Glasgow - Senior Council Officials

I shared my previous posts on 'Glasgow, Senior Officials and Foreign Trips' with an old contact of mine who used to work for the City Council - someone with real integrity - and here's the response I received.  

"Wow!

"Thanks for this Mark.

"Even I am shocked by the scale of this! 

"What a disgrace. Most of all it it is even more telling is how an organisation would not summarily dismiss these 2 for this. 

"So much for standing up for 7 principles of public life!"

Here are the 7 Nolan principles which were established in 1995 after the notorious 'cash-for-questions' scandal in the House of Commons. 

• Selflessness
• Integrity
• Objectivity
• Accountability
• Openness
• Honesty
• Leadership

I couldn't agree more, I have to say, because the leadership of Glasgow City Council allowed this to go on for years - without every calling the people responsible properly to account.

I shared these blog posts with all 85 elected councillors in Glasgow's along with all Glasgow MSPs and MPs - yet not one had anything of substance to say on the subject. 

When the story first broke in 2018 the Council promised tough action and a full investigation, but these pledges came to nothing which is perhaps not surprising since the City's politicians (not normally lost for words) all looked the other way.

  

Glasgow, Senior Officials and Foreign Trips 5 (03/07/18)

Here are the final expenses claims for overseas trips submitted by Glasgow City Council's Richard Brown and his deputy Tommy Turley.

I suspect the while business came to a shuddering halt after The Sunday Herald submitted its FOI request earlier this year which exposed what had been going on and the newspaper deserves to be congratulated for a fine piece investigative journalism. 

I submitted a further FOI request to Glasgow asking the Council to confirm whether any of these expenses claims have since been found to be 'invalid' and if any monies have been since repaid, but the Council refused to answer on the grounds that an internal investigation is still underway.

Now I don't understand this answer, I have to admit, because while the Council does have a reputation for moving at the speed of a glacier, The Sunday Herald published its story way back in April and the Council must have been put on alert even earlier, as it always take 28 days to answer FOI requests.

So I have decided to appeal and ask for a review of Glasgow's initial decision as it smacks to me of sweeping things under the carpet. 

  

Year 2017/2018

Richard Brown 

Location: Berlin - 31 August 2017 (08/31/17 to 09/02/17)
Purpose of visit: To promote innovation quarters in Glasgow and attend conference 
Air travel cost: £207.19
Hotel venue: Not given
Hotel cost:Nil
Subsistence: Euros 18.85
Fares/taxis: Euros 11.18 and £8.75
Comments: Nil

Tommy Turley

Location: Berlin - 31 August 2017 08/31/17 to 09/02/17)
Purpose of visit:  To promote innovation quarters in Glasgow and attend conference 
Air travel cost: £207.19
Hotel venue: Not given
Hotel cost:Nil
Subsistence: Euros 18.85
Fares/taxis: Euros 11.18 and £8.75
Comments: Nil

Glasgow, Senior Officials and Foreign Trips 4 (02/07/18)

Here are even more questions and comments on the 'foreign trips' expenses claims of senior officials in Glasgow City Council.

• Richard Brown heads over to Munich for a 4 day property conference - having visited the same city (and same event?) in 2015 and 2014. The cost of travel is hugely expensive at £715.04 
• Richard Brown travels to the north island of New Zealand for a 10 day conference in Auckland. The conference 'blurb' described the event as follows: "Across three days, attendees will participate in frank, robust presentations, discussions and workshops with international peers, facilitated by Greg Clark". Note three days - not 10. http://advancewateredge.com/programme
• Richard is off New York again for a five day unspecified meeting with unspecified investors - strangely no travel or accommodation costs are incurred, so who picked up the tab and why?  
• Tommy Turley travels to Brussels for a 'strategy meeting' with the urban lighting body, LUCI.
• Tommy Turley heads to Munich for a conference and awards ceremony - his boss Richard is in town as well, but is this down to coincidence or careful planning?
• Tommy Turley travels to the capital of Korea for the Annual General Meeting of LUCI - someone should alert the Guinness Book of Records because at 11 days this must surely be one of the longest AGMs ever! I wonder who approved this visit - Richard Brown or the Council's chief executive, Annemarie O'Donnell?
• Tommy Turley accompanies his boss Richard to the unspecified 5 day meeting in New York with unspecified 'investors'. No travel or accommodation costs are incurred, but the two officials have identical subsistence and taxi costs.
• Tommy Turley visits Berlin for two days - no details given of his 'meeting' or its purpose, and oddly no travel or accommodation costs are incurred. So who picked up the tab and why?
• Tommy Turley travels to the MPIM property show in Cannes which means Glasgow has been represented at this event for 3 straight years in a row.

