The BBC have investigated the planning department of one of Scotland's largest councils and revealed evidence of a close personal relationship between an influential councillor and a millionaire property developer.
Labour councillor Jim Docherty (pictured above) failed to declare a long standing friendship with Labour donor James Kean, who owns large areas of land in South Lanarkshire.
Last week the Standards Commision, the body which regulates local government, found that Mr Docherty had not broken any rules after the SNP complained to them that any relationship between Mr Docherty and Mr Kean would be a conflict of interest. It said: 'No evidnece has been provided of a relationship between Councillor Docherty to the applicant [Mr Kean] or his companies in regard to the ... applications'.
The BBC has now estaablished that Mr Docherty and Mr Kean are in fact old friends. Not only old friends but close, old friends. Mr Kean is godfather to Mr Docherty's daughter. Mr Docherty is a regular visitor to Mr Kean's properties in Strachur, Loch Fyne. They are regularly seen together eating and drinking in the village pubs.
Councillor Docherty has been involved in numerous successful planning applications involving Mr Kean, but it is understood he never declared an interest when Mr Kean's applications were considered.
There are two serious issues here not just one. Why didn't the Standards Commission investigate this thoroughly? If the BBC can uncovered such details then surely a quango, which costs every taxpayer, should be efficient enough.
Secondly, why is Docherty getting away referring those with any questions to the Standards Committee report?
South Lanarkshire is a Labour controlled council. For years many have suspected Labour of 'inside working' and this is a good example. The Scottish government must act on this immediately as the Standards Commission have failed to do their work effectively.
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It's a pretty worrying state of affairs for the Standards Commission; if there's no confidence that allegations will be thoroughly investigated, then there's little point in it being there really.
Details of various cases and decisions are here: http://www.standardscommissionscotland.org.uk/investigations/local_authorities_list.html
Funny, the BBC is making a huge deal out of this ( quite rightly IMHO ) while I can not find a mention of it in the Scotsman at all.
It is indeed worrying Belle. I'm hoping the Scottish government can look into the workings of the SC after this.
Many thanks for the link. I'll keep that one safe.
It's not often these days the BBC investigate Scottish labour Sandy so they'll be feeling proud of themselves thinking we're taken in by their impartiality. I wonder who upset who...
Subrosa
The biggest surprise in all of this is the BBC "investigation" and it being the first item on the news. This is not the usual its Labour so we better sweep it under the carpet.
Where was the BBC during the Purcell affair? why was there no investigation on that? What about the documents that Brian Taylor said Labour had produced but have never seen the light of day? (incidentally that was an object lesson on how to kill off what used to be a readable blog)
Labour investigations from the BBC, far too little too late, for that bias organization to recover even a shred of respectability.
The 13 years of Labour sleaze have turned an amateurish based corruption system into a fully blown, professional activity. It was ever thus but very much smaller and dealt with, on discovery, harshly. Now every layer and tier of Government, from the Judiciary through to Hutton are riddled with shameful arrogance and utter unpleasantness. Nothing will be done, too many others involved. if it becomes a substantial outcry just whack a Dunblane notice on it.
That's true Dubbie. I was astonished to hear this on the BBC Scotland.
As I said, just wondered who has upset the BBC in the Labour party.
No nothing will be done OR. As you say nothing will be done. Too many know where the bodies are buried.
threats to freeze wages and cut pensions at the BeeB are obviously focusing minds on the question of what side the bread is actually buttered on.
There is actually a bit of confusion here as investigations are carried out by the Chief Investigating Officer (Ethical Standards In Public Life) who reports to the Standards Commission.
The Chief Investigator, is or was, Mr D Stuart Allan who is the Police, Prosecutor, Judge and Jury and is supposed to be independent of the Standards Commission - but they share the same offices and it is the Standards Commission who funds the Investigating Officer.
This case will not have been near the Standards Commission as it will have been investigated and judged by the one man above who has proved by all his past cases to have found Labour councillors to have been "not guilty" except for the odd case like Councillor Kelly for being stupid.
