Stephen Flynn WAS told of ferry gas leak before shambolic denials to MSPs
Emails show that Scottish Transport Secretary Stephen Flynn received briefings about a methane leak aboard the ferry MV Glen Sannox shortly before telling a Holyrood committee he did not know about it. The correspondence has prompted criticism from opposition politicians and renewed questions about his preparation and candour to MSPs.
On the day of his committee appearance, an official emailed Flynn at 8.48am about a news report and possible questions, then sent further details at 9.04am, describing the June 2025 incident as a “critical failure”. Flynn appeared at 9.15am and said he had not seen the news because he was video-calling his children, later adding that he had not been briefed. The reported leak involved enough methane to fill a four-bedroom house while 82 passengers were aboard; details became public more than a year after the incident.
- Emails briefed Stephen Flynn before his committee appearance.
- He had said he knew nothing about the ferry leak.
- The 2025 incident involved 82 passengers aboard.
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The MV Glen Sannox is a Scottish government-operated passenger ferry. In June 2025, the vessel experienced a methane leak whilst carrying 82 passengers aboard. The quantity of methane released was substantial—enough to fill a four-bedroom house—and this incident remained undisclosed publicly for over a year.
Stephen Flynn is Scotland's Transport Secretary responsible for ferries and transport. This ferry incident falls within his area of responsibility, making it relevant to parliamentary scrutiny of his department.
MSPs are Members of the Scottish Parliament who scrutinise government departments and ministers. When parliament examines an incident within a minister's area of responsibility, questions about what the minister knew beforehand are part of the scrutiny process.
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The case for
Critics contend that Flynn received substantive briefing information in emails at 8.48am and 9.04am, preceding his 9.15am committee appearance by mere minutes, yet explicitly denied being briefed and claimed ignorance of the leak. This constitutes a deliberate misrepresentation of his knowledge to MSPs, raising serious questions about his parliamentary candour. The incident's public safety dimensions—affecting 82 passengers—make this transparency failure particularly grave and concerning for his fitness for high office.
The case against
Defenders argue that receiving email alerts whilst occupied with a personal video call is materially different from being formally briefed by officials, and if Flynn was genuinely unavailable during that narrow window, he may never have actually read the messages. Furthermore, given the incident occurred over a year prior with no particular reason to remain in the minister's active awareness, expecting him to retain detailed recollection without structured preparation time is arguably unreasonable and does not necessarily indicate deliberate deception.