Labour MP Paul Davies has taken on Dominic Shellard, the controversial former vice-chancellor of De Montfort University, as a member of his parliamentary staff. Co-conspirators might remember “Professor Moneybags” Shellard, who hit the headlines in 2019 for his eye-watering £350,000 salary, a plush rent-free flat, and £57,000 in travel expenses. Between 2016-2017 alone, he spent £37,790 on flights, £15,422 on hotels as well as the University funding his £2,700 membership to a private club in Covent Garden. All while presiding over a university that ranked a dismal 67th in the UK…

Shellard became a lightning rod for the backlash against exorbitant vice-chancellor pay, eventually resigning amid allegations of bullying and mismanagement. Remarkably, Shellard was sent away with £260,000 in “compensation for loss of office” plus a £10,000 bonus. Following his resignation, the Office for Students concluded that there were “significant and systemic” issues with the University’s management, promising to “improve” oversights including breaches of the University’s Financial Regulations…

Shellard’s reputation for temperament isn’t exactly glowing either. Senior staff at the University told The Mail at the time: “The guy was a bully”, whilst another said his temper tantrums would lead him to be “red in the face, veins bulging, literally screaming.” Now he’s working for a Labour MP. Not exactly a stellar addition to the Estate…