University vice-principal ‘asked to leave' after raising concerns, MSPs told
A former Holyrood minister has told how she was 'frozen out' in a senior post at the University of Dundee and then 'asked to leave' after raising concerns over its finances.
Baroness Wendy Alexander, who served as a vice-principal at the university for almost a decade, said by September 2024 she was 'worried about the cash flow'.
In a submission to MSPs examining the financial problems at the university – which is seeking to cut staff as part of efforts to deal with a £35 million deficit – she added: 'Within a month I had been asked to leave.'
Baroness Alexander, a former MSP who was a minister in the Labour-led Scottish executive, said a former principal had 'made clear' he 'wanted me to leave in early October 2024'.
She added this was shortly after she had restated concerns at a retreat attended by senior figures in the university executive group.
In a written submission to Holyrood's Education Committee, she told how she had raised concerns in writing on 'financial management issues' – although she said taking such action was a 'lonely experience'.
Baroness Alexander said she was 'told not to interfere' in such areas.
She added she 'felt punished for speaking out' but insisted she had chosen 'not to be bought off'.
Baroness Alexander said she had 'declined the offer of overseas trips at the university's expense to be followed by a generous settlement payment' – claiming this 'seemed unethical and morally wrong'.
She also told how she was 'progressively frozen out of meetings' and had her objectives changed, claiming also that data was 'withheld' from her after she 'challenged the absence/adequacy of financial information in September 24'.
Her submission was published as the committee continues to take evidence from former senior figures at Dundee University over its financial plight.
On Tuesday, Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth announced the Scottish Government is using special powers to award £40 million to the institution.
Meanwhile Baroness Alexander said: 'The University of Dundee deserves to recover and continue a proud tradition of teaching and research.
'I hope the committee's deliberations can aid that outcome.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Herald Scotland
9 minutes ago
- The Herald Scotland
New SQA chief left previous role following child safety concerns
Mr Page began his career as a teacher before taking on multiple council roles as Director of Children's Services at Salford City Council and Chief Executive of Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council. He resigned as council boss in 2023 following a review which found that children were facing "significant harm" due to delayed responses. This came in the wake of the killing of six-year-old Arthur Labinjo-Hughes. Aruther was murdered in June 2020 by his stepmother, who was jailed along with Arthur's father. The SQA board selected Mr Page from a shortlist of candidates, and Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills Jenny Gilruth approved the appointment. A spokesperson for the SQA said: 'Nick Page chose to step down from his last role after a critical inspection. 'It was a principled decision to allow fresh leadership to take improvements forward. 'The SQA board carried out full due diligence and was unanimous in its selection. Nick was also the unanimous choice of the SQA staff panel, which interviewed all candidates.' In February, the former SQA Chief Executive Fiona Robertson stepped down following a series of high-profile controversies dating back to 2020. With her resignation, the SQA divided the leadership responsibilities between the Chief Executive and the newly created post of Chief Examining Officer, held by Donna Stewart. With Mr Page's appointment, there are now teachers in both of the top roles at the SQA. Following its passage in Holyrood on Wednesday, the Education (Scotland) Bill will establish a new qualifications body called Qualifications Scotland, pending royal assent. Staff and officers are expected to carry over to Qualifications Scotland when it assumes responsibilities in December. Mr Page said that he was "honoured" to oversee the transition. 'The passage of the Education (Scotland) Bill challenges us all to make reform a success – and we will deliver. 'SQA is already transforming at pace to build strong foundations for Qualifications Scotland, harnessing the deep knowledge, skills and commitment of our people. We will accelerate that work to deliver a future that improves outcomes and supports learning and teaching. 'As a former teacher from a family of teachers, I am keenly aware of the challenges faced in classrooms, colleges and across the education community, especially since the pandemic." Read more He added that the SQA's new Schools Unit, led by headteacher Sarah Brown as Senior Adviser, will be crucial for achieving the new organisation's goal of amplifying the voices of teachers and students. "We will also work across the education and skills community to ensure that assessment and awarding align with wider pathways for success. 'By building new partnerships with industry and employers, we will strengthen the relevance and range of our skills-based and vocational qualifications to unlock opportunities for learners. That will help support Scotland with the skills our country needs to succeed in a rapidly changing world. 'I look forward to bringing my experience – and the lessons I have learned – to my new role. I want to begin by thanking my new colleagues, who have demonstrated great professionalism and successfully delivered over these past years of challenge and uncertainty." Nick Page will take over as chief executive of the SQA in July and Qualifications Scotland when the new organisation takes over in December. (Image: SQA) SQA Board Chair Shirley Rogers said that Mr Page was chosen because of his mixture of experience in the classroom and public service. 'I am absolutely delighted that Nick has chosen to join us. His career spans many achievements and a proven ability to lead through both change and challenge. 'I am confident that, drawing on these experiences and a commitment to learning from them, Nick will drive the positive transformation that ensures Qualifications Scotland delivers for every learner, every educator, and every community." The transition to Qualifications Scotland will be one of the final steps in a process that began in 2021 when former Education Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville announced that the SQA would be scrapped. Over the next four years, the Scottish Government spent over £1 million commissioning a series of independent reviews into qualifications and assessments. However, the Education (Scotland) Bill and its vision of Qualifications Scotland has received a lukewarm response from opposition parties, teachers and the chief researchers who had recommended the SQA's replacement in the first place. The EIS teaching union called the bill an "opportunity missed" for reform, while Professor Ken Muir, who carried out the original review for replacing the SQA, said it was "disappointing" that the bill preserves many of the major shortcomings he identified in the SQA's structure.
