Caught in the Crossfire by Russell Findlay

Author:Russell Findlay [Findlay, Russell]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780857902252
Publisher: Birlinn

16

Eddie Rules Okay

During her husband Jack’s reign as First Minister, Bridget McConnell was one half of the most powerful couple in the country. As the director of Glasgow City Council’s Culture and Leisure Services which included the city’s museums and sports centres, she held the keys to Eddie’s Club. She also signed the cheques for Cultural and Leisure Services which was later rebranded as Glasgow Life, an ‘arm’s length’ organisation of the council.

As far back as 2001, McConnell had admitted knowing about the arson attack on Chirnsyde and the vandalism of its minibus. She and her colleagues had also been repeatedly told about the attempted murder in which a pack of thugs stabbed Thomas McDonnell and left him for dead. Yet she swatted away the letters of campaigners who became increasingly confused, bitter and frustrated. The same two recurring themes ran through the replies from McConnell and others in the council. They were that, yes, they used taxes to fund Lyons and that Chirnsyde was a council building but, if anyone had a problem, then they should take it up with him not them. Secondly, there was no evidence of any criminality at Chirnsyde.

Billy McAllister and others believed that Lyons treated Chirnsyde as a private club and thought it was incumbent on McConnell to ensure that it should meet the basic levels of accountability and transparency expected from any publicly funded organisation.

However, in a letter to McAllister, dated May 2004, McConnell stated that the council would merely ‘expect Chirnsyde to operate with an open and inclusive approach towards its management arrangements’. She added:

It should be noted, however, that there is no automatic or legal requirement on the management committee to issue information that may be of a sensitive or confidential nature to the public.

Nor do Glasgow City Council have the authority to insist that the management committee pass information of this nature to a third party.

The management committee of Chirnsyde have, however, stated that they are adopting a policy of openness and transparency regarding the management of the initiative. To this end they have indicated that they intend to make copies of all future management committee meetings available at reception or by postal request provided a stamped addressed envelope is provided. The committee have also stated that they will consider any requests from you at any point. The council are not, therefore, faced with a situation where the management committee have refused to supply you with any information. In order to avoid any confusion regarding correspondence, I would advise you to address all correspondence to Chirnsyde by recorded delivery.

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