A POLITICAL row has broken out between two of the candidates contesting the Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock seat at next months election following controversial comments from an SNP MSP.

Labour’s Sandra Osborne has challenged her SNP opponent Corri Wilson to come clean on where she stands on workers’ rights and to distance herself from what she calls the “outrageous slur” made by the SNP’s Chic Brodie almost two years ago on blacklisted workers whose “lives and those of their families were devastated”.

Ms Osborne said: “I can hardly believe that Chic Brodie suggested in Parliament that blacklisted workers might have been trying to hurt their employers and that ‘they might not have been bona fide good employees but they might have had an agenda of their own’. Hundreds of Scots were put on illegal blacklists by the sinister group, The Consulting Association, who were paid by construction firms. Of the 500 plus on that list in Scotland over 80 were from Ayrshire. Many of those who lost their livelihoods were targeted because they were union members or had raised health and safety concerns.

“Corri Wilson’s company has provided parliamentary services to Chic Brodie paid for out of public money. I believe elected representatives should employ staff in a proper fashion as I do and not use consultants who are party members. I notice she has posted on her company facebook page that instead of taking on more stress looking to hire temporary staff why not contact them to see if they can help with some of the workload.

“Yet Corri Wilson sits on South Ayrshire Council which voted 18 months ago to ban all blacklisting construction companies from council contracts. I think it’s time she made her position on workers rights clear once and for all.’ In response, Ms Wilson said: “Firstly, I would like to be clear that I totally condemn the blacklisting of staff because of their trade union membership. .

“In addition, if elected to represent this constituency at Westminster, I will have no hesitation in voting to scrap exploitative zero hours contracts “I am not sure how Ms Osborne has linked these issues with my small business, other than the fact that Chic Brodie was a client at one time.

“But I can confirm that I do not employ any staff on a zero hours contracts, and have no objection to employing trade union members.” MSP Chic Brodie said he rejected any suggestion his support services had been set up improperly, adding: “The business agreement between Corri Wilson and myself was approved by parliamentary lawyers and was terminated when she announced her candidacy.

“Additionally it is not unique as I believe it was reported that some of her luminaries in the leadership of the Scottish Labour party employ a similar arrangement.

He added had previously been quoted in parliament as saying ‘I abhor blacklisting’ He said the comments ‘reflected a desperation in Ms Osborne’ s camp that her campaign is lost.’ He concluded: “I feel sure Ms Osborne will want to try get her campaign back on track if she can after publicly retracting her regrettable and misinformed statements.”