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Swinney backs Flynn in ferry gas leak row and says 'nobody's perfect'
Willie Rennie said Flynn failed to keep MSPs informed, delayed action on island flights and missed a ferry gas leak, while Swinney defended his record.
- Freedom of information documents reveal Transport Secretary Stephen Flynn's office received emails about a methane gas leak on the MV Glen Sannox shortly before his September 9 committee appearance, contradicting his earlier claims of ignorance.
- A faulty valve on the vessel vented 700kg of flammable methane while carrying 82 passengers between Arran and Troon in June 2025, triggering gas detector alarms when fumes entered engine rooms.
- Willie Rennie, Transport Committee convener, highlighted emails sent 27 and 11 minutes before the hearing contained a "draft media statement," claiming Flynn attempted a cover-up by involving Transport Scotland officials.
- First Minister John Swinney defended Flynn during a Wednesday committee meeting, stating he "respectfully disagreed" with Rennie's assessment and remained confident his ministers were "across their responsibilities."
- Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay has demanded Flynn refer himself to independent advisers on the ministerial code, arguing he failed to do his job properly regarding the ferry incident and other transport failures.
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Gaslighting the people over a managed and insignificant gas leak on an almost empty ferry – Whether or not Stephen Flynn saw the emails does not matter
From BBC Scotland today: Transport Secretary Stephen Flynn told a Holyrood committee he knew nothing about a gas leak on board a CalMac ferry, despite records showing he had been emailed about the incident. A faulty valve led to 700kg of methane gas being vented from the side of MV Glen Sannox while it was carrying passengers from Arran to Troon in June 2025. Flynn claimed he missed a BBC Scotland report on the incident as he was facetiming his …
Coverage Details
Total News Sources6
Leaning Left3Leaning Right0Center2Last UpdatedBias Distribution60% Left
Bias Distribution
- 60% of the sources lean Left
60% Left
L 60%
C 40%
Factuality
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