The Scottish Secretary has publicly accused First Minister John Swinney of failing to be 'fully candid' about the level of engagement between governments regarding controversial plans to house asylum seekers in Inverness.
Dispute Over Consultation and Notification
The UK Government's proposal to accommodate 300 asylum seekers at Cameron Barracks in the Highland city was met with significant local concern, leading to its postponement on Friday, 30 November 2025.
While the Scottish Government has consistently claimed there was no consultation before the decision was announced, Scottish Secretary Douglas Alexander has presented a different account. Appearing on the BBC's Sunday Show, Alexander stated that Highland Council, the Scottish Government, the local police, and the NHS were all informed prior to any public announcement.
He directly challenged the First Minister's narrative, suggesting, 'John Swinney is in the same position as some of his ministers of perhaps not wanting to be fully candid about the fact that they were informed.' Alexander further claimed to possess correspondence from Scottish ministers as proof.
Contradictory Accounts from Scottish Figures
In response, John Swinney, speaking to the Press Association on Saturday, argued the core issue was not notification, but a lack of 'detailed engagement' in developing the proposals, which he characterised as being drawn up 'on the back of an envelope'.
Conflicting details have also emerged about the timing of notifications. Highland Council confirmed it was told the day before the public announcement. Meanwhile, Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville asserts she was only notified as the plans were being made public.
Uncertain Future for the Proposals
Following the decision to pause the project, Douglas Alexander refused to provide a specific timeline for when the 300 asylum seekers might eventually be housed at the Inverness site. He defended the government's cautious approach, stating, 'This needs to be done in a reasonable and appropriate way. You would be criticising us if we rushed this, you would criticise us if we didn't do this in the right and proper way, that's exactly what we're doing.'
The Scottish Government has been contacted for further comment on the allegations.
