'Scandal' as Union voices anger over £327k payoff given
to trams boss amid calls for investigation

By GRAHAM GRANT, SCOTTISH HOME AFFAIRS EDITOR Published: 19:40, 24 June 2026 | Updated: 19:40, 24 June 2026 The former boss of Edinburgh’s controversial tram network was handed a ‘golden goodbye’ of more than £320,000. Lea Harrison left his post as managing director of Edinburgh Trams in January, after its board merged with Lothian Buses. Unite the Union described the payout as a ‘scandal’ and called for the City of Edinburgh Council to take action. Council leader Jane Meagher said she was ‘deeply concerned’ by the size of the deal and has asked the new board to investigate whether proper approvals were given.  She said the payout was signed off by Edinburgh Trams’ former board, and the council had a ‘new relationship’ with the firm. ‘I cannot see any justification for someone already on such a high salary receiving this type of pay-off for leaving their job,’ she added. Lea Harrison left his post as managing director of Edinburgh Trams in January The boards of Lothian Buses and Edinburgh Trams were merged in late 2025 The local authority merged the boards of Lothian Buses and Edinburgh Trams in late 2025 as part of Edinburgh’s transport reform programme, with Sarah Boyd appointed as the new chief executive to oversee both networks. Mr Harrison took up a new post as managing director of Blackpool Trams in March. Unite said Lothian Buses also authorised a separate payment of more than £120,000 to former director Colin Barnes, revealed in documents that will go before Edinburgh councillors on Thursday. Calling for an inquiry, Sharon Graham, the union’s general secretary, said: ‘These payments are an abuse of public funds. ‘The money would have been far better spent on improving the transport network, and workers’ terms and conditions. ‘It’s nothing short of a scandal and action must be taken.’ Lord Hardie’s probe into why the Edinburgh trams project was £400million over budget and five years late took nine years. His 2023 report blamed a ‘litany of avoidable failures’. Annual accounts for the city council show Mr Harrison received a total remuneration package of more than £520,000 for 2025-26 – including £327,713 in compensation for loss of office. Mr Harrison, who was approached for comment, started out driving trams in Manchester and ran Edinburgh Trams from 2016 until his exit at the start of this year. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.