Council chiefs have thrown up a wall of silence after being urged to launch a fraud probe into pro-independence activists claiming tens of thousands of pounds in Covid support grants “for the indy cause”.
We revealed in September how community Yes hubs Brechin Blether In and Forfar Blether In received £10,000 each from a scheme designed to help businesses struggling during the pandemic.
Activists were coached how to apply for the cash by SNP officer Dr Tim Rideout, who boasted of making £50,000 “for the indy cause” in a single day through the scheme and encouraged successful applicants to make a “wee donation” to his campaign group.
He has stated no such donation was ever made.
The two Angus hubs are now at the centre of fresh concerns after we uncovered that activists have been storing and sharing papers promoting the SNP and its leaders from their Angus hubs, despite telling officials they are not party political.
Inverclyde Council launched its own investigation into a similar group, called Yes Inverclyde, who were able to successfully bank £10,000 after claiming they are promoting a “philosophical position” rather than any one party.
The public deserve answers as to why this decision was taken at a time when local businesses were struggling.”
– Murdo Fraser MSP
Bosses called in the corporate fraud team after photos appeared on social media showing the shop in Greenock being used to store and distribute 35,000 “Yes papers” produced by the SNP, The National newspaper and the Believe in Scotland group.
The papers contain articles from senior SNP figures, including leader Nicola Sturgeon, and were distributed locally as part of plans to send them to one million households across Scotland.
What are the Covid support grant rules?
Government rules say no part of the Covid support grant should be used “to fund any activity or material which is party political in intention, use, or presentation or appears to be designed to affect support for a political party, including in relation to offices occupied by MPs, MSPs or councillors that would otherwise be eligible”.
Whistleblowers allege that activists using the pro-independence hubs to store and distribute literature promoting the SNP and its politicians illustrates that they were never appropriate organisations to receive the funds.
Inverclyde Council confirmed on Friday that Inverclyde Yes has agreed to pay back the £10,000 but that a probe found “no evidence” of fraudulent activity.
We can reveal activists in Angus have been storing and sharing the same papers at the centre of the Inverclyde investigation after claiming their own Covid support cash.
According to posts on social media, some 4,000 Yes papers are set to be distributed from the hub in Forfar.
Brechin Blether In did not respond to questions about how many have been sent out from their store but told followers on Facebook that “Blether In volunteers are currently distributing this free paper around Brechin and Edzell”.
It added that people can also “pop into” their Swan Street hub to collect one.
Council bosses dodge questions
Angus Council refused to say whether it has passed any details to its own corporate fraud team and what further action, if any, has been taken to investigate.
It also refused to comment on claims by Forfar Blether In that its £10,000 claim was reviewed earlier this year, following our story, and subsequently cleared.
The council would not say what official process, if any, this followed.
Scottish Conservative Covid recovery spokesman Murdo Fraser called on Angus Council to follow the lead of officials in Inverclyde and launch a full investigation.
He said: “It was completely inappropriate that this funding was given to help support nationalist propaganda shops.
“We have seen Inverclyde Council commit to an investigation into a similar award and Angus Council must now take steps to carry out similar procedures.
“The public deserve answers as to why this decision was taken at a time when local businesses were struggling to survive during the pandemic.
“Transparency is absolutely vital if the public are to find out the truth about why pro-indy causes were given taxpayers money at the height of the Covid crisis.”
‘Award was appropriate’
A spokeswoman for Angus Council said that while it does not routinely comment on individual applications, “it is important to state that enquiries into this matter established the grant award was appropriate to guidance provided to us and the applicant’s circumstances”.
The spokeswoman did not respond to questions about the nature and timing of those enquiries.
Angus SNP councillor Kenny Braes, who has spoken on behalf of the Brechin Blether In hub in the past, said: “I don’t have much to do with running Brechin Blether In or the distribution of a newspaper.”
He pointed out that Covid funding in Angus was distributed by a “Tory run” council and said calls for a fraud probe are an attempt to “deflect attention” from “sleaze and corruption” within the Conservative Party.
Brechin Blether In provided no further response.
Bill Golden from Forfar Blether In was also approached for comment.