Failure over public services

The Scottish government has failed to take decisive steps to see real investment in public services, while breaking its commitment to provide universal free school meals, according to the Scottish TUC.

Its programme for government spoke of ambition and reform, said STUC general secretary Roz Foyer. But it was “deeply disappointing to see the government utterly ignore their responsibilities in committing to a land and property revaluation which is the foundation of revamping our taxation and revenue-raising powers”.

She described abandoning plans to deliver universal free school meals as “a complete betrayal”.

Mike Corbett, the NASUWT teaching union national official for Scotland, commented: “It is difficult to square the first minister’s stated focus on eradicating child poverty with the decision to drop the commitment to introducing universal free school meals.”

Foyer welcomed the reintroduction of arts and creative industries development body Creative Scotland’s Open Fund, which she said was “a testament to the campaigning of our creative unions who have pushed the Scottish Government every inch after their initial cut”.

The Equity performers’ and creative practitioners’ union reported that culture minister Angus Robertson reaffirmed the Scottish government’s commitment to increasing culture funding to £100 million over the next five years following a rally to “Stop the Cuts” to arts funding.