I wonder how Glasgow City Council evaluated the cost versus the benefit of sending senior officials on these overseas trips, but I'm sure the public would love to know the answer.

  

Year 2016/2017

Richard Brown 

Location: Munich - 03 October 2016 (10/03/16 to 10/06/16)

Purpose of visit: Expo Real Property Conference and Exhibition

Air travel cost: £715.04

Hotel venue: Ibis Muenchen Sued Hotel

Hotel cost:£557.77

Subsistence:Nil

Fares/taxis: Nil

Comments: Nil

Location: Auckland - 11 November 2016 (11/11/16 to 11/20/16)

Purpose of visit: Wateredge Symposium

Air travel cost: £3,751.29

Hotel venue: Skycity Hotel

Hotel cost: $825.00 (NZ)

Subsistence: $252.80 (NZ)

Fares/taxis:Nil

Comments: Nil

Location: New York - 21 January 2017 (01/21/17 to 01/25/17)

Purpose of visit: Meeting with investors

Air travel cost: Nil

Hotel venue: Not given

Hotel cost:Nil

Subsistence:$16 (US)

Fares/taxis:$44.55 (US)

Comments:Nil

Tommy Turley

Location: Brussels - 30 June 2016 (06/30/16 to 07/01/16)

Purpose of visit: LUCI Strategy Meeting

Air travel cost: £320.00

Hotel venue: Chelton Hotel 

Hotel cost: £70.21

Subsistence: Euros 88.80 + £8.00

Fares/taxis: £77.00

Comments: Nil

Location: Munich - 03 October 2016 (10/03/16 to 10/06/16)

Purpose of visit: Conference and awards ceremony

Air travel cost: £715.04

Hotel venue: Leonardo Hotel and Residenz

Hotel cost: £488.54

Subsistence: Euros 58 + £5.85

Fares/taxis: Euros 32.00

Comments:Nil

Location: Seoul - 28 October 2016 (10/28/16 to 11/07/16) 

Purpose of visit: LUCI AGM

Air travel cost:£1,125.52

Hotel venue: KY Heritage Hotel

Hotel cost: £995.72

Subsistence: Nil

Fares/taxis: Nil

Comments: Nil

Location: New York - 21 January 2017 (01/21/17 to 01/25/17) 

Purpose of visit: Meeting with investors

Air travel cost: Nil 

Hotel venue: Not given

Hotel cost: Nil

Subsistence: $16.00 (US)

Fares/taxis: $44.55 (US)

Comments: Nil

Location: Berlin - 21 February 2017 (02/21/17 to 02/22/17) 

Purpose of visit: Meeting

Air travel cost: Nil

Hotel venue: Not given

Hotel cost: Nil

Subsistence: Euros 13.00

Fares/taxis: £40.00

Comments: Nil

Location: Cannes - 03 March 2017 (03/13/17 to 03/16/17) 

Purpose of visit: MPIM Conference

Air travel cost: £219.06

Hotel venue: Hotel Splendid

Hotel cost: £385.45

Subsistence: Nil

Fares/taxis: Nil

Comments: Nil

  

Glasgow, Senior Officials and Foreign Trips 3 (29/06/18)

Here are some more questions and comments on the 'foreign trips' expenses claims of senior officials in Glasgow City Council.

