Aberdeen’s lord provost has defended his predecessor’s £43,896 expenses in the House of Lords.
The city’s former provost Lord Kirkhill was one of the highest claiming peers in the Lords, despite last making a speech in 2013.
The 87-year-old Labour life peer was Lord Provost of Aberdeen from 1971 to 1975 and minister of state for Scotland from August 1975 to December 1978.
Political opponents rounded on him as a “couch potato peer”, while SNP Aberdeen Central MSP Kevin Stewart said the sum showed the Lords was “rotten to the core” and should be abolished.
But last night Lord Provost Barney Crockett said the criticism was unfair.
Mr Crockett, an Aberdeen Labour councillor, said: “Lord Kirkhill is an extremely hard working but low-profile peer.
“It is important to remember that he is a peer from the north of Scotland, so much of his expenses will be on air travel.
“You can’t say that Scotland needs more representation in the House of Lords without giving them the budget for travel.”
