18-05-2025
Boss of cash-strapped Scots uni who enjoyed Barbados junket faces no confidence vote
The Sunday Mail revealed the University of the West of Scotland's Professor James Miller claimed £37,429 in travelling expenses over the last two years visiting exotic locations.
The head of a cash-strapped university is facing a vote of no confidence from staff after the Sunday Mail revealed he spent more than £37,000 on foreign junkets.
We told how fat cat Professor James Miller, principal and vice-chancellor of the University of the West of Scotland (UWS), claimed an astonishing £37,429 in expenses over the last two years visiting exotic locations which included Dubai, Kuala Lumpur and South Africa.
The revelations come as lecturers at the UWS have voted in favour of industrial action over compulsory redundancies at the university after the institution recorded a £14.4million deficit in 2023/24.
The 61-year-old uni boss, who earns £288,000 a year including pension contributions, is among 12 senior uni staff - who have claimed more than £163,000 in expenses in less than two years.
The USW have again refused to confirm to the Sunday Mail which luxury hotels the professor stayed in on foreign trips or whether he flew business class.
They also confirmed Professor Miller had the use of a car and driver for work - but denied he had a 'chauffeur'.
The lavish spending was criticised by unions who said a vote of no confidence would be put to members at the university and that members would move to strike.
UNISON regional organiser John Mooney said: 'Our members have had enough and have voted to be issued with strike ballots.
'This spending on executive's international travel, while the deficit rises by millions of pounds and they cut jobs and student services shows an astounding level of mismanagement.
'The unions are making every effort to try to protect what jobs they can and find agreements on voluntary redundancies.
'We will move towards a full strike ballot and will put a vote of no confidence to our members at the university.'
In an indicative ballot which closed last week, 85per cent of EIS members who voted backed industrial action over compulsory redundancy at the university.
Assistant General Secretary David Belsey said: 'The members at UWS have collectively delivered a strong turnout and clear message to the university – no compulsory redundancies.
'This result should leave UWS management under no illusions about the strength of feeling amongst EIS ULA members and their willingness to take action to defend jobs.'
We revealed last week that a trip to Barbados by Prof Miller for 'a Strategic Partnership Agreement' cost £5970 for flights and hotel stays in November 2023.
In October 2023 Professor Miller spent £5631.09 on a trip to attend COP28 Partnership Meetings in Dubai and £5867.28 on return flights to South Africa to present at the GEC+Africa 2024 Congress last February.
Other expenses included trips to Nigeria, Dubai, the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur as well to New York.
Shadow Tory education secretary Miles Briggs: 'This lavish spending from top bosses has rightly angered other staff and students.
'At a time of looming job cuts senior figures astonishingly still thought it was appropriate to spend such levels of money on international visits.'
UWS has campuses in Ayr, Dumfries, Lanarkshire, London and Paisley and employs around 2000 staff and had a student headcount of 21,000 in the 23/24 academic year.
In April the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) announced its teaching allocations for higher education institutions at £727m for the 2025-26 academic year.
The same month both EIS and Unison opened indicative ballots for strike action at UWS.
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