STV NewsA judge has granted permission for two billionaire businessmen to pursue legal action against the Scottish Government after their bus business didn’t receive public money.
Lady Ross told lawyers on Friday that she was allowing a judicial review to be brought to the Court of Session in Edinburgh by McGill’s Buses.
The firm is owned by former Rangers FC directors James and Sandy Easdale, who are worth an estimated £1.47bn.
The company want Scotland’s highest civil court to examine the circumstances surrounding the government refusing to give the go ahead for their £4.3m funding bid under the Scottish Zero Emission Bus Challenge Fund was rejected.
Lawyers for the firm believe the decision made by the Scottish Ministers was incorrect and open to legal challenge.
The Greenock based firm failed to secure support from the third phase of the Scottish Zero Emission Bus Challenge Fund (ScotZeb) in March 2026.
Ministers approved £45m of awards to bus firms Ember, Stagecoach, Rock Road, Lothian and First Bus.
McGill’s has also submitted a claim with the Competition Appeal Tribunal in a bid to overturn the decision and reform the award process.
The company had secured funding in the first two phases of the ScotZeb scheme.
McGill’s said it had planned to use its third phase bid to purchase vehicles from Scottish bus builder Alexander Dennis.
Speaking about the government’s decision earlier this year, Sandy Easdale said: “The move would have boosted Scottish jobs and enabled it to remove more diesel vehicles from its fleet across Scotland.
“The largest share – £13m – was awarded to coach firm Ember to buy 100 Chinese electric coaches to expand its existing network, which would not result in any diesel vehicles being replaced.
“We have questionable decisions being made on large amounts of public money by nameless people in secret rooms who are trying to avoid scrutiny.
“Decisions on taxpayers’ sums of this magnitude should be fully transparent and decision makers should be willing to be held accountable.”
The company wants a review of the scoring process, the reversal of the funding allocation, and broader changes to how zero-emission subsidies are issued.
James Easdale said: “There is also a fundamental question about fairness and transparency in how this funding has been allocated.
“We have looked very closely at the scoring process and reached the inevitable conclusion that a legal appeal had to be submitted.”
In May 2026, the Easdales were named as being among the top five richest people in Scotland by the Sunday Times rich list.
The transport tycoons, who also have a large property portfolio, are now worth a reported £1.47bn, putting them above the likes of Harry Potter writer JK Rowling and bus tycoon Sir Brian Souter and his sister Dame Ann Gloag.
The Easdales joined the Rangers board in 2013 following Craig Whyte’s takeover of the Glasgow club. They later resigned in 2015.
On Friday, an official at the Court of Session said the judicial review would be heard on December 1, 2026.
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