By Claire Warrender

Fife Council’s Labour administration has been accused of losing all moral authority after voting through £5.4 million of cuts to the region’s education service.

The savings agreed at last week’s budget meeting are over and above the £10 million of cuts in 2006/07 and include a redesign of the visiting teacher service, changes to supply cover and reviews of the janitorial service and teaching staff formula, all of which could result in job losses.

The move has been defended by Labour but, with the council already under fire for wasting public money on conferences and private consultants, SNP leader David Alexander claimed it was time Labour addressed their priorities.

“At the budget meeting, the Labour leader said that the council was once again investing in its priorities like education,” he said.

“The children’s spokesperson, Councillor Kay Morrison, said it was a humdinger of a budget.

“But the specific education proposals put forward by Labour include £5.4 million of cuts with only a paltry £200,000 of growth.

“How can anyone say that this is investment of priorities? How can someone with the responsibility for children say this budget is a humdinger?”

Councillor Alexander accused Labour of being dishonest, adding, “I don’t mind if folk are being honest, but Anne McGovern stood up and said they were investing in education.

“They put some extra money in to cover fuel bills but that should have been done last year. They put a budget through last February without taking any account of rising power prices and all that happened was they had to make more cuts in education.”

The SNP’s budget, which was rejected at Thursday’s meeting, recommended reinstating the proposed cuts in education and reinvestment in the service.

They argued that for a 1.9% rise in council tax, the visiting teacher service could be retained, proposed cuts in teacher posts be reinstated and the proposed cuts in IT support and a “headcount reduction” could be reversed.

The SNP’s alternative proposals included reducing councillors’ mileage to the same rate as council staff, abolishing the free lunch entitlement for councillors, scrapping The Fifer newspaper, reducing the overtime bill and holding in-house training in council premises to reduce hotel bills.

“We showed them how to do it. It was possible,” said Mr Alexander.

“The pupil/teacher ratio in Fife is already lower than the Scottish average and they’re cutting more. How is education a priority for these people?

“If a Tory government had been in power these folk would have had children and teachers marching down the street.

“This administration has lost all moral authority and the quicker they step down the better it will be for Fife.”

Councillor Morrison defended the budget, saying all services were asked to find savings to ensure they were carrying out their work without wasting money.

“When we were elected we said our priorities were vulnerable people and children, and these are still our priorities,” she said.

“We are always looking at ways of doing things better and ensuring money is in the right place so we are ensuring services, including education, look at ways of reducing costs where they can while still having excellent delivery of service.”