South Lanarkshire Conservatives

04/11/2026

QUIETER SCHOOL BELLS? IS THIS REALLY THE PRIORITY FOR SCOTLAND’S SCHOOLS?

The SNP Scottish Government has suggested that reducing the volume of school bells could help improve pupil attendance.

But with Scotland facing serious challenges around school attendance, classroom behaviour, additional support needs and educational attainment, is this really where the focus should be?

Let’s be clear. We fully recognise that some children, particularly those with autism or sensory sensitivities, may benefit from quieter school environments. Their individual needs must be taken seriously.

However, decisions about school bell volumes are not solely the responsibility of the Scottish Government.

Local authorities have responsibility for managing schools, while headteachers make many of the day-to-day operational decisions. Any changes must consider the needs of individual pupils, the layout of school buildings, safety requirements and the practicalities of running a school.

So why is changing the volume of school bells attracting attention when the problems affecting attendance run much deeper?

According to the Scottish Government’s own figures for 2024/25:

28.5% of Scottish pupils were persistently absent.

That figure rose to 37.4% among secondary school pupils.

Overall attendance remained below pre-pandemic levels.

These are serious issues that require meaningful action.

Schools need appropriate resources, effective additional support, clear expectations around behaviour, stronger engagement with families and targeted action to address the underlying causes of persistent absence.

Turning down a school bell might help an individual pupil. It is not, on its own, a solution to Scotland’s wider attendance problems.

The question for the SNP Government is simple:

Where is the sustained action on the bigger challenges facing Scotland’s schools?

Our children, families and teachers deserve a serious discussion about improving education, not one dominated by the volume of a school bell.

02/11/2026

Scottish Labour MSP Irshad Ahmed has sparked debate after telling the Scottish Parliament that pubs are “not spaces designed for families, young teenagers or religious minorities such as mine”.

Scotland’s pubs have been part of our towns and communities for generations. Today, many offer food, soft drinks and alcohol-free alternatives alongside traditional alcoholic drinks, and they remain important social spaces for people from a wide range of backgrounds.

There is absolutely a place for more alcohol-free venues, cafés and community spaces where there is demand for them. Creating more choice, however, does not have to mean diminishing the role of the traditional Scottish pub.

At a time when pubs and hospitality businesses are facing significant cost pressures, the bigger question should be how we help these businesses survive while ensuring communities have a diverse range of places where people can meet and socialise.

Scotland should continue to be welcoming and respectful to people of every faith and background but not at the expense of the institutions and traditions that have long been part of our communities.

02/11/2026

The Scottish Conservatives can today (Monday) expose the “astonishing” waste of taxpayers’ money that John Swinney is set to spend on giving schoolbags to every Primary One pupil in Scotland.

It was revealed last week that the scheme will cost £28 per bag, after a two-year contract was awarded to Edinburgh-based company APS group.

The bag will also contain items including pencils, a pencil case, crayons, a notebook and a water bottle for approximately 47,000 children across the country.

However, on a trip to a well-known retail store in Edinburgh, education spokeswoman Meghan Gallacher was able to buy a schoolbag and the items for less than half of what Swinney is charging hard-pressed Scots.

In total Meghan Gallacher spent £13.14 on a backpack, a notebook, a pencil set, a water bottle, a folding ruler and a twelve pack of crayons.

Gallacher says Swinney must urgently come clean on why his “gimmick” is costing more than twice the sum any parent would be able to purchase the items for in this shop.

She says that instead of issuing government-backed schoolbags, Swinney should be instead focused on restoring Scotland’s previous reputation for educational excellence, finally honouring Nicola Sturgeon’s pledge to eliminate the attainment gap and tackling soaring levels of violence in Scotland’s schools.

Gallacher added that it is a total distraction from “SNP incompetence” and another example of how they have no regard for Scotland’s taxpayers.

Scottish Conservative education spokeswoman Meghan Gallacher MSP said: “My trip to a well-known retailer has exposed the astonishing waste of John Swinney’s schoolbag gimmick.

“It beggars belief that he is happy to charge taxpayers’ £28 per bag, when we know you can purchase a backpack and the items Swinney is planning to give Primary One pupils for less than half the deal he struck.

“This raises further serious questions about the contract which was awarded to a group who have already benefitted from other SNP schemes.

“Instead of these government-issued schoolbags, Swinney should be focusing money and resources on restoring Scotland’s reputation for educational excellence, ending the poverty-related attainment gap and tackling soaring levels of violence in our schools.

“A taxpayer-funded schoolbag will do nothing to tackle these issues.

“This is a distraction from Swinney to try and hide from SNP incompetence, and another shocking example of how this arrogant nationalist government have no regard for Scotland’s taxpayers.”

29/10/2026

Action to tackle Scotland’s soaring benefits bill by freezing payment rates is ‘off the table’ according to SNP Finance Secretary Jenny Gilruth.

Despite creating a gaping black hole in Scotland’s finances, Jenny Gilruth is refusing to even consider making savings by freezing benefits payments, which are currently projected to reach £9 billion by the end of the decade.

The Scottish Conservatives are the only party with a credible plan to cut Scotland’s ballooning benefits bill, tackle fraud and restore fairness to Scotland’s social security system.

28/10/2026

Another SNP gimmick — and taxpayers are picking up the bill.

Swinney’s “Welcome to School” bags will cost taxpayers around £28 PER BAG.

But it gets worse.

The £2.7 million contract wasn’t even put through a fresh competitive tendering process. Instead, the SNP Government awarded it through an existing purchasing framework — raising serious questions about transparency and whether taxpayers are really getting the best possible value for money.

And despite all the SNP’s talk about supporting Scotland’s economy, the backpacks themselves are being manufactured in China, rather than using this public spending as an opportunity to support Scottish manufacturing and jobs.

£2.7 million over two years.

Bags made in China.

No fresh competitive tender.

Meanwhile, our schools are crying out for investment.

That money should be spent improving education, supporting teachers and tackling the attainment gap — not on another flashy SNP giveaway.

Scotland’s children deserve better than gimmicks. They deserve a government focused on fixing our schools.

23/10/2026

Overgrown roadside hedges are a common concern across many of South Lanarkshire’s rural communities, affecting visibility, pedestrian safety and access along our roads.

Cllr Alex Allison, who represents Clydesdale East, has produced this short video highlighting the issue and explaining what residents can do if they are affected.

If you are experiencing similar problems in your area, you can report them to South Lanarkshire Council by calling 0303 123 1020.

Further information on contacting the Council is also included at the end of Alex’s video.

Please feel free to share this with anyone who may find it useful.

22/10/2026

Jackdaw's approval must be the start of renewed support for the North Sea oil and gas industry.

The decision will safeguard hundreds of jobs and boost domestic gas production by six per cent, but Labour is refusing to lift its ban on new exploration licences.

Approving one field does not undo years of uncertainty for North Sea workers. Labour's windfall tax continues to punish investment, while Swinney refuses to ditch the SNP's presumption against new drilling.

Labour must now approve Rosebank, scrap its ban on new licences and end the Energy Profits Levy, while Swinney must finally back Scotland's oil and gas workers.

18/10/2026

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16/10/2026

The Scottish Conservative & Unionist Party will always stand up for Scotland's proud place in the United Kingdom and oppose another divisive independence referendum.

We will stand up for Scotland's rural communities after decades of SNP neglect.

We want to get Scotland working and crack down on the SNP's light-touch approach to benefit fraud, protecting the taxpayer's money.

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