The Daily Record can reveal the former judge has pocketed an ‘eye-watering’ £1,056,181 to chair the probe after transport chiefs tried to keep the sum a secret.

Opposition politicians reacted with fury last night when it emerged a retired judge had been paid more than £1million to chair the £13million Edinburgh Tram Inquiry.

A government-funded probe started in 2014 into the crisis-hit transport project after it came in £400million over budget and five years late. Nine years later and five years after evidence ended, the inquiry chaired by Lord Hardie has still not issued its final report.

But the Daily Record can reveal that the former judge has pocketed an “eye-watering” £1,056,181 to chair the probe after transport chiefs tried to keep the sum a secret. After two years, the Scottish Information Commissioner agreed with the Record that Lord Hardie’s earnings should be public knowledge.

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