THE cronyism row over T in the Park has widened after it emerged a second SNP minister met the festival’s promoters at the request of a former party aide.
Transport minister Derek Mackay met DF Concerts after an approach by Jennifer Dempsie, a former adviser to Alex Salmond who was working on a short-term contract with the firm.
The March 31 meeting discussed the most controversial aspect of relocating T in the Park from Fife to Perthshire this summer - the impact of the traffic carrying 85,000 festivalgoers.
At the time, DF Concerts’ Traffic Management Plan was being criticised by the local council, residents, Police Scotland, and the agency answerable to Mr Mackay, Transport Scotland.
Labour said it was striking how Ms Dempsie could “open so many doors” in the Government and questioned if other companies would have such ready access to ministers.
The Herald previously revealed how Ms Dempsie, the partner of SNP Westminster leader Angus Robertson, secured a meeting between DF Concerts chief executive Geoff Ellis and Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop on May 28 by contacting Ms Hyslop’s private office.
DF Concerts warned of unexpected costs at the meeting, and Ms Hyslop later signed off an “ad hoc state aid” package of £150,000 to help T in the Park relocate to Strathallan.
The payment prompted accusations of cronyism given Ms Dempsie’s SNP ties, especially as DF Concerts has reported annual pre-tax profits of at least £4.5m for the last three years.
Former SNP leader Gordon Wilson said Ms Dempsie, 33, who is trying to become an SNP list MSP for the Highlands & Islands, had “personally lost credibility”.
Now it has emerged that Ms Dempsie brokered a meeting with Mr Mackay, who is also the chair of the SNP, by emailing his private office on March 9.
Ms Dempsie, Mr Ellis and Colin Rodger, head of event management for DF Concerts, then met Mr Mackay on March 31 and briefed him on the transport plan and T in the Park’s history.
The SNP government insisted no request for government funding was made or discussed.
The final revised transport plan, which was only agreed with Perth & Kinross Council 48 hours before the festival began on July 10, ultimately failed, as bad weather brought chaos to narrow local roads, with many festivalgoers forced to wait hours in the dark to leave.
Deputy Scottish Labour leader Alex Rowley said: “Questions have to be asked about how one person can open so many doors in the Scottish Government for the T in the Park organisers.
"I have already written to Fiona Hyslop asking about Jennifer Dempsie’s role in T in the Park being awarded a £150,000 grant, but now it seems her involvement is much wider.
"The public have a right to know about all the access that T in the Park organisers had to SNP Ministers.”
A Government spokeswoman said: “The meeting was requested by Jennifer Dempsie in her role as Project Manager for DF Concerts.
“Transport planning was a key aspect of T in the Park due to relocation so it is not unusual for the Transport Minister, given the likely impact on trunk road network, to have an interest.”
A spokeswoman for DF Concerts added: “The aim of all meetings was to provide information and answer questions. It is baffling to us that anyone would call this into question.”
Ms Dempsie, who ended her short term contract with DF Concerts in May, did not respond to requests for comment.
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