Edinburgh Labour U-turns on Cammy Day's council comeback bid
However, the Labour group's leadership has since u-turned on the move, following opposition from some councillors whose votes would be crucial to passing the amendment, according to sources close to discussions. It's now expected the proposal will be brought forward at the next full council meeting at the end of August at the earliest.
Council leader Jane Meagher told The Herald: 'My focus at the moment is on the Dunion report and making sure we take swift action on its recommendations.'
Day resigned the council leadership, a position he held since 2022, in December after a newspaper reported he 'bombarded' two Ukrainian refugees with sexual messages - an allegation he strongly denies.
More sexual harassment allegations followed in the press from a constituent and a council staff member. Later addressing the claims against him, Day said he messaged men on the dating app Grindr, but denied ever acting inappropriately. In the same interview, he claimed to be the victim of a co-ordinated political plot designed to end his career.
After being issued an administrative suspension by Scottish Labour chiefs in response to the allegations he was welcomed back into the party this month. That came after a police investigation concluded there was "no evidence of criminality".
And on Monday at an internal meeting of Edinburgh's Labour group - who run the city council as a minority administration with support from the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats - it was agreed Day's promotion to planning convener, a position that comes with a £14,000 pay rise from the standard councillor salary, should be presented for approval in the City Chambers on Thursday.
But by Wednesday morning, the plan had been abandoned.
It is understood that some councillors expressed concern over appointing Councillor Day to the role at the same meeting where issues related to his alleged misconduct would be debated.
Read more:
One Edinburgh Labour source said they didn't think there should be 'any way back into a senior position' for the former council leader.
A second said they believed Councillor Day should be given a second chance. 'Most people are fair minded and expect people to be given a second chance,' the source said. 'But it's the timing; it should be August at the earliest.'
Meanwhile, co-convener of Edinburgh Council's Green group, Chas Booth, said of the plan: 'This would absolutely beggar belief if we weren't so used by now to Labour consistently putting their own interests above those of the city.
'This is a man who has still not apologised for the hurt and upset his behaviour has caused and has shown absolutely no contrition or remorse whatsoever, yet Labour appear set to hand him a plum job.
'What message does Labour think this would send to his alleged victims, or to people with experiences of sexual misconduct more generally? Labour must think again, Cllr Day must apologise for his behaviour, and other political parties must join us in opposing this appointment.'
Mr Dunion's 30-page report makes a series of recommendations around the council's complaints procedures and whistleblowing policy with a focus on the safeguarding of victims.
He highlighted the council lacks sufficient safeguards to prevent the type of alleged behaviour attributed to Councillor Day. However, the investigator concluded the more recent complaints against him - including those relating to alleged behaviour towards Ukrainian refugees that led to his resignation - were "well-handled and properly considered in line with the council's policies".
The inquiry also found there is "no doubt" there is a "significant perceived power imbalance" around the complaints being made to Edinburgh City Council about the "alleged unwanted behaviour" of the former council leader.
Mr Dunion stated in the report: "There are [...] instances which have apparently been reported up the management chain, such as alleged unwanted advances being made to junior staff but being treated as gossip, or concerns about a social relationship with a young member of staff being formed, but a procedural response taken, based around the narrow legal requirement for safeguarding."
Internal party disagreements over the response to the inquiry spilled onto social media.
Giving his reaction, Labour city councillor Stephen Jenkinson wrote on Facebook the investigation "confirms political hatchet job".
Commenting on the post, his Labour group colleague Cllr Katrina Faccenda said a 'more serious (and less tinfoil hatted) response would be to encourage people to read the report in full and follow discussion at next week's council'.
Former Labour Lord Provost of Edinburgh Lesley Hinds also responded. "The reason the report was commissioned," she wrote, "was because of the Labour Leader of the Council's [alleged] behaviour, as reported in the press.
"Rather than having a pop at SNP I think you should read the whole report and treat the allegations and the pattern of behaviour by the former Leader of the Council."
Ms Hinds told The Herald: 'Having read the Dunion Report I have been surprised by comments from some Edinburgh Councillors, who appear to be out of touch with the concerns and views from ordinary people and Labour Party members."
