Glasgow Council’s SNP leader has spoken publicly about her husband being banned as a company director.
Susan Aitken said the matter affecting Gordon Archer was “entirely separate” from her work on the local authority and claimed it was a “technical issue”.
She added: “Gordon, I suppose, 'took one for the team' if you like in order to protect his businesses and his employees.”
However, a Scottish Labour spokesperson said: “The insolvency service have questioned the fitness of Ms Aitken’s husband to continue to hold directorships and so council officials must urgently reinvestigate her husband’s dealings with GCC.
“She can’t just brush this under the carpet.
“Elections are about transparency with the voters and even the most trusting voter would be left with questions after reading these answers.”
Archer was disqualified for six years after an Insolvency Service investigation found he had “breached his fiduciary duties” by causing a green energy firm he chaired to "enter into transactions to the detriment of its creditors".
Speaking to the Herald newspaper, Aitken, who is running to lead Glasgow council again, said: "I did know about the dispute that he was in with the Insolvency Service.
"He chose to settle with the Insolvency Service over a technical issue around fiduciary duty.
“He continues to run a successful business."
She continued: "He is very clear he disagrees with the Insolvency Service, but decided for the sake of his business that he and his business partner would settle with the Insolvency Service. And that was the settlement they came to.
“The Insolvency Service believed that he and his business partner knew that the business was going into administration. They said they didn't.
"In the end they took a decision and they came to a settlement with the Insolvency Service, that's it, that's it. And the business continues to trade.
"He will not hold a directorship for that period. But that is it.
“It's not for me to answer the business-based reasons why he and his business partner took the decisions that they did.
She added: "It's nothing to do with my job as leader of the council. It's nothing to do with the SNP in any way whatsoever and it's nothing to do with Glasgow city council whatsoever.
"It is essentially a private matter between a business and the Insolvency Service and a matter which has been resolved and settled.”
Tory MSP Annie Wells said: This response from Susan Aitken simply isn’t good enough. I doubt the creditors who have suffered financially as a result of her husband’s actions would view this as a mere ‘technical issue’. They will be rightly furious at his behaviour."
To sign up to the Daily Record Politics newsletter, click here.
