Independence activists in Angus have been urged to repay tens of thousands of pounds in Covid support grants they received after being coached by an SNP national officer to raise funds “for the indy cause”.
Brechin Blether In and Forfar Blether In, community Yes hubs that operate independently from the SNP, received £10,000 each from Angus Council after being encouraged to apply by Dr Tim Rideout – the director of a maps company who has been tasked with establishing a currency policy for the SNP.
The activists say they were entitled to apply for the cash and it was up to Angus Council to refuse the claims if they were inappropriate but the hubs have been accused of “trousering” money meant for hard-pressed businesses.
Business support grants were introduced last year to help local firms struggling to cope under the strain of the Covid-19 pandemic.
We reported previously how SNP branches in Arbroath and Montrose were ordered to pay back £20,000 of business support they should never have been given because the rules do not permit grants to political parties.
We also revealed how Dr Rideout, who has since taken a place on the SNP’s national policy development committee, asked for a “wee donation” to the Scottish Currency Group if independence activists were able to successfully claim £10,000 with his help.
Dr Rideout is convener of the group, which describes itself as “people working towards the introduction of a Scottish currency as soon as practicable after Independence Day”.
‘A free gift’
Forfar Blether In received a £10,000 grant following a now deleted online conversation between one of its activists, Bill Golden, and Dr Rideout on July 8 2020, when the latter said it would be a “criminal waste” for Yes supporters to miss out on claiming the cash.
The Forfar hub receives small business bonus relief so, in Mr Golden’s owns words, they “pay zero” but he asked Dr Rideout the “cheeky question” of whether they can still apply and where, before receiving individual support through the application process.
It seems separatists all over Angus were trousering money which was meant to help hard-pressed, honest businesses.
Maurice Golden MSP
During the conversation, Dr Rideout boasted of raising tens of thousands of pounds “for the indy cause” from the “free gift of £10,000” being handed out to Yes groups, while Mr Golden gloated about “Westminster money helping us get rid of Westminster”.
Despite Mr Golden promising to bring up a donation to the Scottish Currency Group during the hub’s next committee meeting, Dr Rideout said neither he or the group has ever received money from the Brechin or Forfar hubs.
Brechin Blether In received their £10,000 after Mr Golden said he would pass the information to Angus SNP councillor Kenny Braes.
He told Dr Rideout: “I passed on info to Kenny Braes of Brechin Blether In. He’s putting an application in tomorrow hopefully.”
Mr Braes, who represents the Brechin and Edzell ward, told us that while he is involved with the Brechin Blether In, he did not submit the application and could not recall whether he had passed the details on to another individual to apply.
‘Disgusted’
Scottish Conservative North East MSP Maurice Golden called on both hubs to apologise and immediately repay the money they received.
He said: “It seems separatists all over Angus were trousering money which was meant to help hard-pressed, honest businesses.
“It was bad enough that SNP branches in Arbroath and Montrose were caught engaging in this dubious activity. Now we learn nationalist campaign hubs in Forfar and Brechin were at it as well.
“Taxpayers and businesses whose livelihoods were on the line through the pandemic will be disgusted at this, not least the coaching that was involved in applying for the grants.”
Mr Braes accused the Conservative MSP of “sour grapes” and said Angus Council and the Scottish Government were also “coaching” people on how to access the funds.
Asked if he was comfortable with Bill Golden and Tim Rideout’s comments about the money being used for the independence cause, he said: “None of those comments came from me and it’s certainly not the way I was thinking about things.”
‘People get a lot out of it’
He maintained it was appropriate for the Brechin hub to use the grants to cover a loss of income from its small retail element and donations during the pandemic.
“We used that money basically to pay the rent and overheads we need to pay to keep going so we can open again – and we have opened again,” Mr Braes said.
“The purpose of the Blether In, although there is a retail element to it, is that it’s a place where anyone can come in off the street and talk about anything they like, whatever their political views or party political following.
“It’s open for anyone to come in and talk about anything. There’s a huge amount of social isolation in our communities these days that existed long before Covid but Covid has made it worse. A lot of people get a lot out of it.”
Bill Golden described Maurice Golden’s comments as “a spurious attack against our small community group and shop by a conservative MSP, most likely in an attempt to both discredit us and to close us down”.
He said Angus Council looked again at the hub’s application after concerns were raised earlier this year and found it met “all the criteria necessary”.
Mr Golden did not answer what the support grant money was spent on, provide any further details of his interaction with Mr Braes or say whether the Forfar hub would return the money.
Meanwhile, Dr Rideout said “it is not for the applicant to know whether their application is valid and correct” and that the grants are “for all occupiers of business premises on the Business Rates roll with the sole exception of political parties”.
He added: “The not inconsiderable costs of the Scottish Currency Group have been paid by me apart from £170 from a crowd funder in March 2020.
“That £170 partly covered the cost of a Zoom subscription for taking our Currency Talks online. We have not received any money from any political party or business such as a Yes hub.”