SNP minister faces ‘cover-up’ storm after emails present his workplace was alerted to ferry fuel leak… however he advised committee he hadn’t been briefed

An SNP minister is facing ‘cover-up’ claims today after emails showed his office was alerted to a gas leak on a ferry – but he told a Holyrood committee he knew nothing about it.

Stephen Flynn, who holds the Transport portfolio, blustered as he was grilled by MSPs last month about the potentially explosive incident on board MV Glen Sannox.

The BBC reported that a faulty valve aboard the CalMac ferry released enough methane to fill a four-bedroomed house while 82 passengers were on board – but the situation did not emerge for more than a year.

In a widely ridiculed performance, Mr Flynn – often tipped as a successor to SNP leader John Swinney – insisted he had not been ‘briefed’ on the incident.

At one point he maintained he had not seen prominent news reports on the morning of his appearance because he was ‘Facetiming my kids’. 

However, emails released under freedom of information rules last night revealed that Mr Flynn’s office was sent updates in advance by officials, who warned he may be asked about the leak. 

At 8.48am on September 9, the day of Mr Flynn’s appearance at the committee, an official emailed Mr Flynn’s office to draw his attention to the news report.

The email, sent to the ‘Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Tourism and Transport’, detailed what Transport Scotland’s position was if the coverage ‘prompts any questions at committee’.

Minutes later, at 9.04am, another email was sent with an update on the June 2025 incident described as a ‘critical failure’. It offered ‘additional points’ about the event.

Mr Flynn then appeared before the committee at 9.15am – some 27 minutes after the first email was sent.

Both emails were copied into other staff, including Transport Scotland officials Mary Docherty and Chris Wilcock who appeared alongside the minister at Holyrood.

When quizzed about the incident by MSPs, he told committee chairman Willie Rennie: ‘The specific news story to which you are referring is one I would have to go and familiarise myself with.

‘I didn’t see the news because I was Facetiming my kids – but that is a different matter.’

The SNP MSP, who quit Westminster for the Scottish Parliament earlier this year, later insisted: ‘I was not briefed on this incident.’

Transport Scotland has argued that the emails were a ‘draft media statement’ and did not amount to a ‘formal briefing’.

Mr Rennie, a Lib Dem MSP, said today that the minister was ‘only making it worse for himself’.

‘We now have the solid proof there was briefing from officials, we have seen the evidence, so there is no point in denying the truth,’ he said.

‘But what is alarming is that he seems to have attempted a cover-up, dragging in officials and Transport Scotland.

‘If he had bothered to listen to the news in the morning before the committee session, he would not have been surprised by my questions about the leaking of flammable gas on the Glen Sannox.’

Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay said Mr Flynn must refer himself to the independent advisers on the ministerial code.

He said: ‘Stephen Flynn should have admitted that he had simply failed to do his job properly.

‘But instead, this bombshell new evidence suggests that he conspired with officials to execute a sleekit, skin-saving cover-up.’

Earlier this week, First Minister John Swinney defended his minister, who is seen as his potential successor.

‘I am confident that my ministers, including Mr Flynn, are across their responsibilities,’ the SNP leader said.

A Transport Scotland spokesman insisted: ‘As this FoI makes clear, the Cabinet Secretary was not briefed on this issue before his appearance at the Transport Committee.

‘As the timestamp notes, a draft media statement was sent to Mr Flynn’s office shortly before he arrived at the committee and this was not shared with him.

‘A high level media statement does not constitute formal briefing, which the Cabinet Secretary received later.

‘The previous Cabinet Secretary for Transport was briefed on the issue last year, at the time of the incident.’