| A phone poll of readers gave his Labour rival Jill Shimi only 4% backing for her decision to report Councillor FitzPatrick to the Electoral Commission after he pledged to donate £10,000 council severance cash to good causes and charity if he is elected.
The pair have been at loggerheads since Mr FitzPatrick responded to a Tele reader’s letter asking what he and Councillor Shimi would do with council severance pay when they stand down to contest the Holyrood seat.
He replied in a letter to the Tele and Councillor Shimi, the Labour administration leader, then raised the issue with the Electoral Commission, saying she planned not to take her cash.
Yesterday we asked, “Do you think Councillor Shimi was right to report Councillor FitzPatrick to the Electoral Commission?” A total of 473 readers called. The poll, not a scientific test of opinion, saw 19 back Mrs Shimi, with 454 against.
Today, Councillor FitzPatrick said the result “speaks volumes for the common sense of Dundee people. My comments were in response to a direct question. I am glad that the majority of Tele readers accepted my words in the spirit they were intended.”
Councillor Shimi said she was “surprised” at the outcome of the poll but looked forward to the response from the commission.
She said, “It’s very, very important that we have a fair election and there are no attempts whatsoever to sway the electorate in any inappropriate manner.
“I think it’s imperative that we have a response from the Electoral Commission on this issue to ensure fairness in the election.
“I have had a very positive response as I have been speaking to people in the constituency and the overwhelming feedback I am getting is that everyone wants a fair election. I think it’s up the Electoral Commission to decide.
“The point here is that Mr FitzPatrick said he would honour it (his proposal) only if the people of Dundee West elected him to the Scottish Parliament and that’s an important point and one that has to be fully investigated.”
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