A Labour council leader who has admitted to being friends with a major contractor has been cleared of any wrongdoing.

North Lanarkshire stalwart Jim McCabe was reported to the Commissioner for Ethical Standards in Public Life after not declaring his friendship with executives at a company at the heart of a multi-million-pound council deal.

Mr McCabe has faced intense pressure from within his own party and opposition nationalists over his relationship with officials at Mears Scotland.

Mears this year secured substantial concessions in its housing repairs contract with the council, costing the authority some £25m.

The Herald:

Mr McCabe, who championed a decision not to re-tender the contract, has never formally acknowledged his friendship with Mears managing director Willie Docherty, husband of Glasgow Lord Provost Sadie Docherty, and his associate Steve Kelly.

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The standards commissioner, Bill Thomson, has rejected a formal complaint that the council leader did not declare a non-financial interest in the Mears contract.

Mr Thomson was responding to a company from an SNP councillor, Julie McAnulty.

Ms McAnulty, pictured, had questioned why Mr McCabe had not made any declaration of interest.

The Herald:

In a report seen by The Herald, Mr Thomson appeared to rule that because Mr McCabe could not be shown to have received gifts or hospitality from Mears officials that he had no need to make any such declaration.

Mr Thomson wrote: "You claim the respondent [Mr McCabe] has a close relationship with two of the company's employees, holidaying with one, golfing with another and also buying a car from one of these individuals.

"The respondent has confirmed his connection with the Docherty family. His connection with Mr Docherty, he claimed, was purely a business one.

"I have been advised that the McCabes have taken holidays in Ireland for 10 years and have met the Dochertys on a couple of occasions while there.

"I have not seen any evidence of the respondent receiving hospitality from Mr Docherty while holidaying in Ireland.

"The respondent has confirmed to me that he has never received any hospitality from Mr Docherty regarding holidays in Ireland.

"The fact that the two couples holiday in the same village in Ireland does not in itself create a declarable interest."

Mr Thomson also looked at Mr McCabe's friendship with Mr Kelly. He wrote: "The respondent has confirmed that they have a common interest in golf and that they have played together on a number of occasions but he has denied every receiving hospitality from Mr Kelly in this regard."

Mr Docherty and Mr Kelly previously worked at Glasgow's loss-making arms-length construction and repair company, created by former city leader Steven Purcell. They are pictured below on the left.

 

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