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Lindsay: 'proud of his contribution to the community' East Lothian Council's chief executive is finally quitting the authority without his controversial redundancy package. John Lindsay officially leaves his post at the end of September after 12 years, following months of legal wrangling over a redundancy payment. It ends a tumultuous time at the council centred on the way in which Mr Lindsay's £300,000-plus leaving package was agreed in February this year. The decision taken by the Labour administration at the time to give Mr Lindsay a £149,000 redundancy package as well as a retirement lump sum of £155,000 and a pension of £55,000 a year was strongly criticised by the authority's sole SNP councillor at the time Cllr Dave Berry. He claimed councillors were not given time to evaluate the decision before it was agreed and so reported it to the Accounts Commission. The commission said the council's actions were ‘a long way short of the standards expected of public bodies'. A council inquiry concluded last month no redundancy situation in law had arisen and so any payment would be unlawful. This was accepted by full council and the pay-off overturned at its meeting last week. Mr Lindsay will still, however, receive his retirement package of more than £200,000. Cllr Berry said: ‘Given the Accounts Commission's very critical views on how the previous administration dealt with this matter, the new council has demonstrated that it is acting fairly and responsibly and in the best interests of East Lothian's residents.' Mr Lindsay said he was proud of his contribution to the community during his tenure at the council: ‘I would like to thank all my friends and colleagues in East Lothian and the wider community who have worked with me and helped recently and over the past years.'

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East Lothian chief quits

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