The SNP have hit back at Edinburgh’s Labour council leader amid an intensifying political row over the allocation of £5m by the Scottish Government following the Princes Street fire.
Four weeks after the blaze at 109-112 Princes Street, Deputy First Minister Jenny Gilruth met with council leader Jane Meagher to confirm the funding package.
Speaking with reporters following Ms Gilruth’s departure on Wednesday afternoon, Councillor Meagher accused Scottish Government ministers of favouring Glasgow over Edinburgh for political reasons.
In response, SNP council group leader Lesley Macinnes slammed the Labour administration’s “chaotic response” to the funding acknowledgement and said that discussions had been going on behind the scenes for several weeks.
She said: “On the one hand the Council Leader has thanked the Deputy First Minister for a constructive meeting on Wednesday and the fully funded support package but, on the other, immediately made an unfounded assertion that the SNP-led Scottish Government cares less about Edinburgh than Glasgow and that is it all down to political bias against Edinburgh in favour of Glasgow.
“The Council Leader, recently returning from holiday, has complained that it took too long to set up a meeting, that she felt ignored by the First Minister after she wrote to him and that somehow this is all the fault of the big, bad SNP.
“At a time when we should all be concentrating on working together to achieve the very best outcomes for the city’s residents and businesses, she has instead put petty party politics at the top of her agenda.”
The Herald understands that a formal letter requesting aid was sent from Councillor Meagher’s office to First Minister John Swinney on July 17, eight days after the fire.
Speaking on Wednesday afternoon, Councillor Meagher said: “I'm extremely disappointed that the First Minister chose not to respond. You know, Edinburgh is the capital city. of this country. Edinburgh, equally importantly, is a driver of the Scottish economy.
She added: “I think it's a disappointing signifier of the esteem, if you like, or the importance that Edinburgh has over Glasgow. And it's hard not to think that it might be political.”
Asked to clarify what she meant, the Labour councillor said: “Well, if you look at where the support for the Scottish National Party lies, I think that answers your question."
After a serious fire took place in Glasgow in March 2026, government ministers announced a £10m funding pot within a week.
Read more:
- 'Painstaking' work being carried out to secure fire-hit building on Princes Street
- Scottish Government confirms £5m funding for Edinburgh following blaze
- 'Very disappointed' and 'shameful': Councillor's anger over fire fund for capital
By contrast, the government did not publicly comment on the Princes Street fire until July 28, nineteen days after the incident took place.
Councillor Meagher added: “I'm disappointed that Glasgow seems to be more highly valued in a sense than we are. But we are where we are. I'm grateful that we've got some money and we'll use it to serve the city of Edinburgh.”
However, Councillor Macinnes rejected the council chief’s claims.
She remarked: “The Council Leader’s desperate attempt to pin the blame on the Scottish Government does not stand up to scrutiny. She called the Scottish Government response ‘shameful’.
“Perhaps her administration should look at themselves in the mirror. While council officers and engineers are and those on the fire site are working as fast as they can to secure the site and re-open Princes Street, Labour councillors showing vacant leadership are reducing this to pathetic squabbling.”
Share