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The Herald Scotland
07-07-2025
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
Scotland's fire service 999 response times hit 10-year high
The Scottish Conservatives said that over the 10 years the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) saw its funding cut in real terms by £57 million by the Scottish Government, while the number of firefighters fell by almost 1,000. The Scottish government has increased the SFRS capital budget to £47m but there are calls for this to be increased to resolve issues with the ageing fleet and estate issues. READ MORE: A firefighters' union has also warned the service is "already on its knees" as proposals to close more than a dozen stations in Scotland is currently being considered. The latest data outlines that responses to 999 calls have slowed almost every consecutive year between 2014 and 2024, including for calls where it was considered there was a high risk of casualty. In 2014, it took an average of six minutes and 51 seconds for a 999 call to result in the fire service arriving on site. By 2024, this had increased to a median of eight minutes and 20 seconds – an increase of 21%. There was a similar increase among cases classified as 'possible life risk incidents', meaning there was a high risk of encountering a casualty. In 2014, it took a median of 7 minutes and 13 seconds for a 999 call to result in the fire service arriving on site. By 2024, this had increased to 8 minutes and 42 seconds – a 20% increase. Scottish Tory MSP Sharon Dowey condemned the SNP's 'continual contempt' for the fire service and public safety, describing their cuts as 'an abject dereliction of duty'. The party's community Safety spokesperson Ms Dowey MSP said: 'Our firefighters do an incredible job, but the SNP's savage and sustained budget cuts are putting public safety in jeopardy. 'It's little wonder that emergency response times have hit their slowest rate in ten years, when the nationalists have imposed a real terms cut of £57million and the number of firefighters has dropped by one thousand within a decade. 'On the SNP's watch, 18 fire stations have no running water, most fire engines are over 10 years old, and many stations are in poor condition with several set to be closed. 'Their continual contempt for our fire service and failure to maintain crucial firefighter numbers is an abject dereliction of duty which will almost certainly have resulted in lives being lost. 'It is crucial that SNP ministers step in now and urgently protect the public by giving the fire service the resources they desperately need.' House fires have fallen to an all-time low and over the last two decades, deaths caused by fire have fallen from 89 to 42. The casualty rate has also dropped from 1,951 to 815. However, in contrast, firefighters are dealing with more floods, wildfires and rescues. Wildfire incident in Scotland. (Image: Peter Jolly) A Scottish Government spokesperson said: 'We continue to support the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) with substantial year-on-year budget increases that enable our firefighters to deliver a high standard of services and keep our communities safe. "This year's Budget includes £412.2 million for SFRS – an increase of £18.8 million and Scotland continues to have more firefighters per capita than other parts of the UK. 'Whilst the deployment of SFRS resources is an operational matter for the Chief Fire Officer, their targeted approach to risk and allocation of resource overtook the focus given to response times some years ago - and the service continues to respond to every emergency incident with the appropriate level of resource.' The SFRS has been contacted for comment. The figures come as the SFRS is proposing the closure of up to 13 stations across Scotland, new arrangements for night and weekend cover at others and the permanent withdrawal of 10 appliances nationwide. Five stations in Dundee, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Musselburgh could be shut down or merged. The 23 options, being published on Wednesday, involve more than 30 fire stations in 14 local authority areas, and the service has warned that more change is likely in years to come. The consultation will remain open for 10 weeks, with the SFRS saying it wants 'as many people as possible' to submit their views on the proposed changes. The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) says the service is 'already on its knees' after a decade of what it calls real-terms cuts. Responding to the proposals, FBU Scottish secretary John McKenzie previously said: 'Our members and the Scottish public have suffered more than enough cuts to the fire service. 'For over a decade, real-terms budget cuts have increased risks to public safety, with firefighter numbers slashed and response times increasing as a result. 'The service is already on its knees because of these cuts. That has led to increases in response times and when this time is lost, tragically lives will also be lost. 'This is unacceptable and any proposals to further compromise our service and public safety must be rejected." The SFRS has said any changes would only be made if they ensured safety.
