State school pressure from VAT plans - Christopher Cowdy

SNP woes grow by the day with problems over Humza Yousaf’s leadership, collapse of the Green coalition and recent re-arrest of Peter Murrell on charges of embezzlement.
By Christopher Cowdy
Published 29th Apr 2024, 07:00 BST
Fountainbridge/Craiglockhartcouncillor Christopher Cowdy has been chosen as Conservative candidate in Edinburgh South at the general electionFountainbridge/Craiglockhartcouncillor Christopher Cowdy has been chosen as Conservative candidate in Edinburgh South at the general election
Fountainbridge/Craiglockhartcouncillor Christopher Cowdy has been chosen as Conservative candidate in Edinburgh South at the general election

These are just some of their more recent issues, but I am always drawn to an earlier statement by former First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon:

“Let me be clear – I want to be judged on this. If you are not, as First Minister, prepared to put your neck on the line on the education of our young people then what are you prepared to. It really matters.”

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This to me is the real terms upon which I judge the SNP, because education of our young is what really matters, and they have been badly failed.

Nicola Sturgeon asked to be judged on closing Scotland's education attainment gap between (Picture: Andy Buchanan/pool/Getty Images)Nicola Sturgeon asked to be judged on closing Scotland's education attainment gap between (Picture: Andy Buchanan/pool/Getty Images)
Nicola Sturgeon asked to be judged on closing Scotland's education attainment gap between (Picture: Andy Buchanan/pool/Getty Images)

I sit on the council’s education committee and see the direct result of SNP mismanagement.

Scottish Government Block Grant Funding for Edinburgh is worst of all Scotland’s Local Authorities and, with £350m for education taking up almost one third of the city’s total budget, the £50m a year shortfall inevitably leads to pressure on schools.

The education committee recently received a report on how school buildings can accommodate projected pupil numbers. It described a capacity review of secondary schools underway to squeeze out every ounce of efficiency and a concerned parent council asked me to ensure vital social, dining, and study space would not be lost.

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Pupils continue recovering from Covid lockdown and shoe-horning them into overfilled buildings is not going to help their health or attainment.

But it is not just the SNP we must guard against. A general election looms and a key proposal from Labour is the introduction of 20 per cent VAT on school fees.

With a higher percentage of Edinburgh children attending independent schools than any other city, this is not just a problem for parents paying school fees. It will have an even greater impact on the state sector that is expected to pick up the fallout, and with latest estimates of 15 per cent of secondary pupils shifting from Independent to State schools we should all hope Labour don’t get in.

Christopher Cowdy Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Edinburgh South

Related topics:SNPNicola SturgeonHumza YousafPeter MurrellEdinburgh

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