The Labour Administration on Glasgow City Council today pressed ahead with their plans to consult on the closure of 25 primary and nursery schools, in the face of public and political opposition.

Speaking after today’s Special Meeting of Glasgow City Council, SNP Councillor Billy McAllister, Deputy Leader of the Opposition said: "Labour’s front knows no bounds.  Having sprung the future of 25 schools upon the city last week, not a single Labour councillor spoke up in defence either of the Labour proposal to close 25 schools or to support their own threatened schools.

"The SNP led calls for a delay to the process, to allow for more time to consider the evidence and look at the proposals as part of a wider examination of the schools estate.  The Labour Group, despite saying absolutely nothing, voted meekly for the process to be pushed forward."

Councillor Patricia Gibson, SNP Spokeswoman on Education, added: "The people of Glasgow – parents, staff and pupils – will long remember the lack of support by their supine Labour Councillors. The administration is not alone in recognising the need for change, but they are alone in their desire to rush headlong into an ill conceived and wrongheaded solution. We want to see change on the basis of local need and not through budgetary pressures.

"By pushing on with their timetable regardless of public concern Labour are riding roughshod over the concerns of many of those with an interest in primary and nursery education in Glasgow."

Notes

1. The debate was opened by Baillie Matheson; the Labour motion was seconded by Cllr Purcell.  There then followed a 90 minute debate in which not one Labour member contributed.  The debate was then closed by Cllr Purcell.

2. The vote on the motion went as follows:

• For Labour Motion               40

• For SNP Amendment               21

• For Lib Dem Amendment   4

3. The terms of the SNP motion were as follows:

“Council believes that although there are concerns over the primary estate and may be scope for some rationalisation, the current proposals and timescales for consultation do not meet the expectations of parents, staff and the wider community for full and genuine consultation.

Given that the Leader of the Administration has publicly and repeatedly, stated that these proposals are not budget driven, Council agrees:

1. That the Education & Social Work PDS examine these proposals, including financial data, catchment areas and the impact of regeneration.

2. That staff, parents and the wider community are involved in a wide scale consultation which will return to the PDS before final consideration by a full Council to be held after the summer recess.”