THE frontrunner in the Scottish Labour leadership race is at the centre of a cronyism row after paying an old friend £6000 of public money after becoming an MSP.

Left-winger Richard Leonard used his Scottish Parliament expenses to give the cash to Professor Mike Donnelly, an old contact from university and the Labour party.

It was largest amount claimed by any MSP for so-called “contract staff” last year.

According to an invoice obtained by the Herald under freedom of information law, Prof Donnelly was paid for working one day a week on “expert advisory services”.

A management and business consultant, he charged for his services as an “expert adviser… generally on ongoing policy issues” despite Scottish Labour having its own policy unit.

He also charged for “establishing the specification for [Mr Leonard’s] office and assisting with the staffing appointments in the Scottish Parliament and the Central Scotland constituency".

Work was “delivered through personal and professional contact equivalent to one day per week attending the Scottish Parliament and other venues” from May 2016 to March 2017.

Holyrood was sitting for 30 weeks before Prof Donnelly sent in his bill, making a £6000 payment equivalent to £200 a day.

A Scottish Labour source said: “This will raise eyebrows in the party.

“All Labour MSPs have access to an expert policy unit in the Scottish Parliament, led by a highly respected policy director. "Why would Richard need policy advice from a man who has had no frontline political experience for years?”

Mr Leonard is currently the bookies’ favourite to beat centrist rival Anas Sarwar for the party leadership on November 18..

Prof Donnelly, 66, was a key figure in the Labour party in and around Stirling University in the 1980s, where he was warden of two two student halls of residence from 1980 to 1987.

Jack McConnell and Mr Leonard were among his charges.

Mr McConnell was student president from 1980-82 and Mr Leonard from 1984-85.

Mr McConnell and Mr Donnelly later served as Labour councillors in Stirling, and when he became First Minister in 2001, Mr McConnell made Mr Donnelly his chief of staff.

Mr Donnelly left after two years in the job, going into academia in the UK and Australia.

He is currently an honorary professor of Heriot Watt University, and a trustee of Linthouse Housing Association in Glasgow.

Mr Leonard’s campaign insisted the personal ties were irrelevant.

A spokesperson said: “Mike Donnelly is a highly-qualified and well-respected Labour movement figure of longstanding service.

“Richard paid Mike Donnelly on a 6 month consultancy basis when he had no other parliamentary staff, helping Richard with his ongoing Parliamentary work whilst also advising him on setting up his local and Parliamentary offices, including with the recruitment of Richard's staff."