IN BRIEF News
has predicted 2011 will go down as a momentous year in human history following the wave of unrest that has spread across the Arab world in recent months.
Jailed MP loses appeal David Chaytor, the former labour MP jailed for 18 months in January for fraudulently claiming more than £20,000 in fake rent and office allowances, has had an appeal to reduce his sentence turned down. Lord Judge, the Lord Chief Justice, who dismissed the appeal, said Chaytor could legitimately have faced a longer term.
MPs confirm pay freeze MPs have agreed to sign up to the pay freeze faced by all public sector workers in 2011/12 and 2012/13. Members voted unanimously to support the measure, which will see annual salaries held at £65,738.
WALES Wales receives funding boost The Welsh Assembly will receive an additional £65m over five years as a result of spending decisions on housing, apprenticeships and potholes in England announced in Chancellor George Osborne’s budget.
Clegg hails referendum result The Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has said the decision to hand the Welsh Assembly more law-making powers following this month’s referendum was a turning point for the principality. He added: “This isn’t the end of the devolution process, but it does mark an important turning point.”
NORTHERN IRELAND Paterson: Stormont should dictate business rates The Northern Ireland Secretary Owen Paterson has said a cut in corporation tax in Ulster could help boost investment. While the UK rate is set to fall to 24 per cent by 2014, the figure is significantly higher than the 12.5 per cent rate in the Republic of Ireland.
‘Child soldier’ photos investigated Patricia Lewsley, Northern Ireland’s Children’s Commissioner, has criticised photos taken of young children dressed as republican paramilitaries at the Ti Chulainn cultural centre, south Armagh.
8 Holyrood 28 March 2011
Politics
Lib Dems acting as “pallbearers” at NHS and public sector funeral, says McLeish
Staff Reporter
Liberal Democrats in Scotland could find themselves punished at the polls by their Westminster colleagues’ decision to act as “pallbearers at the funeral of the health service and public sector,” former First Minister Henry McLeish has warned. Te party’s Scottish voters “may wish to demonstrate their concerns about the Conservative- run coalition at Westminster and the damage their policies are doing to any self-respecting Lib-Dem supporter,” McLeish wrote in his exclusive column for Holyrood magazine, adding: “Te Lib Dems in the Conservative Coalition are acting as pallbearers at the
Education School buildings key concern for parents
Cera Murtagh Education Correspondent
Parents are generally satisfied with the standard of education in Scotland but the condition of school buildings remains a key concern, according to a new public opinion survey. A survey conducted by Ipsos Mori shows that 92 per cent of parents are satisfied with the education provided by the school their children attend. However, 30 per cent of parents of primary school children rate their school buildings as fairly or very poor, while 25 per cent have the same view of the school’s playgrounds and playing fields.
Discipline was the top issue of concern for parents of secondary school pupils with around a quarter – 24 per cent – rating it as fairly or very poor. In
the most deprived areas this figure jumped to 40 per cent. Te school estate also featured as a priority, with 20 per cent viewing the secondary school buildings as poor. Indeed education is among the most common priorities for all Scots, according to the pollster’s data, despite the fact that only a quarter of all households contain children. Writing in an article that will appear in Holyrood’s upcoming manifesto series, Mark Diffley, Research Director at Ipsos Mori said: “Our latest quarterly survey of the general public shows that 30 per cent of Scots spontaneously mention education as one of the most important issues facing the country. As you would expect, this figure rises among Scots with children in the household, to 39 per cent. “Our data since August 2009 reveals that education is
consistently among the top three or four issues of concern among the public.” Other research reveals that when faced with options for how to raise revenues to address the current financial situation, Scots would prefer to see tuition fees introduced than health spending cut or council tax raised. Seven per cent said they would tolerate tuition fees while only 2 per cent would opt for a cut to NHS spending and 4 per cent an increase in council tax. “Clearly, the public would tolerate the Government introducing tuition fees in preference to the NHS budget being cut, council tax being raised or prescription charges being increased for those who pay them. Tis analysis gives the Scottish Government a clear steer on the public acceptability of a suite of measures they may introduce,” Diffley added.
funeral of the health service and the public sector in England.” Te implications of this political fall-out could be “considerable” for the make-up of the next Scottish Parliament, he argued “Te balance of advantage in a number of Holyrood constituency and list seats could be altered and, while the Lib Dems could lose seats, this may be less important to the final overall result than a movement of votes to either the SNP or Labour in key battleground seats,” he wrote. Despite some “clever concessions” won from the SNP Government in the last session, the Scottish Conservatives are also in “deep political trouble” unless they change their ways, he added. “Te Scottish Conservatives have never recovered from
the Tatcher years, etched so indelibly on the minds of the Scottish people. Tey seem incapable of ending their ambivalence to devolution, ditching their Conservative and Unionist baggage, telling David Cameron that they want a fresh start, cutting loose from London and confirming they want a new and modern party in Scotland.” McLeish wrote that there is a place for such a modern right- of-centre party in Scotland. “Surely there must be a role for a modern right-of-centre party in Scotland. Te recent spectacle of Michael Forsyth ranting at a Conservative fringe meeting suggests they do need energised and transported to the 21st century.”
For full story see page 71
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