Glasgow Council branded 'grandeur' for travel expenses

GLASGOW City Council spent more than £53,000 in three years on First Class and Business Class air and rail travel for its staff.

Glasgow City Council is the country's largest council.

Campaigners have branded the council “grandeur” and “old fashioned” for spending the cash.

It comes after the announcement today that 1500 jobs are likely to go as part of £130 million in cuts to the cash-strapped council budget.

New figures, released under freedom of information laws, reveal that Glasgow City Council has spent more than £48,000 on First Class or Business Class air fares for staff since 2013.

It spent a further £4,600 on First Class rail tickets for workers over the same period.

Many Scottish councils, including North Lanarkshire and South Ayrshire, have a blanket ban on staff claiming for any First Class travel.

Eben Wilson, spokesman from campaign group TaxpayerScotland, said:“It’s quite extraordinary. What an appalling example of one law for the fat cats but gruel for everyone else on the shop floor. How grandeur and old fashioned of them.”

A council spokeswoman said: “We have substantially reduced our business travel costs however there are times when first class or equivalent is the only option available, for example in a late booking.”