Hugh Henry MSP for Renfrewshire South

28 Nov 2012

Post-16 Bill Raises Concerns Over Centralisation of Power

News from Scottish Labour - 28 November 2012

Responding to the publication of the Scottish Government's 'Post-16 Education (Scotland) Bill', Scottish Labour's Hugh Henry MSP, said:

“Reform of post-16 education is required, but given the way Mike Russell has behaved, it raises concerns about the centralisation of power in the hands of the Cabinet Secretary.

“The proposed savings will take a substantial amount of time to be delivered, but in the meantime, colleges are having their funding slashed by the SNP at a time when youth unemployment remains stubbornly high. The draft legislation is merely cover for these cuts.

“The sector’s confidence and support for the Education Secretary is at an all-time low. He misleads Parliament about funding and hauls college chiefs into private meetings to demand their resignations. Giving him statutory powers seems like the last thing we should be considering.

“Let us be in no doubt: forced mergers will not solve the funding crisis in colleges and the SNP need to face up to their choice of prioritising university places over colleges which now have 70,000 fewer students and thousands unable to find a place. This is not a record of success for the SNP.”

About Hugh

Hugh Henry is a Scottish Labour politician first elected a Member of the Scottish Parliament in1999 when he represented Paisley South. He was appointed Deputy Minister for Health and Community in 2001and moved to Deputy Minister for Social Justice in 2002. He became Deputy Minister for Justice after the Scottish Parliamentary Elections in 2003 and Minister for Education in 2006. Hugh collected the Scottish Politician of the Year award in 2010 and won the newly created Renfrewshire South seat in 2011. He was raised in Erskine, Renfrewshire and educated at St Mirin's Academy, Paisley, at the University of Glasgow and Jordanhill College in Glasgow. He has worked as an accountant, a teacher and as a welfare rights officer. He was a local councillor from 1984 until 1999, including four years as leader of Renfrewshire Council. He is married with two daughters and a son.