A major war of words has broken out between Better Together and Dundee City Council over the presence of a Yes stall inside the city’s Flower and Food Festival.
Senior figures in the pro-Union campaign said they were told no political groups would be given access to the weekend-long event when they inquired about setting up shop, and accused the local authority of “gagging behaviour”.
However, the council retorted by pointing out the offer of a stall for Sunday’s proceedings was made on Saturday, adding they had no record of any phone call with an earlier request.
Dundee-based Labour MSP Jenny Marra said: “Dundee City Council have made an extremely anti-democratic decision allowing the Yes campaign to speak to people at a public event but banning the No campaign from attending.
“We are not used to this kind of gagging behaviour in our country. In Scotland and across the UK we have always respected people’s right to have their say and campaign for what they believe in. The SNP have abused the power of our council with this decision.
“Dundee City Council should explain why they took the decision to allow the Yes campaign to speak to thousands of people at the biggest public event in Dundee but banned the No campaign.”
Senior sources at Better Together said a request was made in June, with a female officer taking the call and putting an organiser on hold before informing her that “no political groups” would have a presence at the “family event”.
One insider also claimed there would have been no time to set up a rival stall to Yes Dundee’s at late notice.
SNP councillor Craig Melville accused Better Together of being “hypocritical” over the decision to hand out leaflets outside the festival when the offer had been made to have a stall inside.
He said: “Yes Dundee has been pretty active in asking for a stall and, from speaking to officers, there is no record of Better Together asking for a stall.
“I think it would be inappropriate of the council to contact them and help them organise their campaign. It is up to them to approach the organisers and as far as I’m aware they have not done so.
“Once they actually contacted the council on Saturday, a point was made of offering a stand. That is unprecedented but it would appear they decided not to take it and instead they are protesting outside, so it is a bit hypocritical of them to moan.”
A council spokesman said no one from Better Together had returned calls from senior figures within the authority offering the place.
He added: “The council has no record of a call being made from the Better Together campaign requesting a stall at the festival.
“When the council was contacted by the campaign on Saturday afternoon questioning the presence of a Yes stall, senior officers immediately made the offer of a space on the same terms. Better Together did not respond to this offer.”