• I suppose there might some value in a senior official attending a property conference in Munich, but three days away sounds a bit excessive to me, as does the air fare cost of almost £500.

• A two day unspecified meeting with EU officials in Brussels which has no travel or accommodation costs - how can this be?

• Another five day trip to New York for Richard Brown and his deputy - I have tried to find the connection between 'A Great Night In with Glasgow' and the Council's regeneration strategy without any luck so far. But 5 days and two people?

• Cannes 2016 - another 3 day property conference which seems to be an annual event because Richard Brown also attended in 2015.

• A 7 day visit to Orlando for an unspecified meeting with unspecified investors. What a strange place for a meeting - who was paying for this trip and how could it possibly take a full week?

• Furthermore who approved this visit - Richard Brown or the City Council's chief executive, Annemarie O'Donnell?

• The cost of Tommy Turley travelling to Brussels is recorded as £780.64 - was this by helicopter, by any chance, and what is the connection with Glasgow's regeneration strategy/services.

• Tommy Turley on the move again to Copenhagen and Paris - the purpose of these visits is unclear and the cost involved appear to have been picked up by a third party. How odd.

• Tommy Turley on a 7 day visit to Helsinki for an urban lighting conference. Glasgow is the only LUCI member city in the UK as far as I can see. I imagine it must have been a very illuminating event to have spent a whole week there. 

• Tommy Turley on a four day visit to Milan for the European Music Awards - maybe it's just me but I fail to see the link with Glasgow's regeneration strategy/services.

• Another LUCI lighting event in Lyon with an unspecified third party picking up the travel and hotel costs.

• Tommy Turley meets up with his boss Richard Brown for five nights in the Big Apple - maybe the event should be renamed 'A Great Five Nights in with Glasgow!'

• Tommy Turley joins his boss Richard Brown in Cannes for a 3 day MIPM property conference - Richard Brown attended the same event  in 2015.

Now if anyone knows what 'A Great Night In with Glasgow' is all about, or even 'A Great Five Nights In with Glasgow', please do drop me a note - in complete confidence, of course.

  

Year 2015/2016

Richard Brown
Location: Munich - 05 October 2015 (10/05/15 to 10/07/15)
Purpose of visit: Expo Real Property Conference and Exhibition
Air travel cost: £496.95
Hotel venue: Golden Leaf Hotel
Hotel cost:£406.95
Subsistence:Nil
Fares/taxis: Nil
Comments: Nil

Location: Brussels - !6 November 2015 (16/11/15 to 17/11/15)
Purpose of visit: Meeting with European Commission officials
Air travel cost: Nil
Hotel venue: Nil
Hotel cost: Nil
Subsistence: Euros 27
Fares/taxis:Nil
Comments: Nil

Location: New York - 05 March 2015 (03/05/15 to 03/09/15)
Purpose of visit: A Great Night In With Glasgow
Air travel cost: £940.82
Hotel venue: Park central Hotel
Hotel cost:£874.84
Subsistence:$68.45
Fares/taxis:$23.20
Comments:Nil

Location: Cannes - 15 March 2016 (03/15/16 to 03/17/16)
Purpose of visit: MIPIM (Real Estate Conference)
Air travel cost: £497.75
Hotel venue: Hotel La Pre Catelan
Hotel cost:£421.18
Subsistence:Euros 28.40 + £8.00
Fares/taxis: Euros 122.70
Comments: Nil

Tommy Turley

Location: Orlando - 23 April 2015 (04/23/15 to 04/29/15)
Purpose of visit: Meeting with investors
Air travel cost: Nil
Hotel venue: Not given
Hotel cost: Nil
Subsistence:$114.80 (US) + £8.00
Fares/taxis: $63.55
Comments: Nil

