Xplore Dundee billionaire bus owners hand ‘six-figure’ sum to Labour.

The funds were contributed by James and Sandy Easdale, who took over the city’s routes in 2020.

Dundee bus company owners James and Sandy Easdale have donated a six-figure sum to Scottish Labour as the country prepares for the Holyrood election.

The brothers, whose McGill’s corporation owns Xplore Dundee, say they want the SNP out of power.

They have also opposed transport policies, especially increased public ownership of buses, which is supported by Labour in government.

Public transport and taxpayer subsidies are already heated subjects ahead of the Scottish election on May 7.

The Easdales formed independent company McGill’s in Inverclyde and are among Scotland’s wealthiest business owners. They took over Xplore in December 2020.

‘Better handle on business’

The donation was revealed in an interview with the brothers published in The Herald.

“I believe Anas Sarwar has a better understanding of business and how Scotland’s business sector works,” Sandy Easdale told the paper.

According to reports, half of the money rests on Labour becoming more Scottish-oriented.

Scottish Labour figures, including leader Anas Sarwar and deputy leader Dame Jackie Baillie, publicly supported the proposal.

The Scottish Green Party said the gift puts pressure on Labour to reaffirm its commitment to public ownership.

According to Greens co-leader Ross Greer, the Easdales and a few others have profited handsomely from the failed experiment that is the UK’s private bus network.

Their company has received tens of millions of pounds in public grants and subsidies from the Scottish Government in the last few years alone.”

A McGill official declined to respond to the comment. Mr. Easdale and his brother first purchased Xplore Dundee in 2020.

The siblings are former Rangers FC directors who have run the bus company McGill’s in the west of Scotland since 2001.

They debuted on The Sunday Times Scottish Rich List in 2022 as billionaires, ranked eighth.

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