A SENIOR councillor says the SNP's call for Inverclyde Council's former leader to be referred to a standards watchdog, and for a Labour peer to step down from a Greenock board, is 'nothing more than a vindictive witch hunt'. 

Conservative and Unionist Party councillor David Wilson hit out after Inverclyde's SNP group said domestic assault-accused councillor Stephen McCabe, who denies the allegations against him, should be referred to the Standards Commission. 

The call came after it emerged that councillor McCabe is a tenant of Labour peer Lord William Haughey, who chairs the influential Greenock Town Board. 

The SNP group have also demanded that Lord Haughey step down from his role, a position which he was appointed to in June, and called for an independent body to investigate the situation.

(Image: Newsquest) (Image: Newsquest) Councillor Wilson has said he is 'appalled' by the SNP group's call to action, but SNP councillors say all they're asking for is transparency. 

Councillor Wilson told the Telegraph: "Councillor McCabe's court case, to which he has pled not guilty, will take its course.

"The attack on Lord Haughey is petty and unjustified. 

"He has voluntarily accepted the role of chair of the Greenock Town Board, with no remuneration, to bring his undoubted business success and influence to the role.

"We need all the help we can get in Inverclyde to improve our economic standing and performance.

"We are fortunate that another peer Lord Offord joined our economic task force voluntarily and helped bring levelling up monies to our council. 

"The Easdale brothers have concentrated their businesses and employment in Inverclyde."

(Image: Newsquest) (Image: Newsquest)

In his role as town board chair, Lord Haughey is set to oversee the spend of a £20million pot of levelling up funding pledged by the previous UK Government.

Councillor Wilson said the expertise of influential public figures on the board is vital. 

He added: "We need influential public figures like Lord Haughey, Lord Offord, and the Easdales to give us the private sector expertise and job creation that does not exist within the Council. 

"We are lucky to have them. 

"I just hope that the ill-judged and ill-mannered attack by the SNP group on Lord Haughey, which does not reflect the views of the majority of Councillors (the SNP are only six councillors out of 22), does not dissuade others from helping us."

READ MORE: Call for McCabe to be referred to Standards Commission

The council's SNP group leader Councillor Elizabeth Robertson said the group's call to action is about 'good governance'.

She added: "In making the comments printed earlier this week, we are simply seeking good governance within our organisation. 

"This has nothing to do with Councillor McCabe's court case which we have not commented on.

"There is nothing petty about asking for the relationship between Councillor McCabe and Lord Haughey to be transparently known, given the role the latter now has within our local context. 

"That is what we are asking for because it has not been the case up to now. 

"We do need all the help we can get here in Inverclyde but that is not mutually exclusive of our need, at all turns, to ensure (and scrutinise) that things are done properly."