An off-market land deal that stands to benefit a Labour donor has been approved by a Glasgow City Council scrutiny committee amid "farcical" scenes.

The principle of a sale to AS Scaffolding was endorsed by Labour councillors after a tie triggered a controversial re-vote.

David Meikle, a Tory councillor in the city, said: “The first vote should have stood.”

The council – which has a Labour majority - recently voted to instruct local authority owned City Property to negotiate with AS Scaffolding about the sale of 2,306 square metres of property in the Dennistoun area.

The successful firm, co-owned by Andy Smillie, wants to use the derelict site for expansion purposes.

However, the decision triggered a political row as Smillie and his company have donated around £10,000 to Labour and party candidates over the years.

It also came to light that Labour councillor Paul Carey, whose ward does not include Smillie or AS Scaffolding, first raised the land issue with City Property.

Councillors chose to ‘call in’ the deal by having it referred to the Operational Delivery Scrutiny (ODS) committee.

At a lively meeting of the ODS earlier this month, opposition councillors argued that the site should be tested on the open market to secure best value.

Claims were made that alternative uses of the site had not been considered, official policy on the land sale had not been adhered to, and that the site was used by the community.

Labour councillor George Redmond and a senior council official tried to allay the concerns.

According to the minute of the meeting, they argued that the terms and conditions of any disposal still had to be negotiated.

It was also stated that the off-market disposal had a precedent in terms of another site and that the land had been vacant for years.

The vote split across party lines but, although 11 councillors could vote, it was tied at 5-5, which would have given the SNP chair a casting vote.

However, it transpired that the remaining Labour councillor had voted, but it had not been registered electronically.

A re-vote saw 6 members – all Labour – vote to approve the council’s initial endorsement.

One council source said: “The opposition councillors were ill-prepared. They didn’t ask any good questions.”

Meikle said: "I was dismayed by the way the committee made its decision on the call-in request to review this land deal. It was farcical. Two votes were held because Labour councillors didn't like the result of the first vote, which was a tie and meant the SNP convener had the casting vote.

"The first vote should have stood but instead a second vote was pushed through and the call-in rejected. This process was flawed just like the land deal itself. All in all a damning indictment of Glasgow Labour's attitude to democracy."

Feargal Dalton, the SNP Councillor for Partick West, said: “With the vote tied at five each, the casting vote lay with the chair. But Labour members complained that the voting equipment was faulty and called for a recount. Senior Labour councillors then ensured that the vote took place with all six Labour councillors who were present voting for the administration. The opposition members all voted again, but this time the administration had six and won the vote.

“This was a case of democracy, Glasgow Labour style, and it wasn’t very edifying.”

A council spokesperson said: “The call in process allows decisions to be explored and reconsidered. In this case the committee considered the matter and voted to allow the original decision to stand.”

Smillie declined to comment.