Paisley Daily Express Column

Paisley Daily Express Column - 18 Nov 2009

I’LL KEEP SPEAKING UP FOR OUR SCHOOLS

Last week Councillor Jim McQuade attacked me in the letters column of the Paisley Daily Express for speaking up against the cuts to school budgets being made here in Renfrewshire by the SNP led Council.

He said my condemnation of the cuts would cause confusion in our communities. In fact I think Paisley Daily Express readers are well able to make up their own minds on the evidence. So let me answer his attacks by setting out the facts.

He said I should be “fighting for Renfrewshire at Westminster”. That’s exactly what I do.

FACT 1 – Working with my Labour colleagues at Holyrood and in Renfrewshire Council we commissioned 10 new schools and the refurbishment for 12 more here in Renfrewshire. In contrast since the SNP has led the local Council they have closed South Primary School and announced no new refurbishments.

FACT 2– At the Renfrewshire Budget Meeting in February 2008 the following cuts to school budgets were agreed by SNP Councillors:

Castlehead High - a cut of £141,998.
Gleniffer High - a cut of £213,855.
Johnstone High - a cut of £179,325.
St. Benedicts High - a cut of £115,426.
St. Andrews High a cut of £186,136.
Paisley Grammar - a cut of £186.136

FACT 3 - With 122 Renfrewshire teachers lost in the last couple of years, Renfrewshire is now sadly in the top three in both total teacher losses and in the percentage of teachers axed across Scotland.

FACT 4 - The SNP election manifesto promised to reduce P1 to P3 class sizes to a maximum of 18. In Renfrewshire the SNP led Council have not even attempted to keep this promise.

FACT 5 – Under the SNP, Council pupil teacher ratios in Renfrewshire in the last year were the 2nd worst in Scotland and the worst in Scotland for secondary schools.

These facts help explain why a local pupil wrote to me recently telling me that he had to bring in his own paper because the school couldn’t afford to give him jotters for each of his classes.

I went to school here in Renfrewshire. I care about our local schools. Politics is about choices, and your choices reveal your priorities. I’m angry that our local SNP led Council have chosen not to prioritise the future of local children. So I can assure Paisley Daily Express readers that I will not hesitate to speak out as the local MP to make the case for strengthening our schools rather than underfunding our community’s future.

RENFREWSHIRE REMEMBERS

Armistice Day is a chance to reflect and remember the service and the sacrifice of the fallen. This year there was for me an added poignancy. I observed the traditional two minutes silence on the steps of Paisley Town Hall. With hundreds of others I had just attended the Funeral Ceremony of Guardsman Paul McGee from Lochwinnoch. He was a brave soldier and a fine man – and all Renfrewshire mourns his tragic passing.

SHERIFF’S ON TARGET

Last week the Paisley Daily Express reported Sheriff Colin Pettigrew’s warning that insults and abuse that are hurled at RAH medical staff will “not be tolerated”. Like many local families mine has reason to be grateful to the staff of the RAH for the care and skill they have shown to us in difficult and worrying times.

As the local MP I welcome Sheriff Pettigrew’s clear warning that violent and aggressive behaviour towards local healthcare staff will not be tolerated. Local NHS staff do fantastic job…and they deserve all our support.

THE STREETS OF SPRINGBURN

Last Week I was knocking on doors and talking to voters in the streets of Springburn. I was there to support Willie Bain, Labour’s by-election candidate. Willie’s campaign focussed on the SNP’s broken promises on the Glasgow Airport Rail Link and class sizes, and Labour’s determination to battle recession. And so great was voter’s anger at the SNP’s failures that this week I joined colleagues at Westminster in welcoming Willie Bain as the new MP for Glasgow North East.