Exposing disgraced ex-Dundee University principal was a masterclass in how good Scotland's politicians can be

Holyrood is often criticised for not being as effective as Westminster - but this week’s grilling of Professor Iain Gillespie shows how good MSPs can be when they work together.

In a world where people in power often do not get their comeuppance, it is very satisfying to see them getting the public dressing down they deserve.

That is what happened when the disgraced former principal of Dundee University, Professor Iain Gillespie, was hauled before Parliament this week.

During a gruelling three-hour evidence session on Thursday, he admitted he was “incompetent”, had “very poor knowledge” of the university’s finances, and did not realise how out of their depth his top management team was.

Professor Iain Gillespie, former principal and vice-chancellor of Dundee University, at Holyrood's education committee. | Andrew Cowan/Scottish Parliament

This was all only possible because the MSPs on Holyrood’s education committee were on top form. Convener Douglas Ross, in particular, brought his A game with his brutally effective scrutiny.

So effective was the line of questioning, the committee got Prof Gillespie to admit he was ill-prepared for the meeting, had not read the evidence he probably should have, and did not know about major financial breaches at the institution he was in charge of until they were exposed in a report published only a week ago.

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Pretty much since the dawn of devolution there have been parts of political society who have criticised Holyrood for not being as good at debate and holding those in power to account as at Westminster. But Thursday’s education committee was a masterclass in just how good the people Scotland has elected to speak on their behalf can actually be.

Part of the reason they were brutally effective is because they put party differences aside and worked together.

This was the vision John Swinney said he wanted when he became First Minister, but only a year later it is clear from watching debates that ship has long since sailed.

If you want a particularly good example, look no further than the unlikely double act of Conservative Mr Ross and Lib Dem Willie Rennie. Between the two of them, they managed to expose historic complaints against Prof Gillespie’s professional conduct.

Douglas Ross MSP and Willie Rennie MSP | Press Association

He initially said he could not remember this happening, but Mr Ross and Mr Rennie were having none of it. It only took the pair a few minutes to expose the ex-principal’s attempt at retrograde amnesia.

Mr Rennie asked the ex-principal if he had ever been complained about before and he said he did not remember. Only a few minutes later Mr Ross asked again and the professor admitted he had received a complaint about his “overbearing behaviour" a decade ago. The MSPs said it illustrated his character that he had tried to hide this from Parliament.

Several MSPs on the committee also banded together to wear Prof Gillespie down on handing back his £150,000 pay-out.

Outside the committee room, the SNP First Minister said handing back the payment would be the “reasonable” thing to do.

The committee might not have succeeded in getting him to agree to this, but Prof Gillespie went from initially saying the payment was a “contractual obligation” he was owed to conceding he would “reflect” on the payment with his family.

Now £150,000 is a drop in the ocean when considering the university’s £35 million deficit and will not stop hundreds of staff members losing their jobs. But handing it back does send a message of contrition and humility that would go a long way to repairing the broken bonds and lack of trust in the city.

There are many details we still do not know about what went wrong and when at Dundee, and at this point there is a chance we never will.

However, we now know a lot more than we did, all thanks to a stellar job from the MSPs questioning him. The rest of Parliament can look to this example in the future - it may just make Scotland a better place.