal bid.
Although the proposed bid has been on the drawing board for over year, no concrete proposals have yet been submitted to the UK Government, which will fund any agreement.
Suggestions being considered include proposals to extend Dundee Airport and steps being taken to bring more oil decommissioning work to Dundee.
Although the team working on the Tay Cities Deal say they are want their proposals to be watertight before they are submitted, Ms Marra said the bid needs a figurehead keep the bid on track and that Mr Hosie, the SNP’s economy spokesman, would be an ideal candidate.
However, Mr Hosie said her proposal shows how “out of the loop” she and Scottish Labour have become.
He said: “The local authority team behind the deal have done a fantastic job so far and are continuing to work extremely hard to bring the best possible deal to the area.
“I am delighted that Chris Law, MP for Dundee West, has already raised the issue in a major debate in the Houses of Parliament and he was supported by every MP representing every constituency that will benefit.
“There is already fantastic political leadership of the Tay Cities Deal. All this shows is how out of the loop Jenny Marra and Scottish Labour are.”
Mr Hosie added that his door is always open to anyone working on the Tay City Deal.
If successful, the deal could see Tayside’s three councils and north east Fife receive a share of £400 million to improve infrastructure.
Any money from the UK government is likely to be supplemented by the Scottish Government.
Mr Hosie said: “If anyone on the Tay Cities Deal team requires representation to be made at Westminster or to the Scottish Government I will be happy to help.”
Dundee Liberal Democrat councillor Fraser Macpherson said he does not believe the bid requires a single figurehead to see it through but that Dundee must not be allowed to fall behind other cities.
It was revealed in Thursday’s Autumn statement that Stirling is in discussions regarding its own deal.
He said: “I’m not sure that one, single person is required.
“We all agree this is a really good idea but what we don’t want is for Dundee to be left behind.
“It really important for us to see momentum and to build on that.”
But independent councillor Ian Borthwick added “active consideration” should be given to appointing someone to take the bid forward if it is thought it could help secure the vital funding for Tayside.
He said the issue “transcends” party politics.
“The people of Dundee should be our first and only consideration,” he said.
