SNP: Labour costing households in South Lanarkshire £165m
A spokesperson for South Lanarkshire Council defended the use of the funding model, saying it had allowed the authority to rebuild its entire school estate.
Labour claimed the SNP were trying to deflect from their own record of local authority funding cuts.
READ MORE:
PFI contracts were introduced by John Major's Conservative government in the 1990s to fund infrastructure projects with private capital. The approach was later expanded by Tony Blair's Labour government and rebranded as PPP.
Though hundreds of schools, hospitals and roads were built under these schemes, they have been criticised for long-term repayment costs far exceeding the original construction value.
Since 2005, the Scottish Government has replaced PFI with non-profit distributing (NPD) and hub models, which aim to limit private profits by removing dividend payments.
These alternatives have funded £3.3bn in infrastructure projects.
The long-term financial burden of PFI was highlighted in a report by Audit Scotland last year, which found NHS Scotland is still less than halfway through repaying its PFI debts — more than 25 years after contracts were signed.
BBC Scotland has also reported that at least 11 Scottish PFI schemes may require expensive buyouts at the end of their terms, including Edinburgh Royal Infirmary and University Hospital Wishaw.
The council said PFI had allowed them rebuild every school in the regionSince Labour took control of South Lanarkshire Council in 2022, the local authority has paid — or is projected to pay — £165.29m in PFI and PPP repayments over four years: £39.81m in 2022/23, £40.80m in 2023/24, £41.82m in 2024/25, and £42.86m in this financial year.
SNP MSP Collette Stevenson said the figures exposed the 'true price of Labour failure' and claimed the increasing costs were the result of 'decades-old policy decisions' that continue to drain local budgets.
'Labour's PFI and PPP failure is costing households across South Lanarkshire more and more every year — hitting this community with a bill of almost £43m this year,' she said.
'In government, the SNP has delivered for this community; scrapping PFI and PPP contracts and providing record funding for local authorities — much of which goes towards mitigating the impact of Labour decisions like PFI.'
She added: 'Whether it is decades-old policy decisions like PFI, their decision to cut the Winter Fuel Payment or the council's decision to slash school bus provision, Labour in power is costing households dearly.
'Scotland has always been an afterthought to the Labour Party — but the SNP under John Swinney's leadership will always stand up for Scotland and be on the side of communities like South Lanarkshire.'
A council spokesperson said: 'The council has utilised different financing options at different times in order to rebuild every single secondary and primary school in the area.
"The result is a fantastic learning environment for every pupil in the area — and what many consider to be the best schools estate in the United Kingdom — including 127 new primary schools that were funded directly by the council.
'Part of the due diligence process undertaken for the secondary school contract was a comparison exercise signed off by Audit Scotland and the Scottish Government.
'In terms of secondary schools, funding is provided by the Scottish Government towards the costs of these contracts.'
READ MORE
Scottish Labour also hit back, with local government spokesperson Mark Griffin accusing the SNP of trying to 'deflect' from its own record.
'The SNP is the architect of austerity in Scotland's councils and this desperate attempt at deflection will not hide that,' he said.
'The SNP has raided over £480m from core South Lanarkshire Council budgets over recent years, undermining vital local services.
'Despite the SNP's relentless campaign of cuts, the Labour council has protected frontline services and delivered the lowest Council Tax increase in the country for local families.'
The row comes as the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election enters it final week.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Telegraph
32 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Starmer's unpopularity in Scotland fuels support for independence
Disillusionment with Sir Keir Starmer's administration has helped push support for Scottish independence to a record high, a new poll has suggested. The survey found that support for separation from the UK is at 54 per cent when undecided voters are excluded, according to pollster Norstat. It found that fewer than one in five Scots plan to vote Labour in next year's Holyrood election, following a calamitous decline in support for the party during Sir Keir's first 11 months as Prime Minister. Labour routed the SNP in last year's general election, winning 37 of Scotland's 57 seats, but a series of controversial decisions, including the removal of the winter fuel payment, has led to a remarkable reversal of fortunes. The poll also found that support for independence would rise to 58 per cent if Nigel Farage were to become prime minister, giving the nationalists a 16-point lead over the Unionists. This would put John Swinney within touching distance of the support he has said would be required to force Westminster to allow another independence referendum. The Scottish First Minister said he would make the issue of Scottish separation 'central' to the SNP's Holyrood election campaign over the year leading up to the contest. He has argued that the Government would have to drop its block on holding an independence vote if support reached similar levels to those achieved ahead of the 1997 referendum on devolution. This saw 74 per cent of Scots voting in favour of creating a Holyrood parliament and 63 per cent for it to have tax powers. Mr Swinney has said he wanted to open a debate about independence as Scots were feeling 'disaffected and alienated' with Sir Keir's performance in government and the rise