26 June 2024
By Bill Heaney
Scottish Greens MSP Ross Greer has demanded that Flamingo Land apologise to the people of West Dunbartonshire after new analysis confirmed that, between the company and its owner, the theme park operator has donated £342,500 to the Conservative party over the last ten years.
In 2022, the business donated £24,999.00 to the Tories, bringing their total donations to over £180,000 since 2014 [1]. Between 2014 and 2019, the company’s owner and CEO Gordon Gibb donated an additional £162,500 [2].
Flamingo Land is currently seeking permission to build over a hundred lodges, two hotels, a water park, a monorail, and much more on the shore of Loch Lomond at Balloch.
Their mega-resort plans have drawn nearly 100,000 objections, as well as opposition from two community councils, the Woodland Trust Scotland, Ramblers Scotland and the National Trust for Scotland. Environmental Watchdog SEPA have also lodged a holding objection, which could be fatal to the plans.
However, the Labour administration on West Dunbartonshire Council which includes Provost Douglas McAllister, pictured right, who is the party’s candidate in the Westminster general election, look set to get into bed with the Tories, who haven’t a single Tory on the Council.
Ross Greer MSP commented: “West Dunbartonshire has been absolutely devastated by fourteen years of this Tory government, having never recovered from the immense harm inflicted by the last one under Thatcher and Major.
“Voters across the UK are about to give the Tory party the punishment it richly deserves. In contrast, super-rich party donors like Flamingo Land have shown just how out of touch they are by throwing huge sums of money at a party which has caused so much damage to this country and especially to communities such as Balloch.
“That’s not the behaviour of a business which should be trusted with ownership of an important part of Loch Lomond.
Mr Greer, pictured left, added: “It is offensive for Flamingo Land to act like some kind of saviour for a community like Balloch whilst bankrolling the Westminster government which has pushed so many local people into poverty with cruel policies like the two-child benefit cap and rape clause.
“They should apologise for the harm they have helped cause here.”
“The company insist they can be trusted but there’s no way we can trust this Tory party donor with such a precious and world famous location.
“They’re promising to preserve and protect ancient woodland when only a couple of years ago they were trying to build all over it, and they’re promising to support local businesses when their enclosed resort will just drive trade away from existing local restaurants, shops and hotels.
“The hard reality is that Flamingo Land only cares about its profit margin, not Loch Lomond or the people of Balloch.
“Thankfully, people can still object to their mega-resort plans via my website at www.greens.scot/flamingoland ”
Top of page picture of Gordon Gibb of Flamingo Land.
How much are Flamingo Land paying for the circa 36 acres of public land that is going to be given to them.
Well it’s not for the public to know because its a secret. A wee bird however opines that Flamingo Land are effectively getting the land for nothing – save for a pepper corn payment of a few thousand pounds. A Thatcher style giveaway no wonder Flamingo Land are ultra keen to secure the deal.
Based on the price of land in the area, the land has a value understood to be in the region of something around £40 million. Could you imagine getting that for nothing to build hotels and houses on. Well Flamingo Land can. But it’s a secret that the dumb public have no right to know about.
And jobs created. Well here’s a thing, Flamingo Land got done for failing to pay the minimum wage. And that’s so much of the way of the Tory boot fillers. Giveaway public assets, pay Tory and other politicians, and exploit the low waged typically season worker.
I wish the area well. The SNP, the Tories and now Labour are all the same. No difference, no difference at all as they feather bed and line the pockets of their benefactors.
As for the near 100,000 objectors, quite frankly do these people count. The answer of which is no they don’t.