Dundee University report must be ‘watershed moment', Tories say

The Herald Scotland

6 hours ago

Within minutes of the report, interim principal Professor Shane O'Neill – who was part of a 'triumvirate' including the former principal and the former chief operating officer which was heavily criticised – announced he and two other senior officials would be standing down.
The findings of the independent investigation into the financial challenges facing the University of Dundee have been published today.https://t.co/XT16bPzuCA pic.twitter.com/LZSeNeK2jH
— Scottish Funding Council (@ScotFundCouncil) June 19, 2025
The report accused former principal Professor Iain Gillespie of 'hubris' and refusing to take criticism, as well as hitting out at internal monitoring of the university's finances.
Responding to the publication of the report, Scottish Tory education spokesman Miles Briggs said: 'This is a devastating report into the gross mismanagement that has existed for far too long at the University of Dundee.
'In light of the damning findings it is welcome they have done the right thing and resigned from their roles instantly.
'Senior figures were told what they had to do to get Dundee University into a sustainable position but they repeatedly failed to act, and covered up the true state of its financial position.'
He added: 'The report is scathing about the inexcusable failures by those in leadership roles.
'It is now essential that this is a watershed moment to ensure no Scottish university will ever face such a situation in future.'
Local Labour MSP Michael Marra accused former leaders of 'financial vandalism'.
'The report shows that the institution was failed catastrophically by a small group of executive leaders entirely out of their depth and cowed by a hubristic principal who brooked no dissent,' he said.
'Details of Iain Gillespie's leadership style are deeply troubling – sidelining, speaking over or publicly criticising women in the university who dared to speak up.
'There were also clear failures of governance, with inaccurate reports which masked the true financial picture and public statements by the principal that were purposefully misleading.'
Scottish Liberal Democrat MSP Willie Rennie said the crisis had been 'devastating' and urged there to be a new leadership team in place 'without delay'.
'It is not an exaggeration to say that the staff and students have been betrayed,' he said.
'The oppressive behaviour from the top together with inadequate reporting and governance from the court has led to this failure.
'It is right that the whole leadership team has now gone.'
In the wake of the crisis, the university announced it would have to make redundancies, with the initial estimate of 700 jobs to be cut eventually dropping to around 300.
The University and College Union successfully balloted its members for strike action as a result of the plans.
The union's Scotland official Mary Senior said the report laid bare 'abject failings' of management.
'Given the clear failings of management, it should not be staff and students that are left to pay the price in cuts to their jobs and cuts to education,' she said.
'We are clear that the university should now commit to rule out the use of compulsory redundancies.'
When the university announced it would be reducing the number of redundancies, bosses said cuts would be made through a voluntary redundancy scheme.