of Reform UK. The poll was published ahead of a Scottish Parliament by-election this Thursday, which is being viewed as a bellwether for next year's Holyrood contest. Mr Swinney has claimed the contest in Hamilton, Larkhall, and Stonehouse is a straight fight between the SNP and Reform after Labour's campaign 'collapsed'. The poll, commissioned by The Sunday Times, found support for the SNP in both Holyrood's constituency and regional votes had fallen by two points to 33 per cent and 28 per cent respectively. Labour's support rose slightly to 19 per cent and 18 per cent respectively. However, Reform support has increased four points to 18 per cent in the constituency vote and three points to 16 per cent in the regional list. Mr Farage's party remained ahead of the Scottish Tories, who dropped to only 13 per cent in the constituency vote and remained at 15 per cent in the regions. Prof Sir John Curtice, the eminent psephologist, projected the results would mean the SNP winning 54 seats, with Labour dropping to 20 seats and Reform gaining its first 18 seats in the Scottish Parliament. Meanwhile, the Tories would drop from being the second biggest party to the fourth, with just 17 MSPs, followed by the Lib Dems on 11 and the Greens on nine. The poll also gave Mr Swinney a minus seven net approval rating – the difference between the percentages of people who think he is doing a good and a bad job. Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar's rating was -25, Mr Farage's -26, Scottish Tory leader Russell Findlay's -32, Sir Keir's -39 and Kemi Badenoch's -44. 'Farage is breathing down Labour's neck' Sir John said the results showed that Mr Farage was 'not as toxic in the eyes of Scots as many of his rivals believe'. He added: 'John Swinney is in pole position to remain Scotland's first minister after next year's Holyrood election, but his party is still struggling to recover from its sharp reversal of fortune last year. 'Key to the SNP's lead is the rise of Reform. Nigel Farage's party is now breathing down Labour's neck in the race for second place at Holyrood.' Keith Brown, SNP deputy leader, said his party has 'momentum' and Labour had lost the by-election. Dame Jackie Baillie, Scottish Labour's deputy leader, said: 'This week the people of Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse will get a chance to call time on SNP failure and choose a new direction with Scottish Labour. 'It's clear the SNP does not deserve to win this by-election and only Scottish Labour can beat them.'
The Herald Scotland
an hour ago
- The Herald Scotland
It is time that campervan users are taxed off the NC500
Cross the Rockies from Calgary to Vancouver in Canada and the roads and campsites are absolutely full of them, mainly driven by overseas tourists with all the time in the world on their hands. Over there, they are very much welcomed, although there will undoubtedly be some grumbles from locals who are constantly stuck behind them, To be fair, the main road through the Rockies is pretty decent and there are plenty of places to overtake. But it is a very different situation in Scotland where campervans are treated as public enemy number one, particularly by people who live along the NC500. It is easy to understand why they are so controversial. For a start, the NC500 is not equipped to deal with campervans, particularly the famed Bealach na Ba from Lochcarron to the Applecross peninsula. It is a nerve-wracking series of hairpin bends straight up the hill and it is scary enough when you only have cars coming the other way to worry about. But despite signs at the bottom that state clearly the road is not suitable, many campervan drivers take the risk which is as stupid as it is selfish. It is not just the Bealach na Ba, though, where campervans are causing misery for locals, it is along the entire route - one which just isn't set up for such mass tourism with its sharp bends and single lanes. Glorious it may be but driving it comes with responsibility and that is where many campervan users let themselves down. To be blunt, locals have simply had enough of them and it is hard to argue against them. Read more Alan Simpson Last week, the Labour candidate for the Inverness & Nairn constituency at next year's Holyrood election proposed a tourist tax on campervans visiting the Highlands. Shaun Fraser said the roads 'cannot cope' with the huge increase in traffic in recent years. He said the move would form part of a 'fair and well–designed' visitor levy to help maintain roads and fund public services stretched by surging tourist numbers. The Highlands have seen a dramatic increase in motorhome tourism in recent years, with Highland Council estimating that nearly 36,000 campervans toured the region in 2022 alone. That has led to a surge in complaints about congestion, illegal overnight parking, and waste being dumped. Residents on the NC500 route have reported damaged verges, blocked passing places and overfilled bins during peak season. Highland Council estimates a 5% levy on overnight accommodation could raise £10 million a year — with that figure rising further if a charge on campervans is included. The council held a four–month public consultation on its draft scheme earlier this year and is now considering the feedback ahead of a full council vote. If approved, the levy could come into force by winter 2026 - the earliest permitted under legislation passed by Holyrood last year. That law, the Visitor Levy (Scotland) Act, gives local authorities the power to impose a charge on overnight tourist stays and spend the revenue on services that support tourism. While the levy must be used to fund tourism–related improvements, critics have warned it must not be used to replace core funding lost through years of cuts. Scottish Labour has long supported the introduction of a visitor levy and backed the legislation at Holyrood. The party says councils should be empowered to design their own schemes and use the money to improve facilities for both residents and visitors. However, it was recently criticised by Chancellor Rachel Reeves, who described it as a tax on 'ordinary working people'. Mr Fraser said: 'Initiatives such as the North Coast 500 have transformed the dynamics of Highland tourism, with a huge rise in campervans using rural single–track Highland roads. "Our roads cannot cope with this. It is a mixed blessing.' "Highland communities and local services must benefit from tourism. I support a fair and well–designed visitor levy and sensible measures to manage the impact of campervans. 