Scotland's Transport Secretary, Stephen Flynn, is facing accusations of a cover-up after documents showed his office had been emailed about a gas leak on a CalMac ferry before he told a Holyrood committee he knew nothing about it.

A faulty valve led to 700kg of methane being vented from the side of MV Glen Sannox while it carried passengers from Arran to Troon in June 2025.

When questioned by MSPs last month, Mr Flynn said he had missed a BBC Scotland report on the incident, published that morning, because he had been on a video call with his children before the session.

But a briefing document released under freedom of information shows his office was contacted about the story twice in the hours between the report's publication and his committee appearance.

The emails

Emails published by The Sun on Friday, and since seen by BBC Scotland, were sent by Mr Flynn's office at 17:04 on 9 September — hours after he gave evidence.

One said a statement had been "cleared by Mr Flynn". It read: "I was not briefed on this incident, however details were shared with the former cabinet secretary for transport on 30 June 2025, in line with agreed processes."

Transport Scotland insists the minister did nothing wrong. A spokesperson said a draft media statement had been sent to Mr Flynn's office shortly before he arrived at the committee and was not shared with him. The agency said the document "made clear" he had "not been briefed on the issue", adding that draft media statements do not constitute a briefing.

'Sleekit, skin-saving cover-up'

Opposition politicians were scathing. Willie Rennie, the Liberal Democrat convener of the transport committee, said Mr Flynn was "only making things worse for himself".

"What is alarming is that he seems to have attempted a cover-up, dragging in officials and Transport Scotland," he said. "If he had bothered to listen to the news in the morning before the committee session he would not have been surprised by my questions about the leaking of flammable gas on the Glen Sannox."

Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay demanded that Mr Flynn refer himself to the independent advisers on the ministerial code.

"Stephen Flynn should have admitted that he had simply failed to do his job properly," he said. "But instead, this bombshell new evidence suggests that he conspired with officials to execute a sleekit, skin-saving cover-up."

Mr Rennie had already raised concerns about the minister's competence after last month's session, saying the evidence to the committee showed he was "not on top of the issue in the way that he should be".

First Minister John Swinney said at the time that he "respectfully disagreed" and was confident all his ministers were across their responsibilities.

A ferry that came to symbolise failure

The Glen Sannox is one of the most politically charged vessels in Scottish history. Built at the Ferguson Marine yard on the Clyde, it entered service years late and far over budget, becoming a byword for the ferry crisis that has disrupted island communities for a decade.

News of an uncontrolled release of flammable gas on board — with passengers on the ship — therefore landed heavily, and MSPs wanted to know when ministers had been told.

A rising star stumbles

Mr Flynn, the SNP's former leader at Westminster, is widely talked about as a potential successor to Mr Swinney. He was a commanding presence in the House of Commons, but running a sprawling cabinet brief at Holyrood demands mastery of detail.

He ruffled feathers in his party last year while seeking the nomination for Aberdeen Deeside and North Kincardine, and some in the north-east may take quiet satisfaction in his difficulties.

His opponents suggest the episode reveals either arrogance or a dysfunctional private office. His supporters will see an unforced error from a politician many expect to rise further.

The immediate question is whether the First Minister continues to stand by him, and whether pressure for a ministerial code investigation grows in the days ahead.