The Herald Scotland
31 minutes ago
- The Herald Scotland
Landlords threaten to walk away from 5G connectivity scheme
Private and public landowners warn they have already lost out on around £200 million each year following significant changes made in 2017. Changes to the Electronic Communications Code meant telecoms firms were no longer required to pay market rent to landlords, with some landowners witnessing a 90% reduction in annual fees. It affects landowners including farmers, but also affects councils, charities and small businesses. In some cases rents originally agreed at around £5,500 per year fell to £3.50 per year, with landowners also stating they feel trapped in the agreement. The UK Government is consulting on changes to the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure (PSTI) Act that could see landowners refuse to allow the equipment on their property and therefore slowing down key connectivity targets. Russell Glendinning, managing director of Cell:cm Chartered Surveyors, a firm representing landowners of telecommunications infrastructure , said the implications would be "chilling". Read more: Mr Glendinning told The Herald on Sunday: "Scotland's digital rollout is being undermined by a failed UK-wide legal framework. "Changes to the 2017 Electronic Communications Code has significantly strained the relationship between landowners and mobile operators. "Many site providers have been drawn into lengthy and complex disputes in an attempt to protect operational requirements at their property against operators' technical and operational needs, often coupled with steeply reduced rents - and in some cases, site owners have even been ordered to repay substantial sums. "This has created a chilling effect on the willingness of both private and public landowners to host infrastructure." Landowners have urged the UK Government to rethink the legislation and listen to industry voices. Read more: The National Farming Union (NFU) and the British Property Federation (BPF) has since written to the government, warning that if action is not taken, landowners will walk away and 5G ambitions will be missed, while Scotland's 'fragile' connectivity will deteriorate further. Underserved parts of Scotland, like the Highlands and Islands and Argyll and Bute are particularly at risk. However, official statistics also revealed that Glasgow is now amongst the UK's worst five cities for fibre coverage. While the city is Scotland's largest urban hub, just 57.8% of premises have access to full fibre broadband. The ongoing row between landowners and telecoms firms has also stalled the UK rollout of 5G, with the UK now ranked 30th out of 39 countries for availability. Legal disputes have also skyrocketed since the 2017 changes, reaching 1,000 compared to just 33 tribunal cases between 1984 and 2017. Landowners can challenge the rent cost once the lease comes up for renewal, however the tribunal stage can be costly and off putting. Mr Glendinning added: 'Understandably, many now view the process as high-risk and low-reward, which has led to real difficulties in securing new sites. That, in turn, has had a catastrophic impact on mobile connectivity – particularly in rural areas and increasingly in urban settings too. 'The PSTI Act doubles down on this framework and there is a serious risk that the dysfunction we've already seen will only escalate. 'In cities like Glasgow and Edinburgh, where the pressures on property and infrastructure are already more acute, the burden placed on landlord is often far greater – and without meaningful reform, it's hard to see how the necessary collaboration can be restored.' A DSIT spokesperson said: 'Our priority is to continue delivering high quality 5G networks across the UK, which is critical to boosting growth and improving public services for the British people.'
