Abdication of responsibility

Inquiry chair gives SNP finance chief share of blame for spiralling costs

- DAN VEVERS

FORMER SNP minister John Swinney has been slammed by a judge for his role in spiralling Edinburgh tram costs.

A "litany of avoidable failures" wasted public cash and caused years of delays, wrote Lord Hardie in the report on the scandal.

But in an astonishing move, the Scottish Government hit back at the Edinburgh Trams Inquiry's findings.

The inquiry singled out Swinney for heavy criticism in his role as finance secretary.

It accused him of "pulling strings" and meddling in the scheme after trying to get it cancelled in 2007.

And it claimed that by leaving City of Edinburgh Council to protect public funds, he was guilty of an "abdication of responsibility".