McLeish expenses for revamp of colleges under fire - Herald Scotland

McLeish expenses for revamp of colleges under fire
Saturday 29 March 2014

Scotland's biggest teaching union and opposition politicians have raised concern over the cost of controversial plans to merge Scotland's colleges after former Labour First Minister Henry McLeish ran up a £135,000 bill for his work.

Freedom of Information figures show the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) picked up the huge costs and expenses of Mr McLeish's office which was set up to run Glasgow's further education institutions.

Mr McLeish has been chairman of the Glasgow Regional Colleges Board since its inception two years ago

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Henry McLeish claimed £135,000 in expenses at SFC - The Scotsman

FORMER first minister Henry McLeish’s office has claimed more than £135,000 in costs in his two years overseeing the Glasgow college region – more than all the other regions combined.

Opposition parties said that “eyebrows will be raised” at the level of expenses claimed under the watch of Mr McLeish, who was forced to resign as Labour first minister in 2001 because of irregularities over expenses claims he made for his constituency office.

However, Mr McLeish has hit back, saying that none of the money went to him personally or was signed off by him, but was mostly used to pay for staff, offices and carrying out work requested by the Scottish Government.

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Concern as Glasgow’s claims eclipse the rest - TES Scotland

Regional lead’s office gets more than the other regions put together

Former first minister Henry McLeish’s office has claimed more than £135,000 in costs and expenses from the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) in his time as lead of the Glasgow college region, TESS can reveal – more than the other regions put together.

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