Smith should be eating humble pie over school meals, claim Nats

Oct 8 2008 by David Wynn, East Kilbride News

A BITTER war of words has erupted between the SNP and Labour over controversial plans to introduce free school meals.

Sheena Wardhaugh, the SNP’s education spokeswoman, claims the local Labour party are lying about funding concerns over the scheme.

She also accused South Lanarkshire’s education convener, Councillor Mary Smith, of either ‘mischief-making’ or not being ‘on top of her brief’ after Cllr Smith made critical comments in two Sunday newspapers.

In response, Cllr Smith claimed the remarks were an example of the SNP’s inability to accept criticism.

The political dispute centres on the SNP Scottish Government’s plans to introduce free school lunches for all pupils in the first three years of primary school from 2010.

Some councils, including North Lanarkshire and Glasgow, claim other services would have to be cut to fund the scheme as no extra money is being made available to local authorities.

But the SNP claim the project is adequately funded through a concordat which has already been agreed by COSLA.

At this stage, South Lanarkshire Council as a local authority has taken no official stance.

Cllr Wardhaugh said: “The SNP Group in South Lanarkshire Council must challenge quotes from Mary Smith, chair of education resources, in two major Sunday papers this week.

“She talks about "having to find the money to fund free school meals" – we don't have to find it because it's already there in the settlement from the Scottish Government. It's a pity Mary didn't listen to the statement from Cllr. Pat Watters, who confirmed that on Radio Scotland on Thursday.

“This commitment to free school meals in primaries one, two and three subject to the success of the pilots, is part of the Concordat between CoSLA and the Scottish Government. It is also part of SLC's Single Outcome Agreement.

"Some Labour councillors take every opportunity to "rubbish" the Scottish Government whether it is justified or not. Cllr. Smith should check her facts before she speaks to the media. She is either mischief-making or not on top of her brief."

Cllr Smith replied: “Sheena Wardhaugh’s comments are a reminder to us of the SNP’s inability to accept justified criticism.

“From day one the SNP have been widely extravagant and wasteful with the public finances in a bid to garner popularity and they are now making announcements without giving proper thought to how they will be fully funded.

“The concordat signed by CoSLA and the Scottish Executive allowed for £40m to fund a number of SNP manifesto commitments.

“Last week’s free school dinners announcement by the SNP does not take into account that reality and also fails to factor into the equation higher fuel costs, higher gas and electricity prices and the additional money we will have to find to fund our employees’ pay settlement.

“But it’s not just SLC which is feeling the pinch; Fiona Hyslop’s announcement has been criticised by local authorities where the SNP are in control.

“At a UK level, politicians are setting aside old enmities and pulling together to deal with problems affecting the global markets. Whether we like it or not we are a part of that and we are suffering the consequences, but the SNP seem intent on creating friction and continue to make announcements which do not take into account the difficult times in which we are living.

“That is not good governance.”

An SLC spokeswoman said: “The council has yet to carry out a full analysis of the cost implications of providing free school meals for primary one to three pupils.

"If implemented this would affect up to 10,000 schoolchildren in South Lanarkshire."

What do you think? E-mail dwynn@s-un.co.uk