The Herald Scotland
31 minutes ago
- The Herald Scotland
Aberdeenshire Tory civil war reaches breaking point
She became a Tory party agent when she was 19, moved to London and worked for Theresa May for nine years. READ MORE When she moved to Scotland she became the party's North East area manager and the agent for Douglas Ross. In 2007, she was elected to Aberdeenshire Council, eventually leading the Tory led administration. Now, she's one of a growing band of independents in the authority. Her shock resignation last week follows months of drama. She had been under pressure since a colleague leaked a screengrab of a WhatsApp message in which she called her fellow Tory councillors 'f****** b*******s' to the press. The situation was not helped when her husband, Steve, allegedly told a grandmother to 'p**s off' at a nursery protest. Mrs Owen denied her husband had sworn, telling the Press and Journal that the confrontation was sparked when the protesting pensioner 'violently shook a tambourine' at them. There was also a 'horrible' insult about a councillor from another party in a separate group chat. Details of exactly what Cllr Owen said remain private, but her apology was public. She told her rival they had every right to feel 'upset, angry and disgusted' at her 'callous and insensitive' comment. 'I want to sincerely apologise,' Cllr Owen wrote, calling the outburst a 'complete lapse in judgment' that did not reflect her true values or respect for the colleague. 'I do deeply regret this, and I am so very sorry,' she added. She said she made the decision to resign on Wednesday after receiving an email from a Tory colleague. It is not clear what was said — but it was the final straw. Douglas Ross and Gillian Owen (Image: Facebook) 'That finished me off. And I thought, now I'm not doing this anymore. I've just decided that the time had come for us to part ways, sadly. But now I'm just going to move on. That's what I want to try and do.' Ms Owen insists she is not defecting to Reform UK. 'I'm not crossing the floor or joining another party. People elected me as a Conservative, and I respect that. But judging by the emails I've had, some people might support me more now that I'm not in the party. I want to make it clear I'm not joining Reform — I've no intention of doing that.' That makes her an oddity among ex-Tory councillors in the North East, where five of her former colleagues are now in Nigel Farage's party. Former Aberdeenshire Council chief Mark Findlater and Mearns councillor Laurie Carnie joined last year. Ellon's John Crawley and East Garioch's Dominic Lonchay soon followed. Lauren Knight made the switch just two weeks ago. In fact, of the dozen ex-Tory councillors in Reform's ranks Scotland-wide, more than a third are in Aberdeenshire. There are some Reform-adjacent former Tories in the authority too. Robbie Withey quit the party to sit as an independent but is a supporter of Reform. Is this just Aberdeenshire — or a glimpse of the brutal civil war that could erupt within Tory ranks across Scotland as the threat from Reform looms larger? Nigel Farage's party has a strong ground game in the North East, particularly around Fraserburgh, where they are winning over disgruntled Conservatives and unhappy SNP voters. Last week's large-scale MRP poll by YouGov had them winning their highest vote share in Scotland in the Aberdeenshire North and Moray East constituency, second behind the SNP. The poll showed them 10 points ahead of the Tories in a seat which Douglas Ross lost by just 942 votes at last year's election. The same poll had Reform winning three seats at the next general election, and coming second in a slew of others. How do the Tories tackle this insurgency? Well, if Aberdeenshire is any guide, they will be hoping to fall back on the constitution. Last month, Ms Owen announced she was standing down as leader of the council's ruling Tory, LibDem and independent coalition, triggering a vote for new joint leaders. The SNP nominated Gwyneth Petrie for leader. Although she was defeated by 36 votes to 28, the split with the Tories is now so bitter that on Thursday the five Reform councillors backed the independence supporting councillor from Huntly, Strathbogie and Howe of Alford. READ MORE The Scottish Tories were cock-a-hoop. North East Tory MSP Douglas Lumsden was almost floating. 'Nigel Farage has already said he would be happy to let the SNP into power. Now we know for sure Reform candidates will vote for the Nationalists, while the Conservatives will keep the SNP out.' Following the vote, Reform councillor Laurie Carnie defended the support for John Swinney's party, telling local press: 'Obviously we're Unionists, but we just don't agree with the way the administration has conducted itself.' Gillian Owen's departure may seem like a local spat. Yet it is hard not to see in it something larger: a party fraying at the edges, struggling to hold the line as old loyalties snap and new alliances form.
