Labour to challenge Holyrood over education spending cuts

Scottish Labour is calling on the Scottish Government to “put their rhetoric into action” with votes on key issues in education and social care.

The party will press for plans to cut funding in poorer communities to be dropped in order to close the attainment gap on Wednesday.

Nine council areas – Clackmannanshire, Dundee City, East Ayrshire, Glasgow City, Inverclyde, North Ayrshire, North Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire and West Dunbartonshire – are facing cuts to special funding they have received for the last seven years, amounting to a total cumulative loss of £63 million over the course of four years.

The money is to be spread across the whole of Scotland, but Scottish Labour says doing so will “force children in the poorest communities to pay the cost of services for children across the country”.

Labour has also lodged a motion highlighting the crisis facing social care in Scotland and pressure on wider NHS services.

The party’s deputy leader, Jackie Baillie, said: “Cuts to attainment funding authorities are a gross betrayal of the children who need their help, an unthinkable decision while we struggle to recover from the devastation of the pandemic which has hurt those kids hardest of all.

“But it is not too late for the SNP-Green government to put a stop to their dangerous complacency and reckless pursuit of damaging policies.

“The SNP and the Greens must put their rhetoric into action by backing Labour’s motions and defending our public services.”