'I would be open to looking at options attached to campervans, including number plate recognition to charge visiting campervans using Highland roads. I think that this should be considered.' While this may sound draconian, it is certainly well worth considering. Anyone who has driven the NC500, or at least parts of it, particularly in Wester Ross and Sutherland, can see the road is not suitable for such a vast amount of campervans. And with the rise of social media sites such as Instagram fuelling people's desires to get the best pics at beauty spots that regularly feature then the situation is not going to get any better. Any revenue raised that pays for better facilities and road improvements would be welcomed by pretty much everyone. For those put off by the levy, then they probably weren't the type to go and act responsibly anyway. Like everything else, it is not the campervans fault entirely, but the people who drive them and their passengers. They are to blame for the state of the place and there is absolutely no excuse for behaving like savages just because the area is beautiful but remote. They would be the first ones to complain if folk from the Highlands travelled down to their local park, left litter and human waste lying about and parked up on a path for days. Obviously, the good folk of the Highlands wouldn't dream of doing such a thing so why do people from urban areas think it's fair game? It is a good idea to tax them, in my opinion, in fact it should be extremely expensive so that it deters many people. Maybe training courses should also be mandatory, educating people on the right way to drive and behave generally when travelling on rural roads. Tourism is the main economic driver of the Highlands but it is in severe danger of becoming over-visited. It is no longer just a summer thing, but now lasts throughout the year thanks to initiatives such as the NC500. But there is a tipping point and we are probably nearly there already as many of the remotest areas become swamped and can no longer cope. Visitors all have a responsibility when they are on holiday and anything that can deter the irresponsible ones should be welcomed - by everyone.
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
England's yellow and parched land: How soaring immigration and a 30-year failure to build reservoirs could trigger drinking water crisis
Just over 200 years ago, William Blake wrote of England's 'great and pleasant land' in the poem that would later be set to music as the hymn Jerusalem. Fast forward to the 21st century and the green and pleasant land, and its people, are in danger of becoming parched. This week ministers admitted that the country could run out of drinking water within 10 years as they unveiled plans to fast-track the building of two new reservoirs. Astonishingly, they will be the first new man-made bodies of water created for human consumption in more than three decades. There are fears that, without action, demand for drinking water could outstrip supply by the mid-2030s due to rapid population growth, crumbling assets, Nimby opposition and a warming climate. And that population growth is set to be fuelled by immigration. The UK population is projected to reach 72.5 million by mid-2032, up 4.9 million from 67.6 million in mid-2022, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The jump of 4.9 million is projected to be driven almost entirely by net migration, with natural change – the difference between births and deaths – projected to be around zero due to the aging population. Beyond 2032, the population is projected to continue to grow and pass 75 million in 2041. Writing for Mail Online today, shadow home secretary Chris Philp said: 'Water doesn't lie. It's a basic test of whether a country can support the people in it, and Britain is failing that test because Labour refuses to confront reality. 'The only serious solution is to tackle immigration head-on. 'We cannot keep adding the pressure and pretending the system will hold. We cannot build our way out of a problem we refuse to name. Until we slash migration numbers, the shortages will only get worse.' Last week, official figures showed net migration to the UK had halved to 431,000 last year compared with 860,000 across January to December 2023. This was after reaching a record high of 906,000 in the 12 months to June 2023. But although net migration is predicted to continue to fall in the years to come, the home-grown population is predicted to also shrink, as deaths outweigh births. It means that while the rate of population growth may slow, it is expected to inexorably climb. While politicians have long claimed immigration will have an impact on services such as housing, schools and the NHS, where everyone will get their drinking water has remained largely out of the spotlight until now. In England this year, the North West and North East both saw their driest start to a calendar year since 1929, while the country as a whole endured its driest February to April period since 1956. On Thursday The Environment Agency (EA) said Greater Manchester, Merseyside and Cheshire, and Cumbria and Lancashire, moved from 'prolonged dry weather' to 'drought' status. Water companies in England have committed to bringing new reservoirs online, in Lincolnshire, Cambridgeshire, Oxfordshire, Somerset, Suffolk, Kent, East Sussex and the West Midlands, with the potential to supply 670 million litres of extra water per day. But they are not expected to be ready until 2050. The Fen Reservoir project between Chatteris and March in Cambridgeshire is set to supply 87 million litres a day to 250,000 homes, and to be completed in 2036. The Lincolnshire reservoir south of Sleaford would provide up to 166 million litres a day for up to 500,000 homes, operational by 2040. It is the latter two that ministers have now designated as 'nationally significant', taking planning responsibility out of the hands of local politicians in order to streamline and fast-track them. Speaking to Times Radio Environment Minister Emma Hardy said: 'We've been in an infrastructure crisis because we haven't built the reservoirs that we need. 