Councils spend £3m on worldwide f lights ... but still raise taxes

SCOTS councils have spent more than £3million on global flights – including travel to Abu Dhabi, China and Japan.

A report published yesterday by the TaxPayers’ Alliance shows thousands of flights were taken by local authority bosses in the past three years – with some even flying first class.

The disclosure – which comes only months after all 32 councils were forced to raise tax bills in an attempt to cover funding gaps – has prompted concerns over the ‘shocking’ spend on plane tickets.

The study found councils had spent at least £3,234,272 on flights since 2015.

The campaign group said council bosses should consider video-conferencing or other technology rather than travelling abroad.

Chief executive John O’Connell said: ‘For many families, council tax is the largest monthly bill. It’s shocking their hard-earned money is being misspent by some local authorities in this way. They need to find millions in savings, and with modern technology they needn’t spend large sums of taxpayers’ money on plane tickets.’

Orkney Council had the highest spend on flights, at £899,551 over the three-year period. This was followed by the Western Isles on £848,888 and Shetland Council, which spent £716,064.

Orkney Council chief executive Alistair Buchan said: ‘Representing an islands community involves considerable extra expense when compared to our counterparts on the Scottish mainland.

‘We have rigorous procedures in place when it comes expenditure on travel. Alternatives are always carefully considered before travel outwith Orkney takes place. Video-conferencing is regularly used.’

Council chiefs in Edinburgh spent £148,003 on flights to locations including Abu Dhabi, China, Japan, Greece, France and Spain. A 2016 flight included a first-class ticket from Edinburgh Airport to Amsterdam.

The council did not disclose the purpose of any of the trips but a spokesman said: ‘As well as being a capital city, Edinburgh is internationally renowned for its history, heritage, festivals, education, financial and technology sectors.

‘The council employs around 19,000 staff, some of whom are required to travel in the UK and occasionally overseas to promote the city and ensure we continue to compete on an international stage.’

Other high-spending councils include Aberdeenshire, which spent £199,086, and Aberdeen, on £141,743.