The former head of the Edinburgh City Council, Cammy Day, denies allegations of harassment towards Ukrainian refugees.

Former Edinburgh City Council leader Cammy Day is at the center of a high-profile scandal involving allegations of sexual harassment against men, including Ukrainian refugees. These accusations led to his resignation, but the politician himself publicly denies wrongdoing and claims that he was the victim of a coordinated conspiracy motivated by political interests.

As reported Scottish edition of the Daily Record, Day called the situation around him a targeted attack arranged by alleged political opponents. He expressed a similar thesis earlier in a BBC commentary, pointing to the Scottish National Party as the initiator of the discredit campaign. At the same time, in his statements, Cammy Day admitted that he communicated with men on dating sites, but emphasized that there was nothing offensive or illegal about it.

“I chatted with gay guys on the app. In my opinion, the content of these conversations is of no importance. We probably met and drank together, or maybe we didn’t. That’s what people do.” he commented.

In April 2025, Police Scotland said they found no criminality in Day’s actions. However, the man who first complained about his behavior categorically denied the version of a political conspiracy. According to him, the harassment report was made as far back as 2023 — long before the story hit the media.

The unidentified victim described Day’s behavior in detail: he sent him photos expecting a response, and even after being blocked, continued to contact him from other accounts using the same images. Later, I tried to add it to Instagram, but it was rejected. “Last year, when I came to the polling station, I saw him next to me – and I felt very uncomfortable,” he said.

The Daily Record also reported that Day actively sent messages to Ukrainian refugees inquiring about their sexual preferences, complimenting their appearance and offering to meet up over wine. According to the publication, the former official found Ukrainians on dating apps, where he communicated in a more frank manner.

One of the councilors, who witnessed or received a complaint about Day’s behavior towards one of the refugees, said he contacted the city council’s information service. He was advised to hand over the case to the police. After turning to the law enforcement officers, other advisers and officials were interrogated, including the head of the executive branch. But even after this check, law enforcement agencies did not find any signs of a criminal offense.

Despite the decision of the police, the case caused a public outcry, especially because of the nationality of some of the victims — Ukrainians who were in a vulnerable position as refugees. After the publication of materials in the media, Cammy Day decided to leave the position. For now, he continues to insist that the charges are baseless and the result of a political campaign against him, while at least one of the complainants insists that the misconduct did indeed take place.