Homeowners in Torry battling the city council’s plans to demolish their Raac-affected homes have accused Aberdeen South MP Stephen Flynn of failing to stand up for his constituents and push the SNP government for funding.
The Torry Community Raac Campaign estimates losses could be up to £50,000 each.
Members approached Mr Flynn for help lobbying the Scottish Government to include compensation funds in its recent budget.
But as they wait for answers, campaigners claim Mr Flynn is blaming Westminster for failing to provide a UK-wide solution instead.
Campaign chairman John Meiklejohn said: “Stephen Flynn has shown he’s more interested in toeing party lines than standing up for the people of Torry.”
The group has also blasted Aberdeen City Council’s proposed compensation package as “insultingly adequate” by offering only “current market values”.
Neither the UK or Scottish Government has provided any extra financial support to Aberdeen City Council to compensate Raac homeowners to date.
The Scottish Government received an extra £3.4 billion through the autumn budget, leading to calls for fair compensation provided to homeowners.
Stephen Flynn calls for UK-wide response
Mr Flynn, in correspondence seen by the P&J, told campaigners the additional funds cannot be used for this purpose, citing an obligation to mirror departmental spending increases in England.
In an email to the group, he said there “must be a UK-wide response given that any scheme solely put in place in Scotland would derive from funding that would otherwise be spent on other priorities”.
The MP for Aberdeen South previously appealed to Labour Housing Secretary Angela Rayner to meet with him to discuss the problem, after previous attempts to engage with the Tory government fell on “deaf ears”.
Campaigners hit out at MP
But campaigners are challenging Mr Flynn to go to his Scottish Government colleagues and demand they fix this.
“Anything less will confirm what we already suspect – that he’s abandoned us for the sake of his political aspirations”, Mr Meiklejohn claimed.
He appeared to reference Mr Flynn’s decision to target a Holyrood seat in the 2026 election.
The party has yet to decide its candidate selection rules for the Holyrood 2026 race, but the Aberdeen South MP said he would confirm his plans after Christmas.
In a statement, Mr Flynn said: “From the outset I have engaged directly with residents, councillors, council officials, members of the Scottish Parliament, the Scottish Government, the UK Government, fellow members of the UK Parliament and insurers to try and find a solution to this devastating situation.
“Now, as a member of the UK Parliament, and after repeated efforts under both the Tories and Labour, I have finally secured a meeting with the UK Government where I will be telling them to stump up the cash by putting a financial support scheme in place.
“After all, unless a UK-wide financial support scheme is put in place, any money spent by either local councils or Scottish Government will be cash removed from a different public service budget – be that the likes of schools, hospitals or roads.
“Homeowners in Balnagask have every right to be angry and frustrated that their homes are unsafe which is why I will continue to work to secure financial support from the UK Government.”
SNP Housing Minister Paul McLennan said the final decision on how much compensation homeowners receive is for the council.
An Aberdeen City Council spokeswoman said the proposed compensation package is being negotiated by the Valuation Office Agency, an independent organisation, on behalf the local authority.
She added: “The discussions to date regarding market value are only being conducted with those homeowners who have given their consent. Each claim is based on its own merit and will vary on individual circumstances
“The council continues to hold meetings with key stakeholders and individuals and are in dialogue with representatives from both the UK and Scottish Governments in regards to funding and fiscal flexibility.”
Read more: The ‘limbo’ lives of women and children in Raac-riddled Balnagask
Conversation