Stephen Flynn has insisted it was “appropriate” for his local branch of the SNP to receive a £30,000 donation from a senior figure in the renewables sector.
The Nationalists’ leader at Westminster also rejected any suggestion the Aberdeen South branch should return the money donated by Flotation Energy co-chief technical officer Allan MacAskill.
Flynn wrote to SNP Energy Minister Gillian Martin in October 2023 to help the firm break a “consent logjam” affecting plans for a large floating wind farm off Peterhead in Aberdeenshire.
The project was granted consent in April. MacAskill – brother of former Alba MP and Justice Secretary Kenny – sent funds to Aberdeen South SNP in May.
The Record first revealed last month that Flynn’s branch received the donation – which was the largest received by any Scottish MP.
When asked by the Record if it was appropriate to take the donation, Flynn said: “Just to clarify, I received no personal money.
“My Aberdeen South constituency branch was given a donation by a long-standing party member, someone who’s been a member of the Scottish National Party for, I believe, longer than I’ve actually been alive.
“Of course as a Member of Parliament I contact the Scottish Government regularly on behalf of a full host of individuals, be that in relation to constituency cases, or be that in relation to businesses who are seeking to unblock some of the problems that they face within the system.
“The two are completely unrelated. I do think it’s appropriate to take donations as a branch from individuals and of course that helps us to campaign right across the city in Aberdeen where we were, indeed, successful in the general election.”
When asked if he or the branch had considered giving the money back, Flynn said: “I am unsure as to why a political branch would give money back to a party member who has donated to them.
“Of course that wouldn’t be a decision for me, because I’ve not received any money from this, and I think that’s important to clarify.”
It was later reported that Flynn emailed energy minister Gillian Martin on October 6 last year about the floating windfarm and forwarded correspondence he had received from Flotation Energy seeking “a ministerial meeting to break consent logjam”.
In his email to Martin, Flynn said: “I’d be grateful if Scottish Government officials could review the information below and, if appropriate, arrange contact with those involved to discuss these matters further.”
Martin’s assistant private secretary forwarded the email to officials in the Scottish Government’s correspondence unit, and copied in Martin, with the message: “Fast track MR please.”
It was announced on April 22 this year that the project had received planning consent from the Scottish Government.
Flynn registered the £30,000 donation from MacAskill on August 2. Electoral Commission records show it was accepted on May 27.
A spokeswoman for Flotation Energy previously told the Record: “Allan MacAskill is a former director of the company. Any donation is a personal matter for him – as for any of our employees.”
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