The decision on whether to spend £160 to send a councillor to a conference blew up into a party political row last night as feuding members accused each other of “hypocrisy”.
The Labour group attempted to stifle a bid to send SNP councillor Jimmy Black to a Shelter Scotland summit on rent in Edinburgh, citing concerns over cost to the public purse.
But housing convener John Alexander said the move “irked” him as it had “a whiff of hypocrisy”, while fellow SNP member Ken Lynn branded it “crazy”.
Mr Alexander claimed unidentified Labour members frequently attend conferences at the expense of other public bodies while simultaneously arguing against sending administration officials because of costs to the tax-payer.
He told the housing committee: “This attitude irks me because there is a whiff of hypocrisy about it.
“Labour members are attending these conferences with other organisations.
“This is one of the reasons why people in Scotland have lost trust in Labour,” he added.
But Labour member Brian Gordon accused Mr Alexander of being inflammatory and suggested public money could be saved by sending a council officer who could report back to all members.
He said: “We’re talking about today. I am only suggesting that one council officer should be coming back with a briefing that we can all use.
“An officer has to go it makes sense if we send just an officer and not a councillor as well.”
Fellow Labour member Richard McCready said: “We should not be wasting council money on attending these conferences time and time and time again.”
SNP member Ken Lynn disagreed and attacked the Labour party in Dundee.
He said: “We have no more seats left to win in this city. Is this the best you can do?”
SNP members eventually forced through the bid to send Mr Black to the conference, along with a council officer, winning last night’s motion by three votes.