STIRLING SNP has called on Labour to rule out another coalition with the Tories on Stirling Council after the local government election next week.
The call comes after the SNP point-blank ruled out any such coalition deal with the Tories.
The SNP is the only party to have put forward enough candidates to win a majority on Stirling Council on May 4 – sparking speculation that another deal has already been done between Labour and the Tories.
For the past five years, Stirling Council has been controlled by a Tory/Labour coalition administration despite the SNP being the largest group elected to the local authority.
Just days ago, SNP leader and First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced that there would be no SNP-Tory coalitions on any local council.
Calling on Labour to match this commitment, SNP group leader on Stirling Council, councillor Scott Farmer, said: “The past five years have been shameful for the sell-out Stirling Labour Party who, despite what they might say publicly, were more than happy to join hands with the Tories behind closed doors – forming a coalition to keep themselves in power despite losing the election.
“It has been five years of ill-judged cuts and privatisation attempts, five years of hypocrisy as they cut council tax and then moaned that the Scottish Government wouldn’t let them increase it, and five years of self-interested pet projects instead of delivering quality and reliable local services that the people they are supposed to represent need.
“This election is a chance for voters to draw a line under the past five years and elect a majority SNP administration on Stirling Council who will invest in services and empower communities. In the face of what is at stake, I call on Labour to admit the error of the past five years and rule out another coalition with the Tories on Stirling Council.”
Scottish Government finance committee convener and Stirling MSP Bruce Crawford said the SNP would not put the Tories into power in any councils in Scotland.
He added: “The SNP is absolutely clear, we will not put austerity-obsessed Tories into power in councils across Scotland. The public deserve to know whether a vote for Labour is a vote to put the increasingly right-wing Tories in charge of our local services.
“The Tory party is moving further and further to the right, and it would be reckless to do anything that risked putting hardline Tories in charge of our schools, social care and local housing.
“A vote for the SNP is a vote to back public services, oppose austerity and protect our communities from hardline Tory cuts – guaranteed.”
Meanwhile, Stirling MP Steven Paterson is seeking urgent reassurance from Stirling Council about the news that three public-private partnership (PPP) schools in the area have been judged to be unsafe. The schools affected in Stirling are St Modan’s, Wallace High School and Balfron High School.
Paterson said: “Stirling taxpayers continue to pay an extortionate rate for the Labour Party’s PFI/PPP funding model used to pay for high schools across the area, and now concerns have been raised that some of the buildings themselves are not structurally sound.
“I have written to the chief executive of Stirling Council seeking urgent reassurance that there is no question of the safety of pupils and staff at the schools involved being threatened by these findings, and confirmation that there will be no disruption to pupils.
“I also want to be assured that the taxpayer will not be liable for repair costs under the terms of the contracts signed by the Labour Party prior to 2007.”
The SNP will be fielding 14 candidates, making them the only party in a position to win a possible majority on Stirling Council. Candidates for Stirling North (formerly Castle Ward) are local health visitor Susan McGill and sitting councillor Jim Thomson, and disabilities campaigner and community councillor Morag Fulton is standing in Stirling West.
“As a disabled woman I understand the importance of making the voices of the most vulnerable people heard. I also have experience as a qualified nursery nurse. More recently I have been involved in community and disabled groups.”
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