Billy McAllister, the former Glasgow City councillor who first exposed the murderous feud between the Lyons and Daniel crime families, has declared that the violence will never truly end—even after a reported ceasefire. Speaking exclusively to the Daily Record, McAllister dismissed any notion of lasting peace, stating: "That will never stop as long as there is any of them left. Trust me when I say this, that will never end."
Personal Vendetta Over Business
McAllister, who has faced threats and attacks for his activism against the Lyons family, emphasised that the feud is deeply personal rather than transactional. "This is personalised. You have more chance with the Pope and the Grandmaster of the Orange Lodge in Scotland," he said. He contrasted the Lyons-Daniel conflict with the recent pact between Ross McGill—former head of the Rangers fan group Union Bears—and convicted Edinburgh drug baron Mark Richardson, which has been credited with a temporary lull in violence.
"With the Lyons and Daniels, it's not about the overall bigger picture. It is just a personal thing with them. Tit for tat over the decades," McAllister explained. "That feud will not end because McGill or Richardson are making pacts. That's why it has grown to the extent that it has grown with all the fatalities and murders."
Police Claim Progress, But Doubts Remain
Police Scotland Chief Constable Jo Farrell reported to the Scottish Police Authority (SPA) that rival sides had resolved their differences following a series of fire and machete attacks that resulted in 64 arrests. Operation Portaledge, launched in March last year, investigated more than 84 incidents of violence and disorder, executed 55 search and arrest warrants, and led to a "downturn" in violence. Farrell attributed this to "the resolution of differences within the Serious and Organised Crime community."
However, McAllister remains sceptical. "The police tried to quash it many years ago. They were told then, no. It continued and it just grew and grew," he said. He also believes the murders of Eddie Lyons Jr and Ross Monaghan in a Spanish beachfront bar in May last year have not been avenged, making peace even less likely. "That will outlive me anyway. That's a fact."
Decades of Bloodshed
The feud dates back to at least 2001, when a Lyons gang member allegedly stole a cocaine stash belonging to the Daniels. McAllister insists it goes back further. Key killings include the 2006 murder of Michael Lyons at a Glasgow MOT station, for which two Daniel associates were jailed for life in 2008. In 2010, Daniel enforcer Kevin "Gerbil" Carroll was shot dead outside an Asda supermarket; a Lyons associate was convicted in 2015. The 2023 double murder of Eddie Lyons Jr and Ross Monaghan in Fuengirola, Spain, led to the extradition of Michael Riley, 44, from Liverpool.
Generational Conflict
McAllister fears the hatred is being passed down. "That is the mentality of them. They take their kids into it as well, rather than try to educate them," he said. The violence has also affected him personally: his car was firebombed after he exposed the Lyons family's involvement in the Chirnsyde Community Initiative in Milton, Glasgow, which received over £1.4 million in public funds before being shut down after the 2006 MOT shooting.
Recent arrests include Steven Lyons, head of the Lyons crime group, detained in Bali in March and extradited to Spain on drug trafficking charges. McGill was arrested in Dubai last September but his whereabouts are now unknown. Despite police efforts, McAllister concluded: "That will never stop as long as there is any of them left."
