Glasgow Vice-Chancellor using expenses system for first class flights

Glasgow’s the ninth top spender on flights expenses in the UK


Our VC Anton Muscatelli has been scamming the expenses system, using it to pay for his first class flights, according to a new report.

Conducted by the University and College Union in autumn 2014, it found that Glasgow was the ninth top spender on air flights in the UK.

The report, which contacted 155 universities throughout the UK, asked a series of questions about the spending of the vice chancellor of each university.

This included travel and hotel costs and expenses for the academic year 2013/14.

According to this report, Anton Muscatelli spent £29,875 on flights in this academic year.

Anton Muscatelli

97 per cent of that sum was spent on business and first class flights, amounting to £28,988.

According to his report, Muscatelli is the 29th top earning vice-chancellor in the UK, earning £304,674 in 2013/14. This is well above the national average of £260,290.

Glasgow also is ninth in another report conducted by the union- the top 20 spenders on senior post-holders’ pay.

According to this, the university has 139 people earning between £100,000-£399,000.

But Glasgow’s other universities are also scamming the expenses system, with Strathclyde coming fifth on his flight spending in 2013/14.

The report found that their vice-chancellor, Professor Sir Jim McDonald, had spent £33,508 on flights. The university did not disclose what standard the flights were.

Glasgow Caledonian is number 13 for flight costs – coming in at £26,423.53.

Their vice chancellor Pamela Gillies was the largest spender on hotels, running up £27,271 in bills in 2013/14.

UCU General Secretary, Sally Hunt said this about the findings of the report:

‘‘Many staff and students will be amazed at the size of vice-chancellors’ salaries, and at the largesse displayed by some university leaders when it comes to first class flights, hotels and other expenses. That this is happening in public institutions which are largely funded by the taxpayer and students makes the lack of transparency and accountability surrounding senior pay and perks a national scandal.

“UCU has raised with ministers time and again the need for a national register of pay and perks, which would also set out the rationale for any increases. We need agreed standards for open and transparent governance in our universities so trust in the system can be restored.”