South Ayrshire Council face calls for independent inquiry into contract awards as fallout from Martin Dowey row continues
South Ayrshire Council is facing calls for an independent inquiry into the awarding of its contracts.
Labour MPs Elaine Stewart and Alan Gemmell tonight wrote to all councillors asking them to support such a probe.
And they're also calling on Scottish Tory Party leader, Russell Findlay, to investigate the allegations which have rocked County Buildings this week.
South Ayrshire's Tory leader, Martin Dowey, announced he was to step aside from the role following the emergence of an alleged recording taken in his office in 2023.
In it, he appears to discuss potential demolition contracts with a businessman and was heard to brand senior officials as "f*****g useless."
That led to Central Ayrshire MP, Mr Gemmell, raising a point of order in the House of Commons to put on record his concerns.
And now he has joined with Ms Stewart, the MP for Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock, to call for an outside probe.
They said: "The allegations set out in the Sunday Mail's story are serious. We are asking both Russell Findlay and South Ayrshire's councillors to support an independent review into the awarding of building contracts, and their subcontracting arrangements since Martin Dowey became leader in 2022.
"A review would help restore public confidence that no conflict of interest or breach of the council's processes has arisen."
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