Rejecting educational trusts...

I see from today's 'Herald' that Ronnie Smith, General Secretary of the teaching union EIS, is calling for the running of schools to be taken away from Scotland's 32 democratically elected local authorities and given over to quangos in the shape of 12 educational trusts.

Clearly what lies behind this proposal is the view that if schools were run by trusts they would in some way have greater protection from the cuts that local authorities are having to make in response to reduced funding from the Scottish Government. The experience of further and higher education institutions, which are directly funded by the Scottish Government, would suggest that this argument is somewhat naive.

The EIS General Secretary of course tries to advance a philosophical argument in favour of his Union's position.

He appears to be arguing that education is a national service and therefore all schools should operate on the basis of consistent national policies with no local flexibility. I totally reject this notion.

The delivery of education to our communities is fundamental to the role of local authorities and the purpose of local government. Indeed in the case of Inverclyde our whole social and economic strategy is underpinned by our commitment to giving our young people the best possible start in life to help lift many of them out of poverty. We should also not forget that most local councillors have a direct interest in ensuring that the education services we provide are of a high standard since our children and grandchildren are among the recipients of these services.

If you accept the logic of Mr Smith's argument then most, if not all, services would be removed from local authorities.

If education is a national service so by the same logic is social work. Why not therefore transfer social work to be run by appointed health boards?

If we are looking for consistent national standards why not transfer responsibility for local roads to Transport Scotland, which already manages the trunk roads network?

I could go on.

Mr Smith tells us that it would be important to ensure proper democratic accountability within the educational trusts so that local views and priorities are not overlooked, citing health boards as a possible blue print for how such trusts could operate.

Mr Smith would do well to ask the people of Inverclyde how accountable they feel that health boards are before before promoting such nonsense.

The fundamental point that Mr Smith is missing is that local authorities do not exist simply to deliver nationally agreed policies and priorities. We have a system of local government in Scotland not local administration.

Any political party that is considering removing education from local authority control would do well to think again. I am confident that this is something that would be opposed by the vast majority of councillors across the political spectrum.

Strange bedfellows...

I see from the 'Scotsman' that former Tory Scottish Secretary Michael - now Lord - Forsyth is calling for a referendum before the tax powers for the Scottish Parliament proposed by the Calman Commission are introduced by the Westminster Parliament.

While I am not convinced of the need for a referendum - we had one in 1997 on the 3p tax power, which the Scottish Parliament has not used in 11 years - I do share Lord Forsyth's scepticism about these new powers (doesn't politics create some strange bedfellows?), although possibly for different reasons.

I just find it bizarre that Parliamentarians who have spent the last 11 years seeking to limit the ability of local government to use its tax raising powers, and not used the tax varying power given to them by the Scottish people, are so keen on additional tax varying powers. I have yet to hear a convincing case as to how these additional powers will be used to better the lives of the people of Scotland.

Can anyone help me in this regard?

Happy Christmas...

It hardly seems a year since my last Christmas message – it must be my age - and I think we can agree it has been an eventful and challenging 12 months for us all.

Despite the economic pressures, our prudence in setting a two year budget in 2008 enabled us to progress our programme of investment in Inverclyde, deliver on our political priorities and continue the modernisation of the Council.

2011 will bring further financial challenges as we face up to the difficult task of making budget savings due to funding cuts by the UK and Scottish Governments. There are no easy savings and there can be no escaping the fact that there will be reductions in the range of services we provide and the number of people we employ.

Despite this, 2011 should be another year of progress for Inverclyde.

In early 2011 we will celebrate the opening of Kilmacolm’s new community centre and public library.

In late spring we will see the completion of two fantastic new secondary schools in Greenock, Clydeview Academy and Notre Dame High School, as part of our £80m PPP project. In the autumn work will start on our exciting new shared campus in Port Glasgow and the new St Columba’s High School in Gourock.

2011 will see further significant progress with our Leisure Strategy. Work should start on the refurbishment of Ravenscraig Stadium; a new changing pavilion and community stadium at Parklea; and the upgrading of Gourock Pool.

Work will continue on our new £10m theatre at East India Harbour in Greenock and in July we will welcome back the Tall Ships Race: a major opportunity to showcase Inverclyde to the outside world.

2011 should see the completion of nearly 200 new homes by River Clyde Homes in Port Glasgow.

As you can see, there is much to look forward to.

Before closing, I would like to thank all Council staff for their efforts during the past year and in particular over the last few weeks dealing with the effects of an unprecedented cold snap. I would also like to offer my special thanks to those staff who will be keeping that effort going, working over the holiday period to maintain essential services.

I would like to wish you all a Happy Christmas and the very best for 2011.

Councillor Stephen McCabe
Leader of Inverclyde Council

Go ahead for MUGA...

Weather permitting, work should start on 10 January on the new £150,000 floodlit multi-use games area in Kilmacolm's Birkmyre Park.

At a special Council meeting last week permission was given to accept a tender from The Malcolm Group Ltd.

The MUGA - which will be available for a variety of sports, including football, tennis and netball - will be situated on the site of dilapidated tennis courts. This investment in Birkmyre Park adds to previous investments by the Council in the refurbishment of the pavilion and play area, and the re-opening of the putting green.

I almost feel sorry for the Tories...

Following the latest difficulties with their Lib Dem Coalition partners - Vice Cable's unguarded comments to two Daily Telegraph journalists - I almost feel sorry for the Tories.

I suspect many of them are now thinking that they should have tried to run a minority government rather than enter into a coalition with the most unprincipled party in British politics.

It looks increasingly unlikely to me that the coalition will last the full five years of this Parliament.

I only hope that if Labour is the biggest party after next year's Scottish Parliament election we are very wary of entering into another coalition with the Lib Dems.

The week ahead...

The final working week before Christmas.

Monday
7.30 Start work in Glasgow
1.00 Leave work to travel to Port Glasgow
1.30 Attending Joint Carol Service for St Michael's and Newark Primary Schools
3.30 Chairing a Meeting of the Inverclyde Alliance Board
6.30 Chairing a meeting of the Shared Campus Working Group
Tuesday
At work all day. In the evening I have a surgery at Woodhall Tenants' Hall
Wednesday
7.30 Start work in Glasgow
1.00 Leave work to travel to Greenock
2.00 Inaugural meeting of Inverclyde Community Health and Care Partnership Committee
3.00 Weekly meeting with the Chief Executive
Thursday and Friday
At work all day with no Council commitments

Lib Dem MSP slams Coastguard plans...

I see that Lib Dem West of Scotland Regional MSP Ross Finnie has slammed the decision of the Con Dem Coalition Government to close Greenock's Coastguard Centre.

At least Ross is being consistent, since he attacked the previous Labour Government when the MOD decided to close the Navy Buildings in Eldon Street, leading to concern that the Coastguard could relocate out of Inverclyde.

Now his own party have gone a step further.

Hopefully Ross will be able to use his influence with Nick Clegg to have this decision reversed?