EXCLUSIVE: Public purse covering cost of ongoing South Lanarkshire College debacle

dailyrecord.co.uk:

The public purse has been drained of hundreds of thousands of pounds by troubled South Lanarkshire College amidst its ongoing management crisis.That has seen suspended principal/chief executive Aileen McKechnie receive her full year’s salary of £125,000, along with pension contributions.Suspended a year to the day in 2021 (November 30), she has since been replaced by two acting principals who have been paid a combined £114,583 to date.The Lanarkshire Live app is available to download now.

Get all the news from your area – as well as features, entertainment, sport and the latest on Lanarkshire’s recovery from the coronavirus pandemic – straight to your fingertips, 24/7.The free download features the latest breaking news and exclusive stories, and allows you to customise your page to the sections that matter most to you.Head to the App Store and never miss a beat in Lanarkshire - iOS - Android On top of that, interim clerk to the board, Brian Keegan, was also suspended on full pay, racking up an eye-watering tab for the taxpayer to cover.

The information was made available to Lanarkshire Live following a Freedom of Information (FOI) request. It showed that two acting principals, whose terms have run consecutively, are being paid at the same salary rate as Ms McKechnie.Calculated at 11 months’ pro rata, SLC has paid the pair a combined £114,583 to date – on top of the suspended principal’s salary.Under the same FOI request, it was confirmed that Mr Keegan has also been in receipt of his full salary since his suspension a year ago - however, his salary is not required to be published by the college in its annual accounts.Ms McKechnie was suspended the day after she called for an external investigation into claims of