Glasgow Council admit "Gaffe" over School Closures

- and the Gaffe, as well costing safe, friendly, community schools - is going to cost existing schools £2million of their valuable funding... see HERE

July updates...

The East Dunbartonshire/Campsie blog has been inactive in the past couple of weeks due to holidays. Updates will be sporadic during July, returning to full service in August. For news from the SSP and stories from a working class perspective, please access our main site - www.scottishsocialistparty.org

Below is the latest update about the courageous Wyndford Primary School occupiers (released 13 July by Save Our Schools, Glasgow), plus a message of support recieved from the protestors down in Lewisham Bridge...

WYNDFORD SCHOOL SIT-IN ENDS – BUT THE BATTLE CONTINUES

The group of courageous parents who have occupied Wyndford primary school since Friday 26th June have decided to end their sit-in, but to fight on against the injustices and education cuts by the Glasgow Labour council, more angry and determined than ever.
They left the building in tears – sad to have to leave the building to the tender mercies of the Labour council vandals, angry at what the council is inflicting on their kids and community.

Richie Venton, Glasgow Save Our Schools Campaign organiser, today said:
“The decision by these fearless fighters to leave Wyndford primary came about because the Judicial Review which they had hoped for, on the flaws in the council’s sham consultation, has fallen through – despite the obscene injustices involved.
“They occupied the building to retain it as a school building, to stop the council stripping and demolishing it, whilst lawyers pursued the case of a nursery child’s mother who was never consulted over the closure of Wyndford primary, which her child was meant to go to.
“The legal challenge collapsed on the outrageous grounds that because the city council placed an advert announcing the closure in the Evening Times, that that constituted consultation. This outrage becomes even more obnoxious when it is known that the parent involved has reading difficulties!
“So much for the impartiality of the law; so much for justice for working class people, including those in most need of protection!
“The fearless fighters who staged this sit-in to defend a school from the Labour council vandals deserve the highest public praise and applause.
“And it is even more to their credit that they have pledged to fight on regardless of having to physically withdraw from the school, by helping build support for the Glasgow Save Our Schools Campaign petition to the Scottish parliament on school closures and class sizes, and to continue our battle for classes of 20 or less for all kids.
“One chapter of the struggle has closed; the next one is merely opening!”
Three of those at the heart of the sit-in by a much larger group – Donna, Alison and Nikki – have this to say:

”The reason for us occupying the building has gone, so we are coming out.
“We were proven right to fear that the city council would try to strip the place and put it in the hands of a demolition firm once the school term finished. Within a day of the school year ending they sent 30 vans to uplift equipment and furniture, and the building has been handed over for demolition.
“We occupied it to stop this happening, while we tried to get the legal challenge, the Judicial Review. That has fallen through, so we are ending the sit-in.
“But the fight goes on. It is too late now for our schools, but we will go on to fight for the future.
“We know how scary it is to put our kids into bigger classes. It is ridiculous that classes are getting bigger. It is as if they have decided kids are getting a bit too well educated, so they want to take them down a peg or two.
“The education received by our kids is brilliant compared to when we, the parents, were at school. But now we are going backwards again, with bigger classes, when the government should be taking us forwards, not backwards.
“We have still got the anger – especially towards Steven Purcell and the Labour council. We hate them. We’ll be there to oppose them at every opportunity.
“And we want to thank all the people who have supported us in our fight.”

The Lewisham Bridge message of support can be found HERE

Save Our Schools Moves to Holyrood...

GLASGOW SAVE OUR SCHOOLS CAMPAIGN CALLS ON 129 MSPs TO SIGN DECLARATION IN DEFENCE OF EDUCATION IN COMMUNITIES

Glasgow Save Our Schools Campaign has taken nearly 100 parents to the Scottish Parliament today, met with a group of MSPs, and started the process of getting a parliamentary majority of MSPs to sign up to a Declaration calling on the Glasgow city council to suspend its hasty attempts to close schools and nurseries by June, and asking for an urgent parliamentary investigation into the impact of these closures.

Glasgow Save Our Schools Campaign organiser, Richie Venton, today said:

"We met with a group of MSPs from the Lib Dems, SNP and Labour. Two-thirds of them agreed to sign our MSPs' Declaration on the spot, and to pursue other MSPs to do likewise.
"Glasgow Save Our Schools Campaign will now write to and speak to every MSP to seek their backing, to further isolate the cost-cutting councillors in their George Square bunker. "Our aim is to pound the council into retreat with the help of the Scottish parliament.
"The issues involved are of grave concern for the whole nation, as well as traumatising 2,000 young children in its biggest city.
"The Labour council's closures will mean bigger classes and less teachers -
both of which completely contradict the declared aims of the Scottish
government and the advice of educational experts.
"The so-called consultation procedure, where over 96 per cent opposition to
the closures was ignored by Steven Purcell and his puppet councillors,
undermines the whole idea of democracy and the Scottish parliament's own
guidelines for public consultation.
"We appeal to the Scottish parliament to not remain silent on such key
issues, but to shout its opposition to these regressive, cost-cutting
closures from the rooftops.
"Our MSPs' Declaration calls on the Scottish parliament to hold a thorough public investigation into the impact of the threatened closures on education, children's health and safety, social inclusion, jobs, and the implications for the democartic process of consultation with communities.
There is no reason why any MSP of any party would not sign up to this Declaration."



