David Kerr: Back to school for Labour
Five months ago when Michael Martin resigned there was a more local issue dominating the news in this constituency. School closures.Today schools are back on the agenda. The SNP has dug up papers , produced last week by the council showing how many teaching posts Labour have cut over the summer months.
The figures, tucked away in a staffing report show that since June Glasgow's Labour council has let an astonishing 150 teaching posts go.
Even more astonishing, when I looked back at the figures for last September they show that Labour have let over 300 teaching posts go in the last 12 months.
In the summer Glasgow's Labour council shut five local primaries in this constituency over the wishes of the community. Holding off on the by-election, even voting against it in Westminster, might have helped Labour get the issue out of the papers but as I have met parents from those five schools through this campaign it is clear they have not forgotten Labour's betrayal. The loss of 300 teaching posts, that could have been used to cut class sizes - starting in Glasgow North East - is a further sign that Labour's commitment to education in this city is not what it should be.
Labour have no excuses here - Glasgow's Labour council receives more money from the SNP for every resident than any other mainland council, but it spends less of it's money on education than any of Scotland's other 31 councils. Labour cannot escape that fact.
This morning I will join Nicola Sturgeon at the site of one of those schools with local parents. Their concerns have not gone away and nor has their fighting spirit. Their children now have a difficult and dangerous walk to school and this morning those parents will be highlighting those concerns.
My commitment to the parents, children and teachers of this constituency is that if elected on Thursday I will not keep quiet while Labour shut schools, cut teachers and increase class sizes. Labour may not be spending the money Glasgow receives on Glasgow North East's priorities, but the priorities of constituents will be my priorities if I am given the honour of representing this constituency. I will take the fight to the City Chambers and I will stand up for parents when Labour rips them off.
posted by David Kerr at
10:00
4 Comments:
Interesting, after meeting you last night at the Hustings and hearing Willie Bain stutter and try to delegate blaim on the closure of schools on the Scottish Government, I am entirely not surprised to read this. To be honest I was disappointed upon meeting Willie Bain he is clearly a little smug pug with little interest in his potential consituents.
It was nice to meet you and I agree Labour will not be the best candidate for this by election, it remains to be seen whether SNP policies are going to be any better.
I'd like to know what exactly the SNP has been doing to stop all these school closures.
It's all well and good to point the finger of blame. Prospective politicians should be cominhg up with ideas of how they would resolve this issue if elected. Not just hot air about making a noise and going to the city chambers.
Another point i would like to add is that Labour have run the Glasgow council for decades and the UK government since 97 and ran the Scottish government for 8 years. They are therefore responsible for the schooling of Glasgow children in secondary school. In GNE over half the people have NO qualifications, Labour MUST take responsibilty for this. It is not only about the closure of schools there is the fact that Labour has not provided schools with what they need to function adequately and provide GNE children with education !
BTW remember that Willie Bain is claiming to be local whilst lecturing 400 miles away. He decided that it was more important to him to educate those in London than those he purports to stand for!
meg,
Yes, it is all well and good to point the finger of blame exactly where it belongs and that is at Glasgow Council. Labour have run the Council for decades and their incompetence and/or indifference is nowhere more starkly evident than in Glasgow North East.
Two of Glasgow's leading Labour politicians are legendary, even by Westminster standards, for their ability to squeeze as much as possible from the public purse at the expense of those who were so trusting or so gullible as to vote for them time after time.
Willie Bain claims to be able to change all this - does anyone seriously believe this from Michael Martin's right hand man? He must surely know where the skeletons are buried and will have learned some financial skills from the foxy Lord.
Post a Comment
<< Home