Schools, yet again
I'm going to give great credit to Angus Campbell for taking a stand and putting his neck on the block by resigning as Chairman of the new schools company.
Frankly, I cannot see how any of the other three Councillors can actually sit on the body charged with delivering new schools, and closing others in order to fund the shortfall in budgets, when they have undermined the policy of their own Chair of Education. At least until the other side of the elections.
The tensions at the top are immense with the Vice-Convener at odds with the Convener and his own Vice-Chairman, and with the Chair of Education being hung out to dry by her colleagues.
We now have the Director of Technical Services on secondment to the schools PPP until 2011 at the earliest; new staff being recruited to fill finance and managerial posts; and all the while, the Council are delaying the implementation of a policy that the majority of Councillors believe requires to be followed; whilst, they acknowledge that the delay is costing large (but unspecified) sums that is tossing the entire capital programme of the Council out of the window.
And in the meantime, the Scottish Government might prevent the closures on educational grounds, leaving the Council without a raison d'etre for the schools PPP.
Regardless of your views on the entire project, the indecision, delay, prevarication and reversal of voting intentions has exacerbated an already difficult situation.
A situation that came about when the original project was created and the Council was forced into accepting insufficient funding to rationalise the schools in the islands.
The funding is dependent upon closing schools, otherwise the hole in the budget grows from huge to immense. The crocodile tears from MacNeil and Allan on this are pathetic, as it is their party that is forcing the Council to get restricted funding on the condition that the Council rationalise the schools.
The only responsible option here is to scrap the entire project and re-start discussions with the Government on the impact on all the schools in the islands; and then to seek proper funding for whatever is decided to be the correct approach. There are too many entrenched positions that people need to be levered out of.
For the good of education in the islands, the re-evaluation needs to be done quickly; and then the decisions implemented quickly.
Frankly, I cannot see how any of the other three Councillors can actually sit on the body charged with delivering new schools, and closing others in order to fund the shortfall in budgets, when they have undermined the policy of their own Chair of Education. At least until the other side of the elections.
The tensions at the top are immense with the Vice-Convener at odds with the Convener and his own Vice-Chairman, and with the Chair of Education being hung out to dry by her colleagues.
We now have the Director of Technical Services on secondment to the schools PPP until 2011 at the earliest; new staff being recruited to fill finance and managerial posts; and all the while, the Council are delaying the implementation of a policy that the majority of Councillors believe requires to be followed; whilst, they acknowledge that the delay is costing large (but unspecified) sums that is tossing the entire capital programme of the Council out of the window.
And in the meantime, the Scottish Government might prevent the closures on educational grounds, leaving the Council without a raison d'etre for the schools PPP.
Regardless of your views on the entire project, the indecision, delay, prevarication and reversal of voting intentions has exacerbated an already difficult situation.
A situation that came about when the original project was created and the Council was forced into accepting insufficient funding to rationalise the schools in the islands.
The funding is dependent upon closing schools, otherwise the hole in the budget grows from huge to immense. The crocodile tears from MacNeil and Allan on this are pathetic, as it is their party that is forcing the Council to get restricted funding on the condition that the Council rationalise the schools.
The only responsible option here is to scrap the entire project and re-start discussions with the Government on the impact on all the schools in the islands; and then to seek proper funding for whatever is decided to be the correct approach. There are too many entrenched positions that people need to be levered out of.
For the good of education in the islands, the re-evaluation needs to be done quickly; and then the decisions implemented quickly.
11 comments:
Ah ha,
So Toad has finally fallen out with Mole, Ratty and Badger.
Please, please now resign as Vice Convenor and allow a true reflection of public opinion - last place in your ward, greedy and full of your own importance, you are not liked or wanted. Spend your time at the Hall with your turbine friends.
This Council particularly at supposed senior experienced level is making Government here a complete farce - how the two Ronnies must laugh when they report back to Gruppenfuerer Salmon.
Toad has spat out the dummy and thrown all the toys out of the pram because because councillors dared defy him.
The arrogance of the man is unbelievable, how dare any councillor listen to to the people who elected them rather than follow his orders
The icing on this particular cake would be the announcement of his resignation as Vice Convenor.
Why stop with Toad? The whole lot of them should go to be replaced with members who a.) know what they're doing and b.)listen and act on the wishes of the people who put them in their overpaid jobs. Then start looking at the un-elected staff at the council.
12.38
Couldnt agree more - the comhairle are doing far more damage than good in these islands, and we deserve a much better system. If only there could be an early local election...
According to Hebrides News:
The Vice-Convener of Comhairle nan Eilean Siar has appealed to MP Angus Brendan MacNeil to stop making cheap soundbites and get on with representing the Western Isles in a responsible manner.
Mr Angus Campbell said: “Mr MacNeil’s comments on the schools issue have been unhelpful. Perhaps he should speak to the Comhairle before making such ill informed, cheap soundbites which achieve absolutely nothing.
“The Comhairle has been dealing with a very difficult issue. I have not seen much, if any, evidence of the MP or the MSP trying to assist the Comhairle in any way.
“They certainly haven’t persuaded the Scottish Government to come up with additional funding.”
Mr Campbell added: “I would now call on Mr MacNeil to start effectively communicating with the Comhairle on a range of issues, most notably those within his own remit.
“He could start with the issue of Energy Transmission charges and join the Comhairle in lobbying for a cap on the charges for the Western Isles.
“No decision has yet been taken by Westminster on this issue and it is still out to consultation.
“I would have thought that the MP would be leading the charge and yet he seems strangely silent.
“I would call on Mr Macneil to respond to the consultation. The Comhairle would be more than happy to brief Mr Macneil should he require it”.
Well we all know that it was not the Hokey Cokey Macneil was doing when he putting it in and out and shaking it all about in Orkney.
He must remember if you play with FIRE (Teine) and come out with stupid quotes like calling the council Hokey Cokey it will backFIRE on you.
Maybe Angus Campbell should take a leaf out of Angus Brendan`s book and listen to what the people are saying.
Or is this the start of a prominent role for Angus in Donald John`s election campaign.
ABM must be shaking in his boots.
Well our esteemed councillors are hardly endearing themselves to the Party that's currently holding the purse strings in Scotland....
Perhaps some of our elected members should think twice before opening their mouths and letting their bellies rumble?
This is just a publicity stunt by Campbell - he loves his face on the Gerzet. He will creep back for sure. Needs the plodding Convenor as a fall guy dare not be isolated from him.
Angus Brendan McNeil first preference votes in the Eileann Siar 6213 votes
Angus Campbell 188 first preference votes in his ward.
:-)))))
Why worry about getting it right for the children of our islands for the next 25 years with all the consequences that will flow from that when, as history as shown, we must first deal with the short term importance of dealing with political egos!!
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