Nats blazing at blazer slur

County Buildings, where row over school clothing grants took place

Every schoolchild in Clydesdale could have been given a Â£129-a-year school clothing grant if South Lanarkshire Council's SNP administration hadn't voted to limit the benefit to Â£100.

This claim, made by the council’s Labour Group, has been totally refuted by the Nationalists, accusing Labour of being “short-sighted” and even of getting their sums wrong.

Councillor Fiona Dryburgh, Labour’s council business manager, said: “Councils and the Scottish Government have agreed a deal to deliver a School Clothing Grant of £100 to eligible pupils but the funding coming to the council exceeds what is required for a £100 grant.

“Instead of letting the council sit on that money or allocate it for other purposes, I put forward an amendment calling for the full value - £129.50 - to go into the clothing grant.

“I am deeply disappointed that the SNP and the Tories voted against this perfectly reasonable amendment.”

An SNP Spokesperson said: “The SNP took the decision to raise the school clothing grant from £50 to £75 during the budget and thanks to funding from the Scottish Government, will now increase it to £100 per pupil.

“That is double the amount Labour offered school pupils when they were in power.”

The spokesman then claimed Labour’s figures were wrong, stating: “Their latest proposal would increase the grant by £6 and in turn risk taking money away from others that are yet to join the scheme. That is not only short-sighted but it is irresponsible.”