The Herald

Lav Ish Life of Scottish Bbc Chiefs . . . At Your Expense Exclusive Huge Bills for Meals, Gifts and Trips Claimed by Bosses

BBC Scotland executives have used public money to claim for Uefa Cup final tickets, champagne, Christmas parties and even a cheeseboard for comedian Griff Rhys Jones. The Herald can reveal the 10 most senior managers at BBC Scotland charged GBP1000 meals, thank-you dinners, wine, sculptures and bouquets of flowers to their personal expense accounts.

Cameron Pledges to Put Britain Back On Its Feet

DAVID Cameron made his pitch for power yesterday, saying a Conservative administration would "put Britain back on her feet" by ending Labour's culture of big government. In his last conference speech before the General Election, the Tory leader set out his vision of a "responsible society", acknowledging there was "a steep climb ahead" but that "the view from the summit will be worth it".

600 Face Axe in Council Jobs Purge

AS many as 600 jobs could go at a local authority as it struggles to balance its books for the forthcoming financial year. In the latest example of how the squeeze on public finances is impacting upon local government, Aberdeen City Council said it needs to cut 5per cent off its budget to save GBP16.9m, claiming that the whole public sector faced "very difficult choices" and would have to "find imaginative ways of facing up to the same situation".

Reid Treated for Kidney Stones

Company Fined After Worker's Fall

Scholars Retrace Dante's Footsteps

Snp Go On Defensive As Garl Refuses to Hit Buffers Minister Writes to Msps

TRANSPORT Minister Stewart Stevenson yesterday hit back at rising criticism of his part in the process that led to the scrapping of the Glasgow Airport Rail Link (Garl). He defended himself after the airport's managing director, Amanda McMillan sent a letter to all west of Scotland MSPs saying she did not recognise the figure of GBP70m in additional costs as used by the government in its decision to scrap the project.

Stars Turn Out for Scots Variety Night

SCOTS singer Sandi Thom and Daniel Bedingfield were among the stars at the first Scottish Royal Variety Performance at Glasgow's Royal Concert Hall last night. The evening of glamour and entertainment hosted by Tam Cowan and Jenni Falconer included performances by Dougie MacLean, The Red Hot Chilli Pipers, and Soweto Gospel Choir.

Champagne, Flowers, Luxury Foreign Trips . . . And a Cheeseboard for Griff Pacific Quay Top Executives Lavish Gifts, On Taxpayers' Bill Pacific Quay Top Executives Lavish Gifts, On Taxpayers' Bill Analysis

IN the midst of the recession, they are details of a lifestyle that few of BBC Scotland's viewers and listeners would be able to afford or recognise: GBP500 dinners, thank you suppers worth more than GBP1000, extensive travel to foreign parts, GBP40 cheese boards, tickets for a UEFA Cup final paid for by the public, and dozens of pricey lunches and breakfasts. Yesterday, after several weeks delay, BBC Scotland finally gave The Herald documents that outline the expenses claims of the top 10 ex...

Charter Breached in Radio Rights Bid Fa Cup

THE BBC has been judged to be in breach of its charter over the way it secured radio rights to FA Cup matches. The BBC Trust said the corporation's internal processes fell short of what was expected when it won the rights for the matches - and senior England internationals - up to 2011/2012.

The Beeb has Responsibility to Spend Our Cash Wisely Comment

AT network HQ in London they like to say it with Tiffany cufflinks. At BBC Scotland it's cheese boards. If ever proof was needed of the Dynasty/River City divide at the Beeb it is laid out here. Does it matter that BBC Scotland executives are splashing the cash in this way? Given the London claims - which included the charter of a private plane on one occasion - the Pacific Quay exes look relatively modest.

Key Expense Claims

KEN MACQUARRIE, CONTROLLER OF BBC SCOTLAND Key claims:

More Scots Sign Up to Be Organ Donors

ONE in three Scots has registered to become an organ donor, leading to a rise in the total number of transplants performed by surgeons . The number of people pledging to donate their organs after their death has increased 17per cent since 2007 and about 500 people had their lives saved or transformed by new organs or tissue donated from 72 people who died last year.

Swine Flu Sufferers in Hospital at Record Levels Scottish Government Monitoring Obesity Link

THE number of people being admitted to hospital with swine flu in Scotland is at its highest level since the outbreak began. Figures released yesterday show that 36 people required hospital treatment last week after contracting the virus, up from 15 the week before. Overall, the number of people thought to have contracted illness dropped to 6800 last week from a spike of 13,800.

Supermarket Manager Who Swindled Gbp112,000 Jailed for 16 Months

A SUPERMARKET boss who swindled GBP112,000 from her own store to fund her gambling habit has been jailed for 16 months. Aberdeen Sheriff Court heard yesterday how Lidl manager Larisa Baxter blew the cash after getting hooked on roulette.

Postal Strikes Could Deliver a New Winter of Discontent Mail Workers Vote for Industrial Action

BRITAIN faces a winter of crippling strikes after mail workers voted overwhelmingly for industrial action. Union leaders warned yesterday that the Royal Mail could be brought to its knees by a series of one-day walkouts, causing huge inconveniences for businesses in the run-up to Christmas.

Stoppage Could Be Bad News for Small Businesses Case Study

WITH Royal Mail workers voting for national strike action small businesses in Scotland and across the UK face a difficult few months. Steven Dow, 40, owns and runs Football Nation, Scotland's only one-stop football shop. It was founded in 2006 and employs five people in premises on Edinburgh's Lothian Road.

Postscript

Q: Mail workers have voted to support strike action. What happens next? A: The CWU now has 28 days to activate the ballot, and it must give Royal Mail a week's notice before any industrial action. Essentially, this leaves a three-week window to negotiate the deal it wants and avoid a national strike. Union leaders will meet on Monday to decide their next steps. The most likely outcome would be a one-day strike involving around 120,000 postal workers across the UK. Q: A one-day strike doesn't ...

New Charter to Improve Care for Alzheimer's Sufferers

SCOTLAND'S 69,000 dementia sufferers, many of whom have been "disadvantaged, disenfranchised and disowned", could have their rights better recognised with the launch of a charter on treatment and care. Irene Oldfather MSP, convener of the Scottish Parliament's cross- party group on Alzheimer's Disease, announced the Charter of Rights for people with dementia and their carers at Holyrood yesterday.

Even Boris's Euro Wobble Failed to Hijack Cameron's Election Charge Tories Survive Fears Over Europe to Introduce Their New 'Age of Austerity' Tories Survive Fears Over Europe to Introduce Their New 'Age of Austerity' Analysis Analysis Conservatives in Manchester

FOR a good 24 hours, Tory high command feared its annual showcase would be haunted by the ghost of conferences past and that, following Ireland's yes to the Lisbon Treaty, the issue of Europe would wipe out everything else on the Manchester agenda. After a wobble by London mayor Boris Johnson - who else? - the Eurosceptics emerged, calling for a referendum come what may.