The Fury as SQA exam bosses blow £800 a night on hotel room at Scots taxpayers' expense is an organisation which gives every appearance of being rotten to its core.
An industrial dispute threatens to disrupt the already stressful exam process for thousands of school pupils this summer.
An internal staff restructure was, the respected union Unison says, “botched”.
This came on the back of several controversies to afflict the quango, including a maths exam which reduced young people to tears.
Fury as SQA exam bosses blow £800 a night on hotel room at Scots taxpayers' expense
It perhaps shouldn’t come as a surprise then to find a culture of out-of-control spending at the taxpayer’s expense at the upper levels of this controversial body.
The greed and profligacy exposed in our pages today simply doesn’t happen in lean, well-run organisations. It only exists where there is a tangible and severe lack of leadership and accountability.
Public organisations must spend public money and there will always be the odd passing frenzy over what is acceptable. This is on a different level entirely and it is an absolute disgrace.
Nicola Sturgeon to declare 'time for Scotland to become independent' as support surges
The levels of claim point to a culture of greed all right. But it’s possibly worse than that.
A total of £800 a night on a hotel room? Business-class flights taken as routine? Simply beyond the pale.
Who do they think they are?
That over-the-top spending must now come under the highest levels of retrospective scrutiny.
This scandal – and it is a scandal – ends at the door of the Scottish Government. It should not be brushed under the carpet or dealt with by way of a quiet word behind the scenes.
SQA chief executive Dr Janet Brown must be asked searching questions about this warped culture of irresponsible entitlement, preferably in a public setting, and before she retires to spend more time with her massive public sector pension.
Nicola Sturgeon made it clear yesterday that she wants a second independence referendum. The signs are she is experiencing a surge in support for her objective.
The recurring failures of her Government to succeed at the day job, though, might become an increasingly large stick for her opponents to beat her with.
This is yet another example.
The opposition parties are starting to look increasingly effective by continually pressing the First Minister on her Government’s record.
They must not miss the opportunity to highlight this disgrace on her watch and demand a proper consequential inquiry into how it unfolded.
