Police Scotland have dismissed a complaint from Glasgow Labour after confidential WhatsApps were leaked to The National.
Last week, we reported on how The National received messages from a private Glasgow Labour group chat that detailed frustration from councillors ahead of the two by-elections in the city earlier this month.
The SNP won both Glasgow seats from Scottish Labour after votes were counted on March 21, including the North East Ward – which was won by Labour late last year, only for their candidate to be disqualified for not resigning her job on the council.
We also detailed how minutes of a Glasgow Labour meeting last week, which were also leaked, revealed that Labour councillors then called the police on each other.
“Bailie Jenkins addressed the serious issue of the leak from the private WhatsApp group to The National newspaper,” the minutes of the meeting read.
“Members in attendance expressed deep frustration over the break of trust.”
The document also detailed how councillor Elaine McDougall had apparently “reported the matter to the police” – saying that the disclosure of personal phone numbers is “completely unacceptable”.
According to the minutes, she apparently stressed that such actions are a “severe violation of confidentiality”.
But Police Scotland have now responded.
A spokesperson said: “We were made aware of possible offensive messages online. Enquiries were carried out and no crime was established.”
The leaked messages largely shared frustration over how the by-election was being managed.
“When I email HQ asking who the [North East] candidate is I get no reply,” someone called Sharon complained in a message weeks before the vote.
“Me, I am on the back foot with it all. So to be honest I have decided to just go with the flow. Games a bogie!”
The only Labour councillor by that name in Glasgow is Bailie Sharon Greer.
Fellow Glasgow Labour councillor Elaine McDougall then responded: “It’s awful, we already have an uphill struggle as it is.”
The anonymous source who leaked the screenshot to The National said that the group are “up the creek”.
“[Group leader George Redmond (above)] does not appear to be taking an interest. Colleagues are disheartened and feel abandoned,” they said at the time.
The source also told us of a meeting in February in which leader Redmond reportedly refused to take a budget briefing from a senior city building officer because the officer was running late in a scene that looked like it was “fresh out of The Sopranos”.
“The embarrassment was palpable,” they added.
“There was no briefing available to Labour councillors on the city building budget because of this. Shocking.
"The irate leader raved about 'disrespect' in a scene that looked like it was fresh out of the Sopranos.
"He sent the officer away without even allowing him to access the room full of waiting Labour councillors and we all proceeded to awkwardly talk amongst ourselves for the following 40 minutes."
It is understood that group members have been airing “serious concerns” about the leadership, with the chief executive of the council apparently only invited to meet with the group a year after she took up the post – in contrast to other parties, who it is understood held meetings within a month.
It was also claimed that several by-elections have been very poorly managed, leading to “resentment at the stress this has caused”.
The source added: “This new leadership promised a strong vision and direction for the group. These promises … are but distant memories now."
