Former Scottish Labour leader Wendy Alexander has claimed expenses of more than £12,000 from Dundee University in recent years — the most among its highest-paid staff.
The vice principal for international — who earns more than First Minister Nicola Sturgeon with a salary of at least £170,000 a year — has submitted more than 100 expense claims since 2017.
Among these is a claim for £3.58 for “subsistence”, as well as two taxi trips costing £5.
She regularly travels overseas on work trips for the university, which receives large amounts of public funding, and has claimed for time in the Middle East, Asia, and Africa.
Flights are generally excluded from expenses as they are booked centrally through the university’s travel provider.
But the data shows the former politician claimed £12,438 in total between April 2017 and September 2022.
Expenses claimed for hotels and dinners
Most of the spending was on networking meals, VIP dinners, business lunches, hotel stays, snacks and transport.
Her biggest expense was £1,200 on hotels and meals on an eight-day trip to South East Asia in January 2019.
While there she also visited Indonesia, Singapore, and Malaysia.
She recouped almost £600 on a hotel in Nigeria in May this year and £850 in Israel in 2017.
The academic also spent time in London, Saudi Arabia and China on work trips.
The senior decision maker is one of seven members of the university’s leadership group, called the executive committee.
Principal and vice-chancellor Professor Iain Gillespie, who earns at least £240,000 a year, has also claimed expenses for various trips totalling £6,800 — including a bus journey for £4.50.
Susan Robertson, from Unite, has criticised the spending as some of the lowest paid staff at the university continue strike action over controversial pension changes.
She said: “While Wendy Alexander and principal Iain Gillespie are being put up in 5-star hotels and eating fancy meals, my members would struggle to afford one night in a Travel Lodge and just cannot afford to go out for meals.”
She added the expenses demonstrate “sheer hypocrisy” and criticised the executive group’s large salaries.
Data shows the various members to occupy the roles since 2017 have claimed almost £50,000.
Income ‘massively increased’ from international students
Ms Alexander headed up Labour in Scotland between 2007 and 2008 but stepped down “with deep regret” after breaking the rules on declaring donations.
She is now responsible for driving up the number of international students enrolling at the institution and building its international operations.
She received a pay rise this year of at least £10,000.
Dundee University says it has “massively increased” its income from international operations in recent years through the work of Ms Alexander and other staff.
A spokesperson said: “Our national and international activity is focused on strategic growth and engagement that strengthens the university.
“While we have had to work with reduced central funding from government over the past five years (the period covered by these figures) we have massively increased our income from our international operations, including student recruitment which has a knock-on economic benefit for the city in excess of £160 million per year.”
Conversation