LABOUR WANT TO TAKE FOOD FROM THE MOUTHS OF SCHOOL CHILDREN

LABOUR WANT TO TAKE FOOD FROM THE MOUTHS OF SCHOOL CHILDREN

PURCELL PREFERS TRAINS TO FREE SCHOOL MEALS

GRAY’S AUTHORITY AS LABOUR LEADER ONCE AGAIN UNDERMINED

Commenting on suggestions made at a conference on Glasgow's economy by the Labour leader of Glasgow Council, Stephen Purcell, that free school meals should be abolished to pay for the GARL project and that the Border's Rail link backed by Lothian Labour MSPs should be scrapped SNP MSP Sandra White said:

“It doesn’t take long for the Labour mask to slip. Rejecting free school meals doesn’t say much about them being a party of social justice.

"With an estimated 118,000 pupils poised to benefit from free school meals it beggars belief that a Labour council - a Labour council! – would put the vanity of a rail line before the health of the city’s children.

"And since free school meals are paid from revenue and not capital spending it also has to be asked how economically literate Stephen Purcell is?"

SNP Glasgow MSP Bob Doris, a former teacher, added:

"With 90,000 children in poverty across Scotland, with many in Glasgow, currently excluded from free school meals the SNP's actions will not only improve health but will take steps to tackle poverty across the country and at a time when there are serious economic concerns.

"We expect Tories not to care about improving the health of Scotland's children or stigmatising them; but people will be astonished that a Labour council leader wants to take the food from the mouths of Glasgow’s children."

Commenting on Stephen Purcell's proposal to scrap the Borders rail link, South of Scotland SNP MSP Christine Grahame said:

“Yesterday Iain Gray was calling once again for the reinstatement of GARL with no ideas on how it would be paid for. Now we have a Stephen Purcell putting his cards on the table and putting Mr Gray on the spot.

“With so many Lothians Labour MSPs supporting the Borders rail link and Labour MSPs voting for the extension of free school meals what will they say about Mr Purcell's suggestion?"