Robertson dragged into cronyism row after wife’s best contacts claim

SNP Westminster leader Angus Robertson has been dragged into a cronyism row, after his wife’s new PR company boasted it had “one of the best little black books in Scotland”.

The claim was made by Elginbased communications firm Spey, which was recently set up by Jennifer Robertson and former SNP councillor Alex MacLeod.

On the Inverness Chamber of Commerce website Spey describes itself as a “progressive full-service communications agency”.

It then adds: “Spey prides itself with having one of the best little black books in Scotland.”

Labour MSP Neil Findlay, who has led a crackdown on political lobbying, said if the company was trading on contacts it raised “serious questions about transparency”.

A former special adviser to Alex Salmond, Mrs Robertson was also involved in a cronyism row over Scottish Government funding to the T in the Park festival in 2015.

Under her maiden name Jennifer Dempsie, she helped festival promoters DC Concerts arrange meetings with three SNP ministers.

Despite DC Concerts being profitable, the Scottish Government later gave the firm £150,000 in state aid to help relocate the festival from Balado to Strathallan.

After two troubled years, T in the Park pulled out of Strathallan and had to repay £50,000.

A public-spending watchdog cleared Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop of any wrongdoing in her involvement over the grant to T in the Park. Ms Robertson was not subject to an investigation.

Spey is the trading name of Baxter Robertson of Speyside Ltd.

Mrs Robertson, 35, and Mr MacLeod, 24, are registered as 50-50 partners in the company, which was incorporated in September.

Mr MacLeod became a councillor in Caithness at 19, but later pled guilty to charges related to election expenses, after spending triple the campaign limit.

He resigned from the SNP and was sentenced to 160 hours community service.

A spokeswoman for Spey said: “We are a creative communications agency which specialises in PR, branding, design, digital and events. Spey is proud of its strong media contacts and its work in promoting businesses in Scotland.”

The SNP declined to comment.