An emergency meeting of union members from the Scotsman titles has criticised Johnston Press chief executive Ashley Highfield's strategy of "rating everything by cost", following the surprise departure of editor-in-chief John McLellan. Staff at Scotsman Publications, which includes the Scotsman, the Scotland on Sunday and the Edinburgh Evening News, were stunned by the announcement on Thursday that the editor-in-chief role is to be scrapped immediately. McLellan left the Scotsman building about midday while the chapels of the National Union of Journalists representing the titles called an emergency meeting at 2pm to discuss the ramifications. In a joint statement the chapels said:"It shows management's utter disregard for the loyalty and dedication that their staff show every day in their efforts to produce quality newspapers and magazines, and sends out a deeply unpleasant message: no matter your experience or your commitment, everything is rated by cost."