News / Scott critical of MSPs after free school meals vote
AN OUTSPOKEN councillor has criticised the “sheer unadulterated hypocrisy” of three political parties in Holyrood following a vote on free school meals.
MSPs for Scottish Labour, Liberal Democrats and Conservatives combined to support a vote last week calling on the Scottish Government to roll out free meals to all Scottish primary pupils.
Currently P1-5 pupils can eat for free at school, with only pupils in P6-7 on certain benefits not charged for their meals.
The SNP has committed previously to making school meals free for all primary pupils, but says it does not have the money at the moment to expand it to P6 and P7.
Education secretary Jenny Gilruth tabled an amendment to Conservative MSP Liam Kerr’s motion last Wednesday, committing the government to continuing the roll-out but only when funding was available.
She cited the “impact of the austerity agenda” from the current Labour and previous Conservative UK governments.
But her amendment was voted down by 64 votes to 62, with Shetland MSP Beatrice Wishart one of those to side against it.
Shetland Central councillor Ian Scott – who previously called on Shetland Islands Council (SIC) to offer free school meals to all pupils – strongly criticised the three political parties who voted together against the SNP last week.
“The sheer unadulterated hypocrisy of the Labour Party and their allies the Tories – along with their Lib Dem flunkies – knows no bounds,” he said.
“To listen to that mob bleating on about child welfare is truly disgusting.
“New Labour has shown itself to be what it is, if ever there was a doubt.”
Scott also rounded on his fellow council members who, he claimed, had “quite merrily” voted to spend more than £1 million on the Tall Ships Races instead of backing his universal free school meals motion in November 2022.
“Let’s not ignore the £500,000 cost that resulted in getting rid of a late lamented chief executive,” he added.
“Priorities, priorities, priorities, free school meals for our children or nuclear bombs. Free swimming lessons or a weekend’s revelry on the pier.”
The SIC’s Tall Ships spend came from an annual allocation it receives from Crown Estate net revenues.
Despite losing the vote at Holyrood, the Scottish Government is not legally bound to introduce free school meals to all primary pupils in this parliamentary session.
It says it remains committed to doing so when the finances are available.
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