£500m cuts hit children and poor but we still have cash for chief entrepreneur

Expert gets £160k public money for two-day week

- PAUL HUTCHEON

CASH-STRAPPED SNP Ministers have shelled out £160,000 for a "chief entrepreneur" while cutting NHS funding and dumping free school meals.

The Scottish Government found the cash to continue with the post despite backing a recruitment freeze.

STUC General Secretary Roz Foyer said: "It's all too revealing of the government's priorities that they will splash the cash on an entrepreneurial tsar to the tune of £160,000 but offer local government workers a pay rise of 67p per hour and then subsequently plead poverty." Businessman Mark Logan was appointed chief entrepreneur in 2022 by the government and there was criticism of him getting paid about £200,000 a year for a two-day week.

An official contracts website now shows another £159,060 outlay for a three-and-a-half month extension between September and December.

The cash covers professional fees relating to the extension as well as salary.