The leader of one of Scotland’s biggest councils has resigned after being accused of sending explicit messages to Ukrainian refugees.
Cammy Day quit as head of City of Edinburgh Council a day after the allegations emerged, leaving the Labour administration running the capital in turmoil.
The 50-year-old said reports about his ‘personal life’ were undermining the council’s work, but did not address the claims head-on.
Police Scotland is investigating his conduct and the Labour Party has suspended him. Councillor Day, a former community development worker who has been a councillor in the Forth ward since 2008, bowed to public pressure after the revelations came to light.
It has been claimed he bombarded Ukrainian refugees with explicit messages on social media and dating apps and asked to meet them.
One said they ‘felt under pressure’ and ‘afraid of his influence’ given his ‘high position’.
Another said: ‘It was too much and I didn’t know how to say I didn’t want him to contact me any more.’
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar called the situation ‘deeply distressing’ on Sunday but stopped short of saying Mr Day should resign.
Leader of Edinburgh City Council Cammy Day allegedly sent explicit messages to Ukrainian refugees
The party yesterday installed his former deputy, Mandy Watt, as the new Labour group leader on the council. Mr Day then took six hours to issue his resignation statement.
He said: ‘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.
‘I have yet to be contacted by the police but want to reiterate that I will cooperate fully with their ongoing inquiries.’
Labour, which is the third largest party on the council, has led the city since 2022 with support from the Tories and Liberal Democrats, but now faces a political meltdown.
Recent by-election wins have buoyed Lib Dem hopes of regaining control of the authority.
The matter is likely to be settled when councillors choose a new leader on December 19.
Lib Dem group leader Kevin Lang said he was ‘pleased’ Mr Day had gone given the ‘extremely serious’ allegations.
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar called the situation ‘deeply distressing’ on Sunday but stopped short of saying Mr Day should resign
‘For the council, it’s now important to choose a new leader who can focus properly on the big issues facing our city,’ he said.
SNP group leader Councillor Simita Kumar added: ‘This resignation should have come sooner, and in my view should have come with an apology.
‘Our city deserves better, and so do the complainants.’
Earlier, First Minister John Swinney said the allegations were ‘deeply concerning’.
He added: ‘When matters of this type are raised, regardless of who they are raised about, they have got to be examined and examined fully and comprehensively so that the concerns that have been expressed can be properly addressed.’
Police Scotland said inquiries are ‘ongoing’.