PROVOST BLOWS £8000 ON SHOES & CLOTHES
..AND YOU FOOT THE BILL
GLASGOW’S Lord Provost spent £8000 of taxpayers’ cash on herself, we can reveal.
Eva Bolander was likened to shoe-loving, ex-Philippines first lady Imelda Marcos.
GLASGOW’S Lord Provost billed the taxpayer for 23 pairs of shoes as part of an £8000 spending spree on clothing and beauty products.
Eva Bolander, an SNP councillor, also claimed for six jackets, five coats, underwear and a £200 hat made by a designer used by supermodel Kate Moss. She handed in receipts for make-up, £751 of haircuts, glasses worth £358 and pampering that included getting her toenails painted. Martin McElroy, a Labour councillor in the city, last night hit out at the extravagant spending spree. He likened shoe-loving Bolander to Imelda Marcos, the former first lady of the Philippines who had more than 1000 pairs of shoes.
He said: “These expenses claims are an absolute disgrace. We need an urgent review of the Lord Provost’s spending and maximum transparency.
“At a time when services are being cut, Glaswegians will not understand why their Lord Provost believes it is appropriate to charge the taxpayer for kitting herself out with a new wardrobe.
“Claiming for more than 20 pairs of shoes is frankly incredible. Does she think she is Imelda Marcos?”
The Lord Provost chairs council meetings, represents the local authority on ceremonial occasions and receives ambassadors to the city. A civic allowance helps her fulfil public duties.
Swedish-born Bolander – who represents a council ward that includes Anderston and Yorkhill – became the first EU national to be chosen as the city’s first citizen.
Her predecessor, Sadie Docherty, made no charge on the public purse between May 2015 and May 2017 but Bolander has claimed for more than 150 items.
Hundreds of local authority staff have been laid off in recent years and the council is facing court action after being accused of illegally denying temporary accommodation to homeless applicants.
Between May 2017 and August 2019, Bolander claimed £1150 for 23 pairs of shoes, £665 for five coats, up to £374 for six jackets and nearly £415 for eight pairs of trousers.
The taxpayer was also charged £389 for two sets of fabric – expensive Harris Tweed – and about £992 for 14 dresses and £435 for seven blazers. Four skirts cost the public purse about £143, a blouse came in at £55 and unidentifiable items cost £824.
Bolander also got her nails done 20 times in two years and treated herself to 10 taxpayer-funded haircuts to the tune of over £751. Make-up cost £66.75.
Other items included a pair of sunglasses at £29.99, a £16.99 watch, three bags worth about £147, gloves, a £65 suitcase and a scarf.
The most expensive items were £358 spectacles, followed
a £200 hat from milliner William Chambers. Celebrities who have worn the awardwinning designer’s hats include Moss, Extras comedy star Ashley Jensen and singer Roisin Murphy. Judy Murray also commissioned a Chambers hat to wear at her tennis star son Andy’s wedding.
Another big-ticket item was £200 for a “bespoke” coat, which had an “art panel” on the back.
She also claimed £308 for two pairs of shoes – navy suede and black leather – from Watford-based Sole Bliss on the same day. By contrast, the school clothing grant is £110 for a child from a low-income family.
Bolander’s favourite shop for a retail splurge was John Lewis, where she spent more than £500 in one day on shoes, a blazer, trousers, a top and a dress. Her claims for hosiery added £145 to a bill that totalled £8224 over two years.
The council deducted £7.70 from one claim due to “budgetary restrictions”.
Some of the information in the receipts was withheld on the grounds that the individual concerned would not “expect their personal details to be released”.
The Lord Provost was embroiled in controversy last year after it emerged that a Rolls-Royce had been gifted to the council by an unnamed benefactor, later revealed as businessman Boyd Tunnock.
After receiving the gift on behalf of the council, Bolander said at the time: “I want Glasgow to show its best face to the world and this gift will help us do that. It’s a showby stopping car and a tremendous asset.”
The Glasgow SNP manifesto promised changes to the council, which was previously run by Labour. One section featured a quote from Bolander : “The SNP will bring transparency, openness and accessibility to Glasgow’s democratic life and the way the council carries out its business.”
A council spokesman said: “The national committee that oversees councillors’ pay recognises that the requirement to represent their city at hundreds of events means Lord Provosts often incur personal expenses.
“For that reason, the Scottish Government allocates a civic allowance to each council. For Glasgow City Council, this is subject to a yearly maximum of £5000.”