[23 April: Response below from Stuart McMillan MSP] The £25 million new build Our Lady and St Patrick’s High School [OLS] will not now open until January 2017 – at the earliest – following the discovery of an error in the way the Scottish Government presents its accounts.
SNP list MSP Stuart McMillan initially appeared to blame West Dunbartonshire Council officials for the mistake until it was revealed that OLS is just one of several new build schools across Scotland to be hit by delays following an EU ruling.
Commenting on the delay, local MSP Jackie Baillie says: ‘Stuart McMillan has been left with egg on his face after blasting West Dunbartonshire Council for a delay which has been caused by the incompetence of his own SNP colleagues in Edinburgh – who could not even get their figures right.
‘Instead of writing to the Council to complain, he should perhaps have written to John Swinney, the SNP Finance Minister.
‘Now, he should do the decent thing and apologise to council officials who are doing everything they can to advance the project but have been held back by technical issues outwith their control.
‘The reality is that this delay is the direct result of the Scottish Government’s failure to comply with the rules laid down by the EU for capital spending projects.
‘To borrow a phrase from the Deputy First Minister, the new-build OLS is ‘shovel-ready’ and all we need now is the funding promised by the Scottish Government.
‘West Dunbartonshire Council stands ready to get on with the construction but parents and pupils in Dumbarton, Vale of Leven, and other communities across Scotland, have been let down by the SNP’s mismanagement.
‘The new £25 million OLS is a significant investment in Bellsmyre and when the school finally opens, its state-of-the-art facilities will be enjoyed by future generations of local children. The SNP Government in Edinburgh owes it to families in Dumbarton and the Vale of Leven to sort out this mess as soon as possible.’
Everyone knows that this is election time and that aggressive baseball on all sides is the name of the game.
West Dunbartonshire Council is a Labour Council, with StuartMcMillan an SNP Regional List MSP in attack-dog mode; and Jackie Bailie MSP, the Labour constituency MSP for Dumbarton [which includes territory under both Argyll and Bute and West Dunbartonshire Councils] in equally aggressive defence – here with right on her side..
However, forget the bish-bash-bosh of politics, this is a serious issue; and a not single case but one of several – where simple governmental competence seems to be lacking – and in large scale infrastructural projects.
This may well be a consequence of the current strain in the Scottish government with the scale of ministerial attention being paid to Westminster and to the London scene.
It appears to be another example among many recent errors and lapses by the Scottish Government, demonstrating that capable government of Scotland is suffering while the SNP is being seduced into neglect at the highest level by the adrenaline of the jazzy media circus down south.
Ironically, it was former First Minister, Alex Salmond who christened London ‘the dark star’- the mass of dark matter, the black hole drawing everything into its thrall. It looks today as if Mr Salmond made a good call and his own party is a major Scottish victim of that compressed magnetic pull.
23rd April: Response from Stuart McMillan MSP
Mr McMillan says: ‘Jackie Baillie appears to be suffering a bad case of political amnesia.
‘The construction of the new OLSP has been mired in delays and controversy for years, starting with West Dunbartonshire Council’s botched attempt to find a suitable location. Since then, we’ve witnessed delays to demolishing the Bellsmyre flats, design changes and increased costs.
‘Ms Baillie can stand from the side-lines and play politics. However, I have continued to ask questions about the construction of the school and shared the information I have obtained from the council, with parents and their school children.
‘The Scottish Government have placed investment at the centre of its economic strategy and have indicated they will provide 100% funding for the new OLSP school.
‘The current Eurostat issue is a highly technical one, and outwith the control of the Scottish Government. Jackie Baillie either knows this and is trying to deliberately mislead, or else is ignorant of the basic facts of the case. The only question is, which is worse.
‘Nevertheless, I am hopeful the issue will be resolved in the near future and the commencement of work on the school will begin in earnest.’