Daily Record
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Record
Councillors accused of 'rearranging the chairs on the Titanic' during South Ayrshire leadership crisis
SNP, Labour and ex-Conservatives argued that the only way for SAC to restore its reputation in wake of leadership crisis was a changing of the guard. The line, 'rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic' was one repeated several times by councillors arguing that change was vital to rebuild South Ayrshire Council's reputation. It was a phrase repeated by several councillors as it became clear that members who had formed the administration under Councillor Martin Dowey planned to maintain the status quo during a heated debate over the future of the council on Tuesday. When Provost Iain Campbell resigned in spectacular fashion at a meeting on May 1, Labour group leader Duncan Townson acknowledged the difficult decision, shaking Cllr Campbell's hand and praising him for his integrity. It followed a series of events sparked by an audio recording of Cllr Dowey, who remained leader at the time of the meeting, seemingly promise to help a businessman secure a demolitions contract. But the goodwill towards the Provost collapsed after his u-turn. It heralded a heated meeting that saw all but one of the councillors who sat on the administration under Cllr Dowey vote for Independent Councillor Brian Connolly, who has declared that the cabinet will not see a huge change in personnel, as his replacement. The SNP and Labour, together with former Conservatives Bob Pollock and Stephen Ferry, said that the reputation of the council had been so sullied that only a change of administration could bring it back on track. Tuesday's meeting saw Cllr Connolly, who had been named depute leader in the interim, elevated to the leadership and Provost Campbell returning. The removal of Cllr Pollock from the depute leader post was one of the more controversial decisions taken in the wake of the leadership crisis. As depute, Cllr Pollock would have taken over the running of the council on the resignation of Cllr Dowey as leader. It is understood that he was highly critical of the approach being taken. However, the administration had argued that the move was only made to ensure the sizeable independent contingent in the administration was represented. Cllr Pollock's words were among the strongest made on Tuesday morning. He questioned what had changed to make Cllr Campbell accept a nomination mere weeks after a very public resignation where he used 'less than complimentary language' about the administration. Later he added: 'This administration has been brought into utter disrepute with the public. 'By the actions not only of the former leader, but by those who have supported him. 'I'm going to make a point here in terms of integrity and the fact that this is purported to be an independent administration. 'It is anything but. If you look at yourself, [Provost]. You resigned from the Conservative Party, become an independent and are voting with the administration. 'You have a deputy provost, who resigned from the Conservative party, I understand, and is still voting with the administration. 'You have Councillor Gavin Scott, who resigned from the Conservative party. and is voting with the administration. 'Make no doubt, this is exactly as it has been described. 'This is a rearranging of the chairs on the Titanic. And this council has stopped as a result of the fact that people will not face up to their consequences of what they were doing. 'That's the change that's desperately needed.' Labour group leader Townson made it clear that both his party and the SNP were of a view that change was vital to restore the council's reputation as he nominated SNP leader Julie Dettbarn for the Leader's post. He said: 'What I see before me is the preferred candidate of the former leader of the council, whose actions sparked the debacle we're in today. 'If we do not vote for a definitive change today, we're telling the people of South Ayrshire that we believe there are no consequences to bringing the council into disrepute. 'If we do not vote for that change, we're continuing what has come before. 'One thing is certain – we cannot rearrange the deck of the Titanic to reseat those that sunk the ship in different positions of authority, hoping to direct attention away from the lifeboats.' Councillor Dettbarn also spoke as she nominated Cllr Townson for the depute leadership. She began by indicating that there was more to come around conduct in the council, but said she was limited in what she could say. She also rebutted an earlier comment from Provost Campbell that much of what was a problem in South Ayrshire lay around 'political bickering'. She continued: 'What I can say is that over the last year or so, I have witnessed things in this place that I never, ever expected to experience as an elected member. 'And it goes way beyond anything that you yourself say is political bickering. 