IAIN GRAY'S GAFFES MISLEAD PARLIAMENT – TWICE.

IAIN GRAY'S GAFFES MISLEAD PARLIAMENT – TWICE.

GRAY SHOULD EXPLAIN AND APOLOGISE TO SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT.

SNP MSPs today called on Iain Gray to apologise after information was revealed suggesting he misled Parliament twice in the last fortnight.

It has been revealed today that a constituent apprentice featured by Gray, Labour’s Parliamentary leader, in First Minister’s Questions had a trial place for new employment and had received an offer of a college place to complete his training at the time his case of apparent "redundancy" was raised in Parliament.

The SNP last week revealed serious inaccuracies in Iain Gray’s claims over Ellon Academy - also made during First Minister’s Questions. The Labour party notoriously mishandled personal cases in the “Jennifer’s Ear” dispute with the Conservatives in the 1992 UK election.

Commenting on the fall out from Gray’s dodgy questions SNP MSP Kenneth Gibson called for the Labour parliamentary leader to offer Parliament an explanation and an apology for his inaccurate and misleading claims.

Mr Gibson said; “It appears Iain Gray has misled Parliament twice in two weeks. “He owes MSPs of all parties an explanation and an apology. “Labour has a poor track record when it comes to bringing personal cases into political debate - it seems they have failed to learn those lessons. “Twice in two weeks Labour’s parliamentary leader has misrepresented the situation in failed attempts to score cheap political points.

In both cases his poor information has been exposed. “After last week’s inaccurate attacks over Ellon Academy surely Gray and his advisors should have learnt their lesson and gone back to school. “There are already mutterings within Labour over Gray’s performances.

Now there are questions over his and his advisors competence. “Iain Gray should be less desperate to drag constituents into First Minister’s Questions and more concerned with getting his facts right.”

MORE INFORMATION;

1. Sunday Herald on Iain Gray’s claims regarding apprenticeship places as featured at First Minister’s Questions (19/03/09) http://www.sundayherald.com/news/heraldnews/display.var.2497088.0.0.php

2. Gray’s comments at FMQs “Lewis is 19, has spent almost four years as an apprentice and is three months away from being a qualified joiner. However, next month, he will be out of work and his efforts will be wasted.”

3. It has now emerged that Iain Gray’s constituent was already in trial employment and had the offer of a college place to allow him to complete his training when the issue was raised at First Minister’s Questions.

3. Gray’s YouTube video stating that his constituent faced redundancy next month. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9a48_flXICA

4. Ellon Academy – Iain Gray claimed “a new school would have been built under the plans of the previous Labour-led Executive.”He went on to say “A plan to refurbish Ellon academy was made under the previous Executive.”

5. Timeline of actual developments at Ellon Academy 2001 - Outline PFI Business case submitted to Scottish Executive (excludes Ellon) 2004/5 - Aberdeenshire prepares list of schools that need capital investment. No budget is attached to this list. 2008/9 - Aberdeenshire’s Capital Plan (2008/9 – 2012/13) allocates £3.3m to site acquisition and preparatory work for Ellon Academy.

• Aberdeenshire Council build a series of schools between 2001 and 2006 under the PFI scheme. Ellon Academy was excluded from the Outline Business Case submitted to the Scottish Executive in December 2001. • In 2004/5 the school appeared on Aberdeenshire Council’s own list of 24 potential school projects.

• Aberdeenshire Council have confirmed that no funding was attached to this list. It is therefore not credible to claim that “a new school would have been built”.

• Aberdeenshire Council have confirmed that the first time any funds have been made available for the Ellon project is this year.

• The council has identified £3.3million within their current Capital Plan for preparatory architectural works and site acquisition.

• Therefore, it is only now, with the SNP in government, that progress has been made with the project.