Police Scotland have confirmed that the investigations they began last December into “inappropriate behaviour” by the then Council Leader, Cllr Cammy Day, have ended. The investigations have not uncovered any criminality.
Cllr Day told The Times that he has never been interviewed by police officers, but friends and members of his family and colleagues at The City of Edinburgh Council were “interrogated for hours”.
He has always maintained that he did nothing wrong, but said that he would cooperate fully with any enquiries initiated by a complaint to the council which was also referred to the police. The allegations of inappropriate behaviour came to light on Friday 6 December, and by Monday 9 December it became clear that the council leader had no option but to step down. He said then: “I have today resigned as Leader of the City of Edinburgh Council.
“The recent commentary on my personal life is detracting from the important work this Labour-led Council does for the people of Edinburgh. It undermines the dedicated efforts of my colleagues and Council officers.
“That’s why it’s time for me to step aside as Leader.”
The claims included allegations that Cllr Day had used online dating apps in an inappropriate manner, and there were claims that he specifically targeted Ukrainian refugees in the city. He has denied this, although has admitted that his flatmate is a Ukrainian who moved in two years ago.
Since December he has stayed away from the Council Chambers, although has attended council meetings online, and the Labour group chose Housing Convener, Cllr Jane Meagher, as their new group leader just before Christmas. She was then put in place as the council leader as Labour clung to power. Although she was only first elected in 2022, Cllr Meagher has had a long career at the council, and was at one time personal assistant to Labour leader, Andrew Burns.
Allegations of an “orchestrated political campaign”
But Cllr Day believes that the complaint made through the council’s anonymous whistleblowing procedure is part of a political vendetta against him. He said to The Times: “Things were leaked to the media, leaked to the Labour Party and reported to the police all at the same time. So someone co-ordinated this, and I think it was an orchestrated political campaign against me.
“It was clearly politically motivated, the fact everything seems to be coming from one party tells me where it’s coming from. I was told by a chief executive of a charity in Edinburgh that since the day I was elected, they [the SNP] have been bitter about not being in leadership and have never gotten over it.
“I’m just pleased that police have said there’s nothing to see and I can get on with my job.”
Cllr Day who has been a councillor since 2007 had never publicly admitted his sexuality, but has now revealed that he used gay dating apps but defended himself saying: “Have I used apps for a gay man like me? Of course, yeah, I have no issues saying that
“So does every other gay man in the City Chambers. That’s what people do these days. But that’s not illegal. Have I done anything offensive? Absolutely not.”
But his private life offered potential adversaries a way of removing him from the council Leader’s office. Previously he, and then leader of the SNP group Adam Nois-McVey, ran the council in tandem as a formal coalition, with Cllr Nois-McVey in the Leader’s role and Cllr Day as Depute Council Leader. In 2022 the SNP were the losers, failing to make any deal with the Greens as was widely expected, and Cllr Day enlisted the help of the two other parties, the Liberal Democrats and Conservatives, to get his group into power as a minority administration. He alleges that this move is probably the reason for a vendetta against him.
He said: “I think whoever is responsible for leaking information to the media that led to me having to resign as leader, with four months of extreme pressure on my friends, family and council officers, should reflect on that before deciding what their next moves are. If it’s someone already in politics, then they need to reflect on that.” He believes there are “serious questions to be asked about the motivations behind an individual to bring me down”.
Cllr Day claims not to have seen any details of the complaints made to the council or the police. The Ethical Standards Commissioner (ESC) investigates any complaint referred to it before referring it on to the Standards Commission for adjudication. On 20 December 2024 the Ethical Standards Commissioner confirmed that they had one complaint against Cllr Day which they were then investigating, but that they could not give any further details. We have made enquiries about the status of any ongoing investigation.
While the police reserve the right to recommence any investigation into the former Council Leader if new evidence comes to light, it has been confirmed that for now their investigation is at an end.
Scottish Labour immediately suspended the councillor for Forth Ward in December 2024 on an administrative basis, but he now confirms he will be seeking reinstatement as a member of the party.
Conservative councillor, Jason Rust, said: “The defenestration of Councillor Day was damaging not only personally for Cammy, but for the council.
“I am extremely concerned about the reputation of our council and the selective leaking of information.
“If this was a political hit-job then serious questions now have to be asked.
“For local democracy to flourish we need the battles to be won on policy, in debate and at the ballot box, not a toxic atmosphere or campaign of smear stories, falsehoods and innuendo.
“Months of police and council officers time has been taken up at what cost? Having cleared his name in relation to the police inquiry and the baseless landlord registration allegations, there are clearly questions for others to answer.”
Simita Kumar, Edinburgh City council’s SNP group leader, said Day’s claim about this being a political vendetta was a “gross distortion” and was offensive to anyone who complained about him, including Ukrainian refugees who had come forward.
She said: “Let’s be clear: what councillor Day chooses to do in his personal life is his business.
“His sexuality is not and has never been the issue. What is at issue is the serious allegations that he used his position of public trust to target and intimidate vulnerable people.
”It is a desperate attempt to evade accountability to the very serious complaints that have been made about his behaviour. Day should feel ashamed for trying to spin this as a political conspiracy.”
Property matters
Cllr Day’s ownership of several rental properties was brought into question as he was not a registered landlord. But he claimed an exemption from registration, and the matter ended when the Private Rented Services Officer confirmed that their investigation had been closed and that no further information was required.
Cllr Day said: “I was interviewed by the Private Rented Services team and they concluded that there was no wrongdoing with the registration of any properties that I or my family own. They sent me a letter to that effect.”
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Open in new tab Separate complaint
A separate complaint was made in 2024 against a number of Labour councillors who had held what appeared to be a political get together in the City Chambers in September 2023 – which was claimed to contravene the rules over using council premises for political purposes. This was passed to the Standards Commission who decided not to take any action as the elected members had not breached the Councillors’ Code of Conduct. The letter below confirmed this in January 2025.
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