Location: Brussels - 08 July 2015 (07/08/15 to 07/09/15)
Purpose of visit: Conference and awards ceremony
Air travel cost: £780.64
Hotel venue: The Dominican
Hotel cost: £125.82
Subsistence: Euros 58 + £5.85
Fares/taxis: Euros 32.00
Comments:Nil

Location: Copenhagen/Paris - 27 August 2015 (08/27/15 to 08/28/15) 
Purpose of visit: SEC Europe Venue Visits
Air travel cost: Nil
Hotel venue: Nil
Hotel cost: Nil
Subsistence: Euros 7.70
Fares/taxis: Euros 10 + £7.00
Comments: Nil

Location: Helsinki - 23 September 2015 (09/23/15 to 09/29/15) 
Purpose of visit: LUCI (Lighting Urban Community International) AGM
Air travel cost: £386.38
Hotel venue: Not given
Hotel cost: Not given
Subsistence: Euros 101.30 + £4.45
Fares/taxis:Euros 81.00 + £3.50
Comments: Nil

Location: Milan - 23 October 2015 (10/23/15 to 10/26/15) 
Purpose of visit: European Music Awards
Air travel cost: £386.55
Hotel venue: The Dominican
Hotel cost: £382.26
Subsistence: 75.45 Euros
Fares/taxis:80.95 Euros
Comments: Nil

Location: Lyon - 11 February 2016 (02/11/16 to 02/12/16) 
Purpose of visit: LUCI (Lighting Urban Community International) - rescheduled conference
Air travel cost: Nil
Hotel venue: Not given
Hotel cost: Not given
Subsistence: Euros 12.90
Fares/taxis: Nil
Comments: Nil

Location: New York - 05 March 2016 (03/05/16 to 03/09/16) 
Purpose of visit: A Great Night In With Glasgow
Air travel cost: £940.62
Hotel venue: Park Central
Hotel cost: £874.84
Subsistence: $68.44 (US)
Fares/taxis:$23.20
Comments: Nil

Location: Cannes - 15 March 2016 (03/15/16 to 03/17/16)
Purpose of visit: MPIM (Real Estate Conference)
Air travel cost: £497.78
Hotel venue: Hotel La Pre Catelan
Hotel cost: Not given
Subsistence: Euros 26.40 + £8.00
Fares/taxis:Euros 122.70
Comments: Nil

  

Glasgow, Senior Officials and Foreign Trips 2 (26/06/18)

I was not involved in the 'investigation' Glasgow City Council carried out into the expenses claims of senior officials who were involved in foreign trips, nor do I know what conclusions were reached.

But here are some questions and comments that occur to me from the information provided in response to my FOI Request to Glasgow City Council.

• Why were the Council director and his deputy both allowed on a 9 day trip Toronto and New York at the same time?

• Because the whole point of having a deputy is surely defeated, if both senior officials are away on the same trip at the same time - and these two individuals cost the Council a lot of money; somewhere in the region of £5,000 a week (£3,000 for Richard Brown and £2,000 for Tommy Turley) excluding expenses.  

• Why were two senior officials attending a meeting of the North West Europe Interreg Programme Preparation Group (NWEIPPG) in Canada - when the work of this body is focused on North West Europe, as its name suggests?

• Why, if the NWEIPPG meeting was in Toronto, did Tommy Turley fly onto Ottowa for another NWEIPPG meeting before meeting up with Richard Brown again in New York on 20 April 2014?

• Why did Richard Brown not fly to Ottowa with his deputy and why is there no name given for Tommy Turley's Ottowa hotel? 

• In what way did a 6 day visit to the Queen's Baton Relay in New York contribute to better (development and regeneration services) in Glasgow?

• Given that the Queen's Baton relay was about the 2014 Commonwealth Games and that neither New York nor the USA are or were in the Commonwealth, what was the connection between New York, Glasgow and the 2014 Commonwealth Games?