Councillor Jenkinson was contacted for comment.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
3 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper refuses to say how many Channel migrants will be returned to France under new 'one in one out' deal because it 'could help smuggling gangs'
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper today refused to say how many migrants will be returned to France as part of Labour's new 'one in, one out' deal with President Macron. Migrants who arrive by small boat from tomorrow could face being selected for the scheme and placed in detention instead of being sent to taxpayer-funded hotels. The Home Office will then work with French counterparts to return the migrants in return for Britain accepting others still in France with stronger asylum claims. However, the much-trumpeted deal has come under fresh scrutiny after it emerged the agreement will expire in just 11 months. And this morning, Ms Cooper declined to say how many migrants she expects to be able to send back. Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme, she said: 'We are not putting an overall figure on this programme. 'Of course, it will start to lower numbers and then build, but we want to be able to expand it. 'We want to be able to increase the number of people returned through this programme.' She added: 'We will provide regular updates, people will be able to see how many people are being detained, how many people are being returned, and it is right that we should be transparent around that. 'But we're not setting the numbers in advance, firstly because there is no fixed number in terms of the overall number of people to come through this system, and secondly because we're not going to provide (gangs) with that operational information.' The arrangement with Emmanuel Macron's government will lapse at the end of June next year – just 47 weeks away – unless it is renewed. Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said the 'meagre' and 'short-term' deal would splutter to a halt even before the start of next year's peak small boats season. Meanwhile, pro-migrant groups have already indicated they are poised to bring legal challenges – just as they did against the previous Conservative government's Rwanda asylum deal. There was no mention of an expiry date for the new treaty when it was first announced by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Mr Macron last month. A Home Office spokesman said: 'Over this period both countries have committed to continually review and improve the process and effectiveness of this innovative approach, pending decisions on the long-term future of the arrangements after June 2026.' Last month it was suggested the scheme would see 50 migrants a week sent back to France. At that rate, just 2,350 would be returned before the agreement expires. By comparison, a record 25,436 migrants have reached Britain by small boat since the start of this year. The spokesman refused to reveal how many migrants will be targeted for removal, but said the Government had 'an ambition to scale up' the numbers. Last night the PM said: 'Today we send a clear message – if you come here illegally on a small boat you will face being sent back to France. This is the product of months of grown-up diplomacy delivering real results for British people as we broker deals no government has been able to achieve and strike at the heart of these vile gangs' business model.' Mr Philp said: 'This is a short-term arrangement that will only last a few months and will expire before next year's peak crossing season. This meagre arrangement will be no more effective than the Government's previous gimmick, which was claiming to 'smash the gangs'. 'The Rwanda removals deterrent, under which 100 per cent of illegal arrivals would be removed, was ready to go last summer but Labour cancelled it just days before it was due to start with no proper replacement plan. As a result, this year so far has been the worst ever for illegal immigrants crossing the Channel.' Today, Ms Cooper accepted that the deal would not end Channel crossings on its own, but pointed to a similar accord between Greece and Turkey in 2016 which she said brought down numbers of migrants to Greece. Speaking to BBC Breakfast, Ms Cooper said: 'We never claimed that there is a single silver bullet on this. So this goes alongside the 28% increase in returns of failed asylum seekers that we have brought in. 'It goes alongside the change to those French maritime rules that I referred to which means France taking action in French waters to prevent boat crossings in the first place, and the much stronger law enforcement that we announced earlier this week with the additional National Crime Agency investigators and police to be able to go after the criminal gangs. We have to do all of these things.' From tomorrow, any new Channel arrivals will be taken to the Home Office's processing centre at Manston, near Ramsgate, Kent, and assessed by Border Force officials. Any selected for the returns scheme will be transferred to short-term immigration holding facilities operated by the Home Office, such as those at Heathrow and Gatwick airports. After further assessment, they could be sent to an immigration removal centre to await return to France. It is hoped the first migrants will be returned by the end of August and detention space has already been set aside for the launch of the scheme. However, it is likely to face legal challenges – possibly as early as this week. A spokesman for the charity which helped blocked the Tories' Rwanda scheme, Care4Calais, said last night: 'We will consider all options open to us to oppose any plans that will put more lives at risk and involve governments trading humans.' The Home Office spokesman said: 'The UK government is prepared to robustly defend any legal challenges to removal within the initial trial phase, as we look to ramp up both the pace and scale of returns over the course of the pilot scheme.'