Go and look at the cases and see what I mean - the Councillor Vassie case showed how useless this organisation is where at the hearing the panel from the Standards Commission spent their time protecting the Investigatng Officer and his dodgy evidence.
The other joke about this organisation is that the accused has to fund their own lawyer whereas they can use tax-payers money to fund expensive advocates.
I get the sense that the MSM are becoming increasingly repelled by Labour in Scotland as they have been left exposed with their duplicity corruption and hypocrisy flapping in the wind for all to see.
The events in South Lanarkshire so accurately reported on Newsnicht last night would not have seen the light of day a year ago. Labour have been painted into a corner in Scotland, no wonder Milipede wants them gone, they are a liability.
Could it also be that the BBC with an eye on the licence fee are keen to ingratiate them selves with the present administration in Westminster, and heaven forbid Holyrood? Have the New Labour fingers have been prised from the throat of the BBC?
Poor wee Gordon Brewer was in a dreadful state last night, it must have been a huge shock for him firstly to have to give a respectful interview to Alex Salmond and secondly to be reporting on New Labour corruption. Brewer looked as if he had been dooking for chips. Can make up not stop the lip sweat and the flushing? He was gently and skilfully turned over on every question by the cool assured Salmond.
The close personal relationship between Keane and South Lanarkshire cooncilors, in particular Docherty has been talked of for years in East Kilbride. Keans executive box at Parkhead is a regular hangout for these cooncilors and their friends in the property business.
How a councillor can afford to move to a £320,000 home just after the godfather of his daughter, one Mr Kean sold some rezoned green belt fields he had bought for £750,000 for a handsome profit of £13,000,000. You have to wonder is there a connection between these two events?
Kean has for years been buying farms and land around the town, knowing that one day all his graft would cause a rupture in the green belt boundary, and it has, his sale of land to Gala and the trail of this money should be investigated at the highest level. As should all the planning applications from Kean that Docherty was involved in. This trumps Trump in a big big way.
Was a cosy back scratching deal stitched up by the pair as they fished on Loch Fyne or supped fine wines and porter in Keans lodge on the shore? Or perhaps it was in the Clachan Bar where they are seen together on a regular basis, supping the finest liquors and dining.
Well done Newsnicht for a change. Long may it last.
I'm sure it's something like that too muddypaws. Money does focus the mind.
Billy thanks so much for all that information. Makes it all a little clearer.
I actually watched it earlier today KBW and completely agree there was a different tone on Newsnicht.
It was a braw interview with Eck, thoroughly enjoyable.
Actually I wondered that KBW - just how much money had changed hands for the house. The whole thing whiffs and a real independent inquiry needs to be done. Well out of the hands of the Standards Commission and the Chief Investigator.
The BBC investigated labour ....crash....sorry Mrs Dram had to revive me.......and they named names and showed the money trail.......crash....sorry Mrs Dram had to revive me again...........help ma boab, I'll need to change my name to Dramwell astonished!
Nice info from KBW......Jings, never mind not knowing the half of it, I don't know 0.5% of it!!
Matron, the screens, Mr Dram has crashed again and needs a reboot, what's that he's saying, BBC investigates labour - does not compute?
Aye, I can understand Dram. It's all a little unbelievable isn't it. I've kept the recording of last night's Newsnicht just for posterity.
Could it be that the Standards committee is in the hands of Labour, like so much else in Scotland?
Even big business, knowing what side its bread is buttered in Scotland will donate to Labour knowing that for some councillors the chance to eat and drink with the REAL movers and shakers, and using real silver forks and knives polished by a skivvy in the kitchens of a big house, is too much to resist. And there’s not much point in sucking up to Tories, who will never be in power.
I’m just amazed that the BBC, Labour’s publicity machine, agreed to take this on. Good for them. Maybe I shall make my licence fee payment this month
That could well be Tris. Wouldn't surprise me if the setup was full of Labour placemen and women.
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