The Scottish Conservative opposition group in Perth and Kinross have set out their stall to try to protect local services.
This comes in the wake of the SNP Government’s Education Secretary Shirley Anne-Sommerville announcing a plan for punishing councils that do not maintain increased teacher numbers and support staff. She said the Government would ‘withhold or recoup’ funds provided for new teachers in these circumstances.
As a result, the Scottish Conservative group in Perth and Kinross, led by Councillor John Duff, recently put forward a Motion earlier to write to Ms Sommerville (and copy in the Deputy First Minister, John Swinney), to express their concerns on this proposal, which was agreed by Perth and Kinross Council.
Commenting, Councillor Duff said: “This is absolutely not about any desire to see reductions in teacher numbers. However, it is extremely displeasing and frustrating that the Scottish Government has seen fit to threaten local authorities with cuts to their budget rather than to provide councils with adequate finance to deliver the services which our communities expect and demand. Indeed, the SNP Government have had no end of warnings from every Council leader in Scotland and COSLA as to the impact of the SNP Government’s massive real terms cuts to local government budgets – warnings which have so far gone largely unheeded.
“The Education Secretary’s sanctions may be designed to maintain progress with closing the attainment gap. However, we all know at this end that progress with this is not down to teacher numbers alone. Councils have utilised their budgets to provide a variety of supports for early years, children, young people, families and communities.”
Councillor Duff continued: “This move will disproportionately impact on our ability to implement supportive measures across a wide range services, including trying to reduce child poverty, social work services, early interventions with children and families, after school clubs or access to sports facilities.”
