SNP MSP DEMANDS AN IAIN GRAY APOLOGY FOR ‘MISLEADING’ PARLIAMENT.
. ELLON ACADEMY WAS NEVER BEEN PART OF LABOUR/LIBDEM EXEC’S BUILDING PLANS.
. ELLON ACADEMY WAS NEVER BEEN PART OF LABOUR/LIBDEM EXEC’S BUILDING PLANS.
MSP for the North east of Scotland, Maureen Watt, has demanded an apology from Scottish Labour Leader Iain Gray after he falsely claimed a new Ellon Academy would have been built by the previous Labour-led Executive.
During an exchange at First Minister’s Questions on 12 March, Mr 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.” Both statements are untrue.
Ellon Academy never appeared on any Scottish Executive school building programme during the 8 years of the previous Labour/LibDem administration. It is only under the SNP Government that the school has featured on Aberdeenshire Council’s Capital Plan allocating £3.3m to site acquisition and preparatory work. Commenting Ms Watt said: “Iain Gray has blundered his way into another gaffe. Not only was Ellon Academy never part of any Scottish Executive school building project under the previous Labour/LibDem administration – the first time any funding has been attached to it is since the SNP Government came into office.
“Despite this, Iain Gray first tried to claim that Labour planned to build a new school. Then he said they planned to refurbish the school. In fact, as the parents and pupils of Ellon know only to well, neither statement is true. “We already know Iain Gray is living in his own little fantasy world as he continues to deny that any new schools are being built in Scotland.
“This is despite the 150 major projects already completed or underway and the 50,000 pupils who can testify to the improvements that have been delivered under the SNP. For example Aberdeenshire Council are to rebuild Alford Academy with the additional capital resources which they have been given by the Scottish Government. “Now, he appears to either be astonishingly badly informed or else is deliberately trying to mislead Parliament by re-writing history. Far from his claim that Ellon would have been built under the previous Executive, Ellon had been stalled for years under Labour. Iain Gray is visiting Ellon tomorrow.
He should use that visit to apologise to the pupils and parents of Ellon and admit that yet again he has got it wrong. “I have now sent this information to the convener of the Scottish Parliament standards committee asking them to include this matter in their on going work into the veracity of statements, answers and questions in the chamber.”
During an exchange at First Minister’s Questions on 12 March, Mr 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.” Both statements are untrue.
Ellon Academy never appeared on any Scottish Executive school building programme during the 8 years of the previous Labour/LibDem administration. It is only under the SNP Government that the school has featured on Aberdeenshire Council’s Capital Plan allocating £3.3m to site acquisition and preparatory work. Commenting Ms Watt said: “Iain Gray has blundered his way into another gaffe. Not only was Ellon Academy never part of any Scottish Executive school building project under the previous Labour/LibDem administration – the first time any funding has been attached to it is since the SNP Government came into office.
“Despite this, Iain Gray first tried to claim that Labour planned to build a new school. Then he said they planned to refurbish the school. In fact, as the parents and pupils of Ellon know only to well, neither statement is true. “We already know Iain Gray is living in his own little fantasy world as he continues to deny that any new schools are being built in Scotland.
“This is despite the 150 major projects already completed or underway and the 50,000 pupils who can testify to the improvements that have been delivered under the SNP. For example Aberdeenshire Council are to rebuild Alford Academy with the additional capital resources which they have been given by the Scottish Government. “Now, he appears to either be astonishingly badly informed or else is deliberately trying to mislead Parliament by re-writing history. Far from his claim that Ellon would have been built under the previous Executive, Ellon had been stalled for years under Labour. Iain Gray is visiting Ellon tomorrow.
He should use that visit to apologise to the pupils and parents of Ellon and admit that yet again he has got it wrong. “I have now sent this information to the convener of the Scottish Parliament standards committee asking them to include this matter in their on going work into the veracity of statements, answers and questions in the chamber.”
Timeline:
.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.
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