So that's my starter for 10 and to follow there will be a similar examination of the foreign trips made by Richard and Tommy in 2015/16, 2016/17 and 2017/18.

Readers will perhaps not be surprised to learn that these foreign trips came to a shuddering halt in 2018 which I suspect is connected to the original FOI enquiry by The Sunday Herald.

  

Glasgow, Senior Officials and Foreign Trips 1 (22/06/18)

I have finished reading Glasgow City Council's response to my FOI request regarding the expenses claims submitted by senior council officials in connection with foreign trips to a variety of locations around the world. 

Now there's lots of interesting detail to share, but there's also quite lot to 'take in'.

So I plan to publish a series of posts in the days ahead which will build up, bit by bit, a clear picture of what has been going on over the past four years.

The information focuses on Richard Brown, executive director of development and regeneration services, and his deputy Tommy Turley, both of whom featured in an article which appeared in The Sunday Herald back on 21 April 2018 (see posts below). 

More to follow soon - so watch this space.

Year 2014/2015

Richard Brown 

Location: Toronto - 27 April 2014 (04/27/14 to 30/04/14)
Purpose of visit: North West Europe Interreg Programme Preparation Group
Air travel cost: £752.03
Hotel venue: Hilton Toronto
Hotel cost:£278.67
Subsistence:$57.66 (Can)
Fares/taxis:$60.00
Comments: Nil

Location: New York - 30 April 2014 (30/04/16 to 05/04/14)
Purpose of visit: Queen's Baton relay
Air travel cost: £102.30
Hotel venue: Park Central
Hotel cost:$1,040.60
Subsistence:$35.71(US)
Fares/taxis:$52.91 (US)
Comments: Nil

Location: Munich - 06 October 2014 (10/06/14) to 10/08/14)
Purpose of visit: Conference
Air travel cost: £348.31
Hotel venue: Hotel Torbraeu
Hotel cost:£476.00
Subsistence:Nil
Fares/taxis:Nil
Comments:Nil

Location: Cannes - 10 March 2015 (03/10/15 to 03/12/15)
Purpose of visit: MIPIM
Air travel cost: £419.11
Hotel venue: Best Western Alba
Hotel cost:£140.16
Subsistence:Nil
Fares/taxis:Nil
Comments: Nil

Tommy Turley

Location: Toronto - 27 April 2016 (04/27/14 to 30/04/14)
Purpose of visit: North West Europe Interreg Programme Preparation Group
Air travel cost: £777.03
Hotel venue: Hilton Toronto
Hotel cost:£278.67
Subsistence:$57.68 (Can)
Fares/taxis: Nil
Comments: Nil

Location: Ottawa - 28 April 2014 (04/28/14)
Purpose of visit: North West Europe Interreg Programme Preparation Group
Air travel cost: £165.47
Hotel venue: Not given
Hotel cost:£129.17
Subsistence:Nil
Fares/taxis:Nil
Comments:Nil

Location: New York - 30 April 2014 (04/30/14 to 05/04/14) 
Purpose of visit: Queen's Baton relay
Air travel cost: £102.30
Hotel venue: Park Central
Hotel cost: £1,040..60
Subsistence: $35.71 ((US)
Fares/taxis: $52.91 and $60 (US)
Comments: Nil

Location: Brussels - 02 March 2015 (03/02/15 to 03/05/15) 
Purpose of visit: Romas NeT Final Conference and closing event
Air travel cost: £386.55 
Hotel venue: The Dominican
Hotel cost: £382.26
Subsistence: 75.45 Euros
Fares/taxis:80.95 Euros
Comments: Nil

So that's the basic information supplied by Glasgow City Council for the financial year 2014 to 2015.

My next blog post will raise some rather obvious questions about the nature of these foreign trips and the costs or benefits to the taxpayer.

And once 2014/15 has been given a really thorough examination the years 2015/16, 2016/17 and 2017/18 to follow.