'It is nothing short of an un-edifying spectacle to watch the chairs being rearranged and all the same people remaining in administration.' She suggested that the councillors voting for the status quo may be hoping that the public wouldn't notice, adding 'they absolutely will notice and they are the reason we are all here. 'They voted to put us here and they deserve better. And it's right there above the Provost's head – Ne'er forget the people.' Prior to the vote for Provost, Independent member Stephen Ferry challenged Cllr Campbell directly, asking: 'What has changed in the three weeks since the grand gesture?' Cllr Campbell replied that the difference was that he was now independent, 'at arms length from where I stood that day.' He also inferred that, despite the Provost role being explicitly non-political, even when they are a member of a party, he didn't view that as the case when he was with the Conservatives. He added: 'Over the past days I've been approached by both sides, to be Provost. 'So I don't see why I can be bad for one side, and good for one side now, in the chair. 'So, if people are quite happy to nominate me, I'm quite happy to do the role as a non-political role from now on in.' He continued: 'I just wish, instead of all the bickering, like we hear in this chamber every single time we were meeting, we should all just join together as one group to do the best for the people of South Ayrshire. And I'm really very passionate about that. 'All this part of the political nonsense that goes on in this chamber. There's enough politicians in Westminster and Edinburgh.' Labour Councillor Brian McGinley said: 'I don't think it's credible to continue to support the previous administration in any shape or form. 'You need to ask yourself how many of the former supporters of the administration will benefit from this new administration. 'So it's very clear to me that it's the same people in the same way or in a different way, different positions, the same people.' Labour veteran Ian Cavana, who was unsuccessful in the vote for Provost, said some members of the administration had been 'vile' and highlighted internal issues within the Conservatives by quoting Provost Campbell who he said had told him that he hadn't spoken to former council leader Dowey in two years. Provost Campbell did not respond to the claim. Those councillors who did speak in support of Cllr Campbell as Provost and Cllr Connolly as leader almost entirely avoided mention of the situation that led to them being there in the first place. Councillor Alec Clark, who would go on to be voted in as depute leader, simply backed his colleague for leader by saying: 'He is a well-known businessman, I trust his character. 'He has integrity, which he has shown throughout his working life. I think there's no better candidate to take this council forward.'
Daily Record
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Record
South Ayrshire Council won't have a Leader or Provost until next week
The council has been left without a Leader, Depute Leader and Provost after chaotic council meeting on May 1. South Ayrshire Council will reconvene to elect a depute leader, almost a fortnight on from the fractious meeting that saw Provost Iain Campbell quit in dramatic fashion and several councillors subsequently resign from the Conservative Party. A new Leader and Provost will not be elected until next week – almost four weeks since Council Leader Martin Dowey was recorded offering support to businessmen to secure a lucrative demolition contract. The Conservatives have been left with just seven councillors, following the resignations of Iain Campbell, Mary Kilpatrick, Gavin Scott and Bob Pollock from the party, the lowest since SAC was formed in 1996. The previous depute leader, Councillor Bob Pollock, was removed at the meeting in May 1, but a replacement wasn't voted in after the Provost suspended the meeting. Councillor Dowey had promised to resign when the recording was revealed at the end of April, but was still in place at the meeting held four days later. An attempt to instigate a vote of no confidence in Cllr Dowey by Labour group leader Duncan Townson was blocked. And there was heated debate as the administration sought to replace Conservative councillor Pollock with Independent Brian Connolly. The administration argued that the move was simply to better represent the Independents in the cabinet. However, it was clear that Cllr Pollock had serious misgivings about Cllr Dowey's leadership. He and a number of opposition councillors countered that it was important to the stability of the council to allow Cllr Pollock to stay in post . That was not enough to sway the vote and he was removed. However, during the vote an attendee was caught on microphone using the C-word, sparking an adjournment and, ultimately, the resignation of the Provost. This left Depute Provost Mary Kilpatrick as the only senior leader, after Cllr Dowey belatedly resigned after the meeting. A spokesperson for South Ayrshire Council said: 'The suspended Council meeting of May 1 will reconvene on Wednesday, May 14, where councillors will vote to select the Depute Leader of the Council. 'Thereafter, there will be a Special Council meeting on Tuesday, May 20 to fill the other vacant posts – those of Leader of the Council and Provost. 