A Dunkeld man has resigned from leading one of Scotland’s oldest charities after an audit report claimed he “interfered” with an election.
Billy Birse-Stewart, 72, was the deacon convener of the platform, a seven-person group that runs the historic Trades House of Glasgow.
Established in 1605, the charity manages funds of more than £18m and donates around £750,000 to local charities each year.
Last month The Courier revealed that in August 2022 an internal audit committee report concluded Mr Birse-Stewart interfered with an election, breached the code of conduct and did not comply with written voting procedures.
At the time, Mr Birse-Stewart did not respond to our repeated requests for comment but he now claims he was “cleared of any wrongdoing”.
Complaints about the election were made to Scottish charity regular OSCR, which launched an investigation.
And now Mr Birse-Stewart has quit his role, citing ill-health and claiming there has been a “vindictive and deeply unpleasant orchestrated personalised campaign” against him.
Leader claimed ‘despicable’ attack
He initially released a defiant statement to trustees berating our coverage of the election criticism.
He wrote: “What is going on is a concerted attack on myself and now on my family, in a despicable way by destabilising influences which have no regard to the damage that is also being done to the Trades House as a consequence.”
However, in a later statement to trustees he confirmed his “very difficult” decision to stand down as deacon convener.
He referred to the exacerbation of a “serious degenerative medical condition I have been living with.”
The statement added: “Recent events, where I have been subjected to what many regard as a most vindictive and deeply unpleasant orchestrated personalised campaign, have placed intolerable pressure and stress on myself.
“I come to the painful decision to stand down completely from my role as deacon convener and do so with immediate effect.”
Ill-health ‘has been exacerbated’
In a later statement to The Courier, Mr Birse-Stewart wrote: “As I made clear to the trustees, I resigned due to ill health.
“I am suffering from a rare, aggressive and serious degenerative motor neuro condition. I was diagnosed after referral to a specialist in London in November 2022.
“I had hoped that with careful management my condition would not unduly impact my ability to fulfil my role as deacon convenor, but recent events have exacerbated my progressive condition with the result that I have had to step down.”
Report’s conclusions were critical
Mr Birse-Stewart also claimed one of the “exacerbating factors” was our “inaccurate” story on his actions during the election as set out in the audit committee report.
The committee investigated complaints relating to the election of the house’s collector nominate on Wednesday, May 25 2022.
As late collector he was responsible for collecting and delivering late-arriving ballots.
He cited an extract from the report that said “there wasn’t any evidence put to us that this was intended to achieve, or actually gave rise to any impropriety in, or interference with the voting process”.
But this was in relation to one of the two complaints and not its overall findings.
The report concluded that Mr Birse-Stewart breached the code of conduct by the manner in which he publicly questioned candidate Rose Mary Harley during the election process.
It said he “intentionally” made a negative comparison between her and the other candidate, Mariella MacLeod, who was elected by 25 votes to 23.
In the probe Mr Birse-Stewart also admitted that he remained in the location of the voting booth and ballot box longer than he should have.
“Through what was reported to us and by his own admission, [that] Mr Birse-Stewart did not adhere to the written voting procedure,” the report concluded.
CEO’s £65k resignation demand
Mr Birse-Stewart is a former wine salesman and ex-chairman of the Dundee-based Unicorn Preservation Society.
Under his leadership, the platform endured a rocky few months.
After the damning internal audit report, platform member Tom McInally resigned acrimoniously.
In December Mr McInally wrote a farewell letter to charity trustees, correspondence which included claims of an “open lack of respect” towards chief executive John Gilchrist and staff.
And last month Mr Gilchrist declared his position “untenable”.
His solicitor sent a letter to trustees with a list of conditions for his departure to avoid a claim for constructive dismissal.
These included nine months net pay of £65,500, legal costs of £3,000 and a payment in lieu of his six-month notice period.
The letter claimed Mr Gilchrist had been recently suffering chest pains having had a heart attack 12 years ago.
It added: “These chest pains were as a result of the stress which this workplace situation caused for him.”
However, a spokesperson for the charity this week told The Courier: “John Gilchrist has not resigned from Trades House of Glasgow.”
Trustee backs decision
The Trades House incorporates 14 crafts which are each independent charities, giving assistance and funding to their chosen areas of interest.
The charity has 64 trustees, of whom seven make up the platform.
One of the trustees and the losing election candidate, Rose Mary Harley, welcomed Mr Birse-Stewart’s resignation.
She said: “He was a divisive figure, whose policy changes were not considered in the best interests of the Trades House.
“It is now hoped that those who resigned will think of returning.”
Hospitality veteran chaired Unicorn
Mr Birse-Stewart is retired, having spent 46 years in the hospitality industry.
He has held many senior positions including president of the Institute of Wines and Spirits Scotland, and president of the Forty Nine Club (Scotland’s trade club).
Latterly he was visitor (deacon) of the Incorporation of Maltmen.
He has supported several Scottish charities, either through raising funds or by serving as a trustee.
These include NSPCC Childline, RSPB, Scottish Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust and he was, until recently, chairman of the HMS Unicorn Preservation Society in Dundee.
