Flooding victims in Cupar who were forced to evacuate their homes days after Christmas have been given fresh hope they could receive lifeline cash.
New First Minister John Swinney said he would take a close look at demands from residents in the Fife town who say they need support.
Nine households were evacuated on December 27 and forced into temporary accommodation when the Lady Burn burst its banks due to Storm Gerritt.
In November, we revealed families devastated by flooding in Brechin and surrounding areas during Storm Babet last October would get up to £1,500 each.
But North East Fife Lib Dem MSP Willie Rennie warned households in Cupar who suffered and lost possessions were irate at the lack of help.
Speaking in Holyrood, he said to the first minister: “The flood victims in Cupar feel insulted that they have been strung along with the possibility of financial support similar to that received in Angus.
“I trusted ministers when they said they were seriously considering that. It will take a lot to convince me again.”
SNP leader Mr Swinney – a Perthshire MSP – admitted Mr Rennie had a reasonable point.
He replied by saying: “Without disclosing the contents of a private conversation, I did say to Mr Rennie in the corridor some months ago that I had listened to him on the radio and found myself thinking, he does make a fair point about the flooding issues in Cupar.
“Let me take Mr Rennie’s issues away and see what I can do. I did think he made a fair point.”
Mr Swinney’s pledge to review funding for Cupar comes on the day Mr Rennie and his party colleagues approved the first minister’s new cabinet.
The SNP chief was reliant on support from the Lib Dems to put his top team in place due to anger from the Greens over Kate Forbes being named deputy first minister.
It’s understood Mr Rennie’s party – led by Alex Cole-Hamilton – will be more willing to cooperate with the government where it occasionally benefits them.
SNP energy minister Mairi McAllan was unable to give a straight answer over whether Cupar families would get cash when she was quizzed in March.
At the time, Mr Rennie said: “The government has been stalling for months and now the best the minister could offer was a meeting.
“If talk could hold back the water, you’d never have a flood in Cupar again.”
The SNP had initially hinted at a re-think after previously saying funding would definitely not be provided.