'Decisions can only be carried out via Cabinet or Council and the roles of Leader and Depute Leader have no delegated authority outwith these meetings. 'The next Cabinet meeting is scheduled for May 28 and we anticipate that all vacancies will be filled by that date. Officers continue to be able to exercise their delegated powers to deal with day to day business. 'An investigation is taking place into the use of inappropriate language at the Council meeting of May 1.' Both opposition party leaders have stated their hopes that a more 'collegiate' approach will be reached in order to restore trust in the council. SNP Group Leader, Julie Dettbarn, said: 'Following the implosion of the Conservative administration and the exodus of a number of their Group members, there are many discussions going on between elected members. 'What I think I can say at this stage, is that any new administration will almost certainly be more collegiate in its make-up. 'It is imperative, at this very difficult time, that all elected members work hard to regain the trust of the people of South Ayrshire.' Labour's Duncan Townson said: 'We within the Labour Group are working tirelessly to find a solution to the issues the current administration and former leader of the council has left this council in. 'I have spoken openly and clearly that any step forward would need to be a step away from the previous regime in order to allow the reputation of this council to be restored on firm foundations of trust and transparency. 'Each and every councillor must now look to themselves and to their constituents within their wards and consider if the next action they are looking to take is the right one for the council. 'I think that Councillor Pollock was right when he said we would need to find a way to work as a council to ensure a stable move forwards, especially with the challenging decisions that will need to be made before the next financial year begins. 'As for the daily resignations, I think this shows that not all were happy with what was, whatever that may be, going on within the group, and perhaps more light will be shed on that in the coming weeks and months, over and above what has already been disclosed by other former members.'
Daily Record
04-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Record
Tory council close to collapse as chief 'offers multi-million pound contracts to pals' in tape recording
In the tape he calls officers at his local authority 'f****** useless', and boasts 'All the top ones I can sack'. South Ayrshire Council's Tory administration is close to collapse after the Sunday Mail revealed leader Martin Dowey appearing to offer to help 'pals' win multi-million pound contracts in a recording. In the tape he calls officers at his local authority 'f****** useless', and boasts 'All the top ones I can sack'. He appears to tell a businessman he can help him win work, including a deal to demolish the fire-ravaged Station Hotel in Ayr. After our story Dowey said he was stepping back from his role 'temporarily'. But after a furious council meeting he resigned with immediate effect, while his deputy Bob Pollock was removed from his position on the council. And provost Iain Campbell also resigned, saying he was 'totally disgusted' by the behaviour in the chamber. He said: 'I have had the misfortune to work among some despicable people in this place, I've had to deal with people whose egos are better than their ability. I didn't sign up for this, I got into this to serve the people of South Ayrshire. I'm disgusted by the backstabbing, fighting, people who use twisted means to get into positions.' Sources have said the council is likely to collapse. Local Labour MP Alan Gemmell raised the scandal in Westminster. He said: 'May I seek your advice on how to put on the record my concerns and those of my constituents about worrying allegations in the weekend press about the awarding of contracts by Martin Dowey, the Conservative leader of South Ayrshire council.' Dowey – a former police officer – has denied doing anything wrong and claims he told police of the meeting in August 2023. However he has now admitted he only reported it 'informally' at that point and then made a formal complaint of 'extortion' in January 2024. Police confirmed they received correspondence in relation to the meeting which is 'currently being assessed'. In the recording of the meeting at the council's offices Dowey told a businessman: 'You will be told the quotes are coming out. You put in your price, we will give you a guesstimate of what's 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.' 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 cannae say that.' Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. Dowey claimed the businessman was never given any cash by the council and that he didn't help them win any con-tracts. A council spokesman said it 'would not be appropriate to comment' as the matter is with police. A Scottish Tory spokesperson said: 'Martin has given us his side of events, so we will now wait for the outcome of any police investigation that may occur.'