'In fact we built no reservoirs for the past 30 years. If we don't take action we are going to be running out of the drinking water that we need by the mid-2030s. 'This is why the Government's taking unprecedented action to make these reservoir projects... into projects that are nationally significant projects. 'This means the planning process is taken away from the local authority. The power is put into the hands of the Secretary of State... to make sure that we deliver them. 'It means that we can unlock tens of thousands of new homes and we can make sure that everybody has the drinking water that they desperately need.' A lack of water supplies is also holding back the construction of thousands of homes in parts of the country such as Cambridge, officials have warned. Labour has a target of building 1.5 million new homes by 2029. But demands from migrant-fueled population growth is not the only problem. Last year a report by the Environment Agency found that almost a fifth (19 per cent) of water supplies are lost by water companies before reaching customers' taps. This figure was down 10 percentage points since 2018 but the agency said By 2050, in order to support a growing population, the economy, food production and protect the environment, an extra five billion litres of water will be needed every day. Andy Brown, its water regulation manager, said: 'Drought is a naturally occurring phenomenon. As we see more impacts from climate change heavier rainfall and drier summers will become more frequent. This poses an enormous challenge over the next few decades. Prof Hayley Fowler, professor of climate change impacts at the University of Newcastle, said the dry and drought conditions the UK was experiencing were consistent with what was expected from climate models, especially in the summer months. 'With global warming we expect more prolonged and intense droughts and heatwaves punctuated by more intense rainfall, possibly causing flash floods. 'In recent years, we have experienced more of these atmospheric blocks, causing record heat and persistent drought,' she said. 'We are a northern European nation not short of rain ... this should be a wake-up call for the government, says Chris Philp This week, ministers admitted that parts of Britain could run out of drinking water within a decade. Let that sink in. We are a northern European nation not short of rain. We are certainly not an arid and sandy desert land. Yet apparently we can't guarantee water will come out of the tap. This should be a wake-up call for the government. And we know what drives demand for water: people do. So it is very relevant that for decades the British people have demanded, and politicians have promised, dramatically lower immigration. But for decades, successive governments, including the last one, have failed to deliver that. That failure has undermined faith and trust in democracy itself. It is now time to actually deliver what the public want. Under new leadership, the Conservative Party has recently brought forward a number of serious, credible and detailed plans to tackle immigration - all of which Labour voted against in Parliament in the past few weeks. While homes go unbuilt, schools burst at the seams, and A&Es overflow, Labour's answer is to import more people and deny there's even a problem. The Home Secretary admitted Labour's plans will only bring down net migration by microscopic 50,000 a year - nowhere near enough of a reduction. It is no surprise the Labour Government is failing to take action – Starmer once absurdly claimed immigration puts no strain on public services. Tell that to the families in waiting for a doctor's appointment, to the councillors facing impossible housing targets, or to the water companies now forced to warn that we may not have enough to go round. The government's target of building 300,000 homes per year would only cover net migration at 170,000 per year. Instead, Labour's housebuilding target could result in five out of seven new homes going to migrants. What about the British people who want to get on the housing ladder? Naturally, more people means more demand for water. Every person who arrives needs showers, sinks, sanitation. The more pressure we put on the network, the faster it fails, and the harder it becomes to plan or build for the future. And Labour's solution has not been to tackle the influx but rather to crush any local objections and build two giant reservoirs for 10 and 15 years' time. When the Conservatives recently brought forward a plan to slash immigration Labour torpedoed it using their huge Parliamentary majority. We put forward measures to implement automatic deportations of foreign criminals and illegal migrants; to end the human rights madness that stops us controlling our borders; and to create a binding annual cap on migration which is much, much lower than the numbers we have seen in recent years. Water doesn't lie. It's a basic test of whether a country can support the people in it, and Britain is failing that test because Labour refuses to confront reality. The only serious solution is to tackle immigration head-on. We cannot keep adding the pressure and pretending the system will hold. We cannot build our way out of a problem we refuse to name. Until we slash migration numbers, the shortages will only get worse.
