Bonuses at a Glasgow council entertainment firm have soared to £217,000 despite an ongoing cost of living crisis. Seven bosses at the Scottish Event Campus Ltd (SEC) raked in average top-ups of £31,011 each, more than the salary of some council workers.
Bonuses Nearly Double in a Year
The £217,081 paid out in bonuses was higher than the £117,694 awarded the previous year, according to the 2025/26 council accounts. SEC Ltd is majority owned by the city council and runs venues like the Armadillo and the OVO Hydro, which hosted Lewis Capaldi, Billie Eilish and Mumford & Sons last year.
SEC chief executive Dominic McKay received a £43,693 bonus on top of his £197,740 salary, bringing his total remuneration to £266,377 – higher than the salary of Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Stewart Roberts, interim finance director, was awarded a £26,000 bonus, while chief commercial officer Deborah McWilliams received £35,294 as part of a £231,363 package. Colin Hartley, director of operations, benefited from an extra £30,350, and director of people Fiona Campbell-Downes received another £26,000. Daniel Thurlow, director of exhibition sales, earned a £30,350 bonus as part of a £229,923 remuneration deal, while ex-director of conference sales Kathleen Warden was given another £25,394.
Political and Union Backlash
John Daly, a Tory councillor in Glasgow, said: “These eye-watering bonuses will stick in the throat of hard-pressed Glaswegians. At a time when they are being forced to pay huge increases in council tax, only to get fewer services, they will be furious at the SNP-run council sanctioning these payments. During a cost-of-living crisis and cuts to services, it is hard to see how they can be justified.”
Keir Greenway of the GMB Scotland trade union added: “The SEC is a vital part of the city’s economy and it is right that workers share in its success. But every Glaswegian must also share in its success with its revenue strengthening the services the city is built on. The huge salaries and bonuses paid to those at the very top of the SEC are increasingly hard to justify when the council’s budgets across all departments are under such clear and current threat.”
Council Budget Pressures
The bonuses come after a wave of job losses and cuts at the council to plug a financial black hole. Council tax was hiked 5.9% in the city to raise revenue for services. According to the Accounts Commission, Glasgow Council is facing a budget gap of £86.7 million this year alone.
SEC Defends Bonuses
A spokesperson for the SEC said: “The SEC is a private limited company which operates in a highly competitive commercial environment. Like any private business, the SEC benchmarks pay to attract and retain the calibre of leadership required to compete at the highest level. The SEC is not funded by the public purse. It generates its own revenue, carries its own commercial risk and returns significant value to Glasgow and Scotland. Last year it delivered one of its strongest ever financial performances, generating over half a billion pounds in economic value for the city and welcoming over two million visitors. The SEC’s success supports the city’s tourism economy, international reputation and its position as one of Europe’s leading event destinations. Last week, the OVO Hydro was confirmed as one of the world’s top 10 best-selling music arenas ahead of New York’s Madison Square Garden.”
A council spokesman said: “The SEC operates on a commercial basis and the council doesn’t set salaries for its staff.”
