A SCOTTISH Labour council appointee set to oversee delivery of a £20 million UK Government fund was previously found guilty of professional misconduct for mishandling client’s money, The National can reveal.
Eric Lumsden, a lawyer from West Lothian, was confirmed as the chair of the board which will manage the £20m “Pride in Place” funding in the area earlier in May. The appointment came at the recommendation of two Labour MPs.
However, in 2021, Lumsden was disciplined by the Scottish Solicitors' Discipline Tribunal – following a referral from the Council of the Law Society of Scotland – for mishandling a client’s money and failing to be transparent.
He had paid more than £70,000 to two third parties without the client’s clear permission and ignored key anti-money laundering duties.
The Tribunal fined him £1000, saying it “considered the failure to make the disclosures to be a serious and reprehensible departure from the standards of competent and reputable solicitors and therefore constituting professional misconduct”.
No date was given for the offending misconduct, but a West Lothian Council spokesperson said it had taken place around a decade ago.
“Following a comprehensive and thorough recruitment and due diligence process, senior council officers are satisfied that Mr Lumsden meets the necessary requirements of the role and is therefore a suitable candidate for endorsement for appointment to chair of the board,” the spokesperson said.
“It is very important to consider the full details of the tribunal’s considerations, findings, and disposal in relation to the complaint which stemmed from a transaction which took place some ten years ago.
“There has never been any restrictions on Mr Lumden’s practicing certificate and he continues to practice as a solicitor. Mr Lumsden has an unblemished record both before, and after this tribunal finding. There has never been any indication of intentional wrongdoing or dishonest behaviour.”
Lumsden and the board will oversee how the £20m funding is spent across Blackburn, Fauldhouse, and Whitburn. The pot was announced in December 2025.
He had been recommended for the role by two Scottish Labour MPs, Gregor Poynton and Kirsteen Sullivan, who both welcomed him to the position.
In a joint statement, the pair said: “West Lothian Council undertook an open recruitment process to select the chair of the Pride and Place board. We were advised that full and thorough checks were undertaken by council officers as part of this process, upon conclusion of which, we were asked to endorse Mr Lumsden as the candidate best suited to this role.
“Mr Lumsden is a well-known and respected figure in West Lothian. He has long-standing connections, both family and professional, to the communities of Blackburn, Whitburn and Fauldhouse and has given his time to various voluntary roles at a senior level.”
The £20m Pride in Place fund is part of a wider Westminster initiative and will be delivered over 10 years and overseen by local communities.
Announcing the scheme, the UK Government said: “Local people know what changes are needed for their community to thrive. That is why the decision-making on how and where this funding is spent sits with a neighbourhood board, led by an independent chair, that includes residents, local businesses, civil society and community organisations, working in partnership with their respective local authority.
“Boards might decide to spend their funding on the regeneration of a town square, local community centre or social club, the development of a new community garden, the rollout of a new programme to tackle homelessness or services to tackle child poverty and provide essential support to families and young people.
“Similarly, they may choose to use the funding to develop an action plan to address local cohesion issues, or local arts, cultural, heritage and sport initiatives.”
Lumsden is currently senior partner of Sneddon Morrison Solicitors, in Whitburn, where he has worked since 1992.
After his appointment was announced, he told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “I am delighted to have been appointed as the chair of the board for Pride in Place established by the UK Government – this will really benefit the communities in Blackburn, Fauldhouse, and Whitburn.
“I am keen that the board will work with many people to enhance our towns and I will ensure there is a wide range of consultation undertaken with the people in the towns and local and community groups to ensure the funding made available is effectively used.”
