Boardroom row chiefs told to leave Lothian Buses

THE long-running boardroom battle at Lothian Buses looks to have ended with the four warring executives handed a two-year notice period.

Lothian Buses: Boardroom row. Picture: TSPL

Lothian Buses chair Tony Depledge announced the changes aimed at “stabilising” and “reshaping leadership” at the publicly owned firm at a meeting yesterday.

Chief executive Ian Craig – who earns a £270,000 annual salary – plus operations director Bill Campbell, engineering director Bill Devlin and finance director Norman Strachan, who are each paid just under £190,000, will leave the company by 2017.

It is understood that such a decision was taken so as to avoid expensive payoffs.

The clearout comes after the three senior directors filed grievances against Mr Craig in relation to his style of leadership.

A leaked copy of the internal inquiry into these grievances was exclusively revealed by The Scotsman in December, in which inquiry chair John Martin ruled that Mr Craig had not “failed to the extent that disciplinary action is required”.

Reconciliation meetings have since taken place between the four men. However, it would 
appear their working relationship is beyond repair leaving chair Mr Depledge the only option of asking all four to leave.

Announcing his plan, Mr Depledge spoke of how “bruising and damaging” recent months have been, with a need to now “restore confidence and stability” to the leadership of Lothian Buses.

“This means that change is required. This decision hasn’t been taken lightly. I see a management team with strong individual qualities and talents but with deep-seated relationship issues. We must start a process to help solve those problems,” he said.

“I want Lothian Buses to retain the level of skills and expertise it needs through this period.”