For more info contact Richie Venton on 07828 278 093 or at
richieventon@hotmail.com

Save Our Schools MAY DAY!

click on image of leaflet to read larger version...

SSP Support Save Our Schools - STOP NEW LABOUR IMPLEMENTING THEIR CLOSURES!

Scottish Social Party Leaflet supporting Save Our Schools Glasgow campaign... click on the leaflet for a larger version...



More information on www.sosglasgow.org

PARENTS PROTEST AS GLASGOW COUNCIL HOLDS SECRET MEETING WITH HEAD-TEACHERS

At Education Offices, Wheatley House, Cochrane St (off George Sq)

9am, Friday 1st May


Parents from closure-threatened schools and nurseries are staging an angry protest outside a secret meeting between the Labour Council and head-teachers from the schools affected, demanding entrance to the meeting and for the Council to stop trying to rail-road through their closures.

Glasgow Save Our Schools Campaign organiser, Richie Venton, today said:

“This meeting is typical of the Labour Council’s methods.

“It is secretive; parents discovered it by pure chance.

“It is exclusive; parents and carers whose kids are threatened with traumatic moves were not even informed, let alone invited to it.

“And it is another attempt to rail-road through the closures; the Labour council knows full well that we are mounting legal challenges to their immoral closure procedures, and taking our case to the Scottish parliament, yet they want to bamboozle and browbeat people by making it appear the closures are done and dusted.

“Parents are demanding an invitation to the meeting. We condemn the Labour council for excluding the very people whose families are at risk from their education cuts.

“The people of Glasgow will not be denied their voice by Labour’s dictatorship – the fight to obstruct and prevent these closures continues; the schools are still there; and the will to resist closures has hardened in the face of the Labour Council’s obscene disregard for kids and communities.”



For more info contact Richie Venton on 07828 278 093 or at richieventon@hotmail.com



END

RENEWED PROTESTS AS GLASGOW SCHOOL CLOSURE LIST LENGTHENS

Glasgow Save Our Schools Campaign - statement below poster. Click on poster to see bigger size.

PRESS RELEASE … for immediate use (26th April)

RENEWED PROTESTS AS GLASGOW SCHOOL CLOSURE LIST LENGTHENS

Hands around our schools – we shall not be moved!

3pm Monday 27th April

The Glasgow Save Our Schools Campaign has called city-wide protests outside the schools and nurseries threatened with closure, at 3pm on Monday 27^th April – as reports confirm that Labour plans further school closures.

Glasgow Save Our Schools Campaign organiser, Richie Venton, today said:

“Spineless Labour councillors voted to close down 22 schools and nurseries last week, but they won’t find it so easy to implement their scandalous decision!

“Far from being defeated, we are defiant. The Glasgow Save Our Schools Campaign has a whole raft of protests planned, starting with a city-wide series of human rings around the schools and nurseries they want to shut. Our defiant message is: ‘Labour can vote to ignore the public, to shut our schools, but we shall not be moved’.

“And as reports confirm what we have warned of since January – that anything up to 34 more Glasgow schools could face closure in the next year or two – we appeal to parents from those schools and communities to join our protests, to add power to our battle to defy, obstruct and reverse the closures.

“This show of continued defiance is only one strand to our struggle.

“We are pursuing legal challenges to a brutally flawed procedure.

“And we are taking our case to the Scottish parliament. The Scottish government should come out clearly in opposition to these closures, wield its political power to demand they be reversed, and side with the people of Glasgow against the Labour council’s vandalism. The Glasgow SOS Campaign plans a lobby of the parliament to seek support in the next few weeks.”

For more info contact Richie Venton on 07828 278 093 or at richieventon@hotmail.com

END

"He will use his local henchman like Steven Purcell and lackeys such as the SNP and the Liberal Democrats who will say there is nothing we can do about the global crisis and its London’s fault. The £3.5 million that the Glasgow council hope to save by closing schools and nurseries will be the shape of things to come right across Scotland as central government cuts back on block grants. These public sector cuts will be put through under the guises of efficiency savings. But they are effectively taking our money and throwing it at the rich bankers to bail them out whom they encouraged in the first place on this mad binge of greedy speculation." Why the cuts in schools in Glasgow is a way to pay the debts and bonuses of those who killed the economy. See below.... -

Henchmen Purcell and the reason why he puts Profit before Glasgow + how the budget affects YOU

Make Greed History by Making Capitalism History

By Raphie de Santos

The unacceptable face of capitalism was a phrase coined by the Conservative leader Edward Heath in the 1970s to describe the bribing of African leaders by the “entrepreneur” Tiny Rowland. It became a phrase to describe the worst excesses of the 1970s property boom and bust. Today is greed the unacceptable face of capitalism or is it inherent in the capitalist system rather than in people themselves?