STV News
03-05-2025
- Politics
- STV News
Council without leader, depute leader or provost after explosive meeting
South Ayrshire has no leader, depute leader or provost following a chaotic week at Ayr County Buildings. At the beginning of the week council leader Martin Dowey said he would step aside while an investigation took place into alleged promises to help a businessman win a multi-million pound contract. But it wasn't until depute leader Bob Pollock, who has criticised Dowey's conduct, had been removed from his post and provost Iain Campbell had resigned in protest at the behaviour of colleagues on Friday, that Cllr Dowey finally followed up on his promise to quit. There was a failed attempt to secure a vote of no confidence by Labour group leader Duncan Townson after he discovered that Cllr Dowey was still leader. A proposal was put forward to remove Troon councillor Bob Pollock from his position as depute leader, a role he had only been in for around nine months having replaced Lee Lyons. The Conservatives insisted this was down to their view that the number of independent councillors in the administration merited the position. Councillor Kenneth Bell said that the proposal was simply to reflect the number of Independent councillors in the cabinet and the relationship with the Conservative group. He claimed that there had been a 'strong and stable' administration in place with Conservatives working with independents. However, there was significant opposition, both from within and without. Labour group leader Duncan Townson referred to the issue of councillor Dowey's future as leader. He said: 'At this point in time we have matters that are outwith the council's control and are being aired publicly in newspapers across the country. 'I have serious concerns that any decision made by the current leadership should be put on hold until such matters are resolved. 'I'm not supporting this just because I think it as a way to get a little dig in. That is not my intention. 'My intention is the integrity of this council it is to make sure that our reputation is not further damaged. 'This is not a slight on Cllr Connolly at all. He has my respect and he knows that.' Councillor Pollock echoed the concerns and said his priority was finding a way to rebuild trust, not only with the public, but also council officers who had been described as 'f****** useless' by Cllr Dowey. He said: 'I would like to make something quite clear. I was elected as a Conservative representative by the people of Troon. 'I find myself in a very difficult position because I disagree with the way some in our party have been behaving. And I am quite frankly disappointed at a national level that the party hasn't intervened in this. 'I am still a Conservative and I am keen to try and restore public faith in a that brand. I will remain a Conservative until such time as either the party and group decide that they no longer wish me.' He said that he was not questioning the integrity of Cllr Connolly who was being lined up as his replacement. 'We have lost the faith of the public that elect us into office. 'We are duty bound to try and restore that trust. I think working collegiately with the opposition and independent group is the way forward to do that. 'I'll make no bones about it. I have been speaking to others try and establish a common ground to get that public trust back. 'The trust of officers is equally important. I believe that trust is currently broken. We need a functioning council working closely together. 'My proposal would be to open up two positions to the opposition groups on cabinet, in terms of making administration, if it remains in power, as open and honest as it can be.' He said that whoever is elected depute will then be 'de facto' leader 'if Cllr Dowey ever does what he has said to the press and steps aside'. That would then trigger an extraordinary meeting of the council to choose another leader and another depute. Independent councillor Alec Clark, who was a part of the last administration together with Labour and the SNP along with councillor Connolly, backed his colleague, suggesting that in the current situation, 'the very best thing would be a fresh face in the leadership'. Councillor Ian Cavana pointed out that Cllr Pollock had only replace Lee Lyons as Depute Leader nine months ago. The council would eventually vote 14-13 in favour of removing councillor Pollock from the depute role. However, the interjection with a slur of one of those attending online and the subsequent resignation of Provost Iain Campbell and the suspension of proceedings prevented the appointment of Cllr Connolly and means that there is no leader, depute leader or provost in South Ayrshire. Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