The National
12 minutes ago
- The National
John Curtice gives verdict on John Swinney's indyref2 plan
Last week, the First Minister put forward his plans for Scottish independence, saying getting a second referendum could only be achieved if the SNP win a majority in Holyrood. They are the only party to ever win a majority in the Scottish Parliament, a feat achieved under Alex Salmond in 2011. But the leading pollster poured cold water over the prospect, saying at The Herald's Unspun Live at the Fringe that it is "most extremely unlikely" the SNP will do so at the Holyrood election next year. "What is [John Swinney] doing? He is saying to people: if you want independence, vote [SNP]. Do not vote for Alba, do not vote for the Greens,' Curtice said. READ MORE: Which MPs have received the most donations and from whom? See the full list "[John Swinney] does not want there to be a fragmented list vote. He wants people to vote for the SNP. The challenge facing the SNP — the thing that has not changed in Scottish politics despite the turbulence of the last two and a half years — is support for independence. We are still around 50/50 on the independence question.' He added: "Although you hear a lot of talk of people not being concerned about independence anymore, just tell that to most unionist voters. Most unionist voters are deeply concerned about independence. "Very few people now are willing to vote for the SNP if they are opposed to independence. That is in complete contrast to the position in 2011." When asked about how he believes the 2026 elections will play out, Curtice said it would be "child's play" for Reform UK to win at least 10 seats. "I think Kemi Badenoch is becoming more effective, but it is very much a work in progress. The problem the Tories face is that Reform are not just taking voters, they are taking donors, they are taking people,' he added. "It is very difficult to see any outcome other than the SNP still providing government. What remains highly uncertain is how strong it will be. It could be as low as 45 seats. I think the maximum at the moment is 55 seats. "But 55 seats — you have only got to find one party to make a deal. With 45 you have got to find two, and that becomes much more difficult. "I think at the moment it is a race between Reform and Labour over who comes second, and unless the popularity of the Labour government improves, Labour may find themselves in much the same position as they are at the moment."
The Herald Scotland
16 minutes ago
- The Herald Scotland
Forbes calls for change for parents in politics after decision to quit
In a letter to First Minister John Swinney, Ms Forbes said she did not want to 'miss any more of the precious early years of family life'. Ms Forbes – who has a two-year-old daughter and three step-daughters – pushed the Scottish Parliament to be better for those with young families working in politics. The parliament was viewed as a more family-friendly version of the Westminster legislature, but recent years have seen a number of women step back, citing the pressures on young parents. Former Tory leader Ruth Davidson, former minister Aileen Campbell and MSPs Jenny Marra and Gail Ross were among those who were outspoken in their thinking for standing down at the 2021 election. 'I'm not the first and, unless anything changes, I'm unlikely to be the last,' Ms Forbes said on BBC Radio Scotland on Tuesday. 'So many parents know the pressures and the guilt of balancing all of this, and I'm totally in the same camp as them.' Ms Forbes said there was the added stress of one of the country's furthest north constituencies, meaning an 'eight hours return trip to my place of work' and sometimes 'a minimum three to four hours drive across the constituency before the day even begins'. 'There are some areas I think the Parliament could do more and do better,' the Deputy First Minister said. She pointed to the Holyrood creche – a service which was seen as a sign of the more family-friendly ethos – which is only available for three hours per day, three days a week. After careful thought over recess, I've decided not to seek re-election to @scotparl next year. I've written to the First Minister this morning 👇🏽 I will continue to serve the First Minister, the Government and my constituents to the best of my ability until May 2026. — Kate Forbes MSP (@_KateForbes) August 4, 2025 'I don't know anybody who only works three hours per day, so that doesn't make sense,' she said. 'I'm certainly not advocating for the job to be any less demanding or any less all-consuming, it has to be by its very nature of representing people. 'But if we can't even get some of the basic support right, then it will always be difficult for mums and dads.' Despite the decision announced on Monday, the Deputy First Minister did not completely close the door to a political return, saying 'maybe' she would consider such a move in 20 years. Since taking over as finance secretary in 2020 after the resignation of her predecessor Derek Mackay following a scandal involving messages he sent to a 16-year-old boy, Ms Forbes has been marked for leadership. She would ultimately lose the race for the SNP's top job after Nicola Sturgeon's resignation in 2023 in a contest marred by criticisms of her views on social issues such as abortion and gay marriage. Following the resignation of Humza Yousaf last year, Ms Forbes was handed the role of kingmaker, being the one to decide if the party would be forced to go through with a potentially damaging leadership contest, which she ultimately decided against in favour of a pact with First Minister John Swinney, becoming his deputy. The, sometimes ugly, criticisms levelled at the Deputy First Minister, she said, were 'in the past' as she continued to voice her support for the SNP and Scottish independence.
