EYE WATERING

Former judge is paid £1m to chair tram fiasco inquiry which has cost £13m - more than Gulf War inquiry. And it took them 2 years to reveal his staggering payment

- MARCELLO MEGA

OPPOSITION politicians reacted with fury last night when it emerged a retired judge had been paid more than £1million to chair the £13million Edinburgh Tram Inquiry.

A government-funded probe started in 2014 into the crisis-hit transport project after it came in £400million over budget and five years late.

Nine years later and five years after evidence ended, the inquiry chaired by Lord Hardie has still not issued its final report.

But the Daily Record can reveal that the former judge has pocketed an "eye-watering" £1,056,181 to chair the probe after transport chiefs tried to keep the sum a secret.

After two years, the Scottish Information Commissioner agreed with the Record that Lord Hardie's earnings should be public knowledge. Transport Scotland said yesterday it had noted the decision of the commissioner.

It added: "We can confirm that Lord Hardie has been paid a total of £1,056,181.59 for his role as chair of the Edinburgh Tram Inquiry from 2014 when the inquiry commenced to the date that we received your request."

Last night, Scottish Labour transport spokesperson Alex Rowley said: "These eye-watering sums of public money raise fresh questions about how this inquiry has been allowed to fall into such chaos.

"Costs have spiralled and years have passed but we are still waiting for the report - it is farcical.

"We need to learn the lessons of what happened in Edinburgh, and this report must be delivered without any more delays or cost increases.", Ian Murray, Labour MP for Edinburgh South, said the cost of the tram probe was now similar to the cost of the inquiry into the Iraq War.