ATL

Scotland

Attacks on public spending will have an impact on education in Scotland, says national official for Scotland Keith Robson

Since the New Year there has been much talk in the media of a 'phoney election campaign' occurring, with the political parties quick to promote their respective agendas.

The closer we get to the election, the more the parties will debate the finer points of education, health and housing, to name but three devolved areas. Regardless of the winning party's manifesto, there will be little impact upon the aforementioned policy areas debated and legislated upon in the Scottish Parliament.

What cannot be described as phoney is the pre-election rush to be seen as tough on public spending, which will impact on funding in Scotland — as elsewhere in the UK — through the mechanisms contained within the Barnett formula. Public spending is one issue on which ATL can be guaranteed to continue to campaign in the coming months. ATL will produce its manifesto for the election and colleagues in England, Wales and Northern Ireland will be promoting to members a finished document for consideration.

Here in Scotland we're not adopting that approach due to the overwhelmingly devolved nature of the topics under consideration for the manifesto. Rest assured, where we believe we can promote ATL's manifesto within the reserved/devolved boundaries we will do so with vigour.

The dust will no sooner have settled on the general election when the parties will go into election mode for the 2011 Scottish Parliament elections, where we will make ATL's voice heard loud and clear.