Tory council chief recorded appearing to promise multi-million pound contracts for 'pals'

Daily Record

27-04-2025

A council leader has been recorded appearing to promise to help 'pals' win multi-million pound demolition contracts. In a tape passed to the Sunday Mail South Ayrshire 's Conservative leader Martin Downey calls officers at his local authority 'f*****g useless' and boasts: 'All the top ones I can sack.' And he appears to tell the businessman he can help him win work including a deal to demolish Ayr's fire ravaged Station Hotel . Dowey has denied doing anything wrong and claims he informed police of the meeting himself in 2023. Police have confirmed they have received correspondence in relation to the meeting which is 'currently being assessed' by officers. In the recording of a meeting at the council's offices in 2023 Dowey - a former police officer - states: 'You will be told the quotes are coming out. You put in your price, we will give you a guestimate of what is happening. 'If you are in the last three you will get the quote. You will get it. That's easy, that's not a problem. 'The problem arises if you are not in the final three, I can't do anything about that, so it's up to us getting a proper price from you. He added: 'If you are in the final three we decide who we pick but if you are not in the final three I can't say 'wait a minute, my pals aren't on it' or whatever, you canny say that.' Discussing Ayr's Station Hotel, which was being demolished after a fire, the businessman asks: 'Is that a definite for us to get that one?' Dowey answers: 'Nobody else can do it, we have had companies out before you arrived on the scene, they don't know how to do it, they are struggling, you put it in, you put your bid in. Don't email Mike, put your bid in as normal and you will get the contract.' After conversation moved to a council building programme Dowey said: 'The latest I have been told it will be £12.6million to do the flats. They might if they hear other people are about bump that down...But it would need to be a really competitive price for that...£10.2million or £10.3million. He added: 'Officers have been hammered so much by getting shafted they are so wary they don't want to do anything. 'Half of this is my problem because I'm f*****g shouting and bawling and telling them they are f*****g useless and all that...All the top ones I can sack.' Towards the end of the meeting Dowey tells them: 'We have a beautiful future coming. 'Everything is fine with us guys it's not an issue. If it's any consolation I'm happy with your work. Have you not had an ice cream yet.' Dowey also said: 'Councils are slow guys, trying to get something from a council is a nightmare, they are reasonably quick at paying but they are slow at doing anything.' Dowey, 56, spent 25 years as a police officer in Ayrshire. The dad-of-three is married to Tory MSP Sharon Dowey and was a Conservative general election candidate in Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock last year. When we contacted him for comment he said: 'I'm a former police officer. I know the law and I respect it at all times. 'I reported the approach from this individual to the police and the local authority myself long ago because I suspected something was not right with their approach. 'I did not help this company to win any contract. They have not received any money from South Ayrshire Council.' A Police Scotland spokesperson said: 'We are in receipt of correspondence and it is currently being assessed.' A spokesperson for the Council said: 'We note that this matter is with Police Scotland, and it would not be appropriate to comment further at this stage.'