Russell calls Council meeting "Utterly Shambolic"

SNP CANDIDATE FOR ARGYLL AND BUTE, Michael Russell , has offered his support to the communities whose schools are now formally in a closure process following the decisions of Argyll & Bute Council yesterday.

However he has also condemned the Council meeting - which he attended - as “utterly shambolic” and has called on the council to examine its procedures as a matter of urgency.

Mr Russell said:

“There were many disappointed parents and children at Kilmory yesterday and many more in communities throughout rural Argyll when the news of the decisions was announced late last night. But a formal consultation - although clearly seen merely as a pre-amble to closure by the Lib Dem Education Convener given her repeated negative comments about each school yesterday - is governed by law and communities have the right to a fair hearing. I will be happy to support each and every one of them , if they wish such help, in preparing their case and putting forward their views. There is still hope if the campaign is strong and imaginative enough.

The decisions are bad enough but I was genuinely shocked by the utterly shambolic nature of the meeting. The twelve hours it took was ludicrous. At times proceedings were reminiscent of the North Korean Politburo as inordinately lengthy statements were delivered in dull monotones by stern faced officials whilst councillors sat looking on. The quality of the educational information provided was poor and at times completely wrong and in one memorable exchange about teaching numbers at Lochgiphead, totally baffling. The comparative research quoted in justification of the proposals was patchy and mostly irrelevant to the actual issues in Argyll. To make parallels about educational delivery between inner city Chicago and the east side of the Kintyre peninsula is plainly ridiculous .

If this meeting was a true reflection of the standard of governance and decision making in this area then the present Argyll & Bute administration is in dereliction of the basic standards of openness and accountability. In addition it is obvious now that the quality of the support it gives to councillors and the public is well below what is acceptable. There must be an urgent review of these failings.

It was very frustrating to see schools with good cases for retention having the facts they had brought forward totally ignored. The Scottish Rural Schools Network have now proved beyond doubt that the only savings in these proposals will come from staff cuts, and as such cuts are governed by national agreements Argyll & Bute may find itself in default if it continues down this path., something that might lead to financial penalties.

To close rural schools only to save money is illegal. But so chaotic is the current administration in Argyll & Bute that these closures are now certain to cost the council money - but still they are hell bent on doing it. However it is not too late for them to come to their senses, though the sight I saw yesterday of Lib Dem Cllr Morton being egged on by Tory Councillor Mulvaney at each and every turn perhaps gave the true clue to what is taking place - an ideological assault on rural schools from a Tory / Lib Dem coalition every bit as damaging to Argyll and Bute as the one ruling from London.