At end of 2006 there were 946 billionaires with a combined wealth of 3.5 trillion dollars that’s $US 3,500,000,000,000! The world’s population is around 6.6 billion
The majority of who live in varying degrees of poverty and squalor. It would take $80 billion a year for ten years to meets the entire planet’s population’s basic needs: safe housing, nutritious food, clean drinking water, primary education and healthcare.

Put another way 0.000014% of the world’s population has enough money to provide the planet’s entire population with a sustainable and enriching way of life for 44 years! Is that an acceptable face of capitalism or pure obscene greed?

This increasing inequality has manifested itself in the UK. Since 1976 the liquid wealth of the bottom half of the population has fallen from 12% to 1% in 2003. At the same time the richest 0.01% of the UK’s population has seen their incomes increase by 500% over the same period.

In a similar vein the International Monetary Fund have estimated that global banks will have written off over 4 trillion US dollars by the end of 2010. A credit think tank KKW have estimated that US banks alone need one trillion US dollars of capital in the next few months to act as a buffer against further losses. In 2005 during the make history campaign we were asking the world’s banks to write off the 182 billion US dollars owed to them by the planet’s poor countries. So far they have written off nothing. Is this the acceptable face of capitalism or sheer greed?

In the UK Darling and co are looking to borrow over 700 billion pounds to cover the money, our money, that was given to bailout the banks. This is a large underestimation of what he needs as there will be further bank losses – we are liable or another one trillion pounds through the toxic asset insurance scheme alone. His view of the state of the UK economy is dishonestly optimistic – he’s predicting a shrinkage of 3.6% in 2009 but as was announced last week the UK economy shrank by 1.9% in the first quarter of 2009. This means that tax revenues will be lower and social security payments higher. In other words a larger deficit than predicted by the government.

How will he find the money? One route is through issuing government bonds (gilts) – a sort of government IOU. But no one wants to touch these IOUs – as a borrower we are now rated alongside Portugal and Greece. He will then be forced to make huge cuts in public expenditure – much larger than he was forecasting in the budget.

He will use his local henchman like Steven Purcell and lackeys such as the SNP and the Liberal Democrats who will say there is nothing we can do about the global crisis and its London’s fault. The £3.5 million that the Glasgow council hope to save by closing schools and nurseries will be the shape of things to come right across Scotland as central government cuts back on block grants. These public sector cuts will be put through under the guises of efficiency savings. But they are effectively taking our money and throwing it at the rich bankers to bail them out whom they encouraged in the first place on this mad binge of greedy speculation.

The second place they are going to pay for this bailout is through increased taxation. But it will be us who face a heavier tax bill and not the rich bankers. Darlings’ proposal to tax earnings above £150,000 at 50% has caused the City and Fleet Street to squeal with horror. But as most tax experts have said this gang of spongers do not pay tax on their total incomes. They are paid a basic salary below £150,000 and receive a bonus on top which is paid in such a way as to avoid paying tax.

These people are parasites in a parasitic system. Most of the capital raised by corporations comes from our pensions and insurance funds – over 70% of the world’s shares and bonds are owned by us through these funds. The money is invested through financial markets and these bankers hang around like vultures to speculate and pick up the crumbs from our cake.

The time has come to squeeze them until they squeak and howl and make all this capitalist greed history by making capitalism itself history.

Raphie de Santos is the co-author of the just published book “Socialists and the Capitalist Recession” which is available from the Wee Red Book Shop, Wordpower or Amazon.com

Raphie has drafted a brief summary of Darling's Budget...

Alistair Darling

• Budget is to pay for bail out of banks
• Unable to raise money on financial markets because our IOUs (Gilts) are worth nothing – in line with Portugal and Greece
• Deficit for 2009 at over 12% biggest of the G20 countries
• Big cut in public spending and over the near term and medium and long term
• Tax rises after next election for the poor and middle incomes
• Darling’s growth expectations laughed at by all – IMF reckon economy will shrink by 4.3% this year while Darling has us at 3,5% and IMF been behind the curve
• Darling expects recovery to start at end of 2009 – likely that economy will bottom out in mid 2010 with no recovery because of lack of credit from banks for individuals and corporations
• Budget assumes recovery and no more bailouts for banks – likely to be more money for bailouts and no recovery
• Global economy from Europe too US to Japan shows that the recession continuing at same pace and quickening up after a lull in February
• World ex China will effectively be in depression by end of 2010
• We are liable for another trillion pounds because of insurance of toxic assets
• Britain effectively bankrupt
• No money for stimulus programmes
• In summary we are going to pay a huge price for speculation and greed of the bankers and the neo-liberal dream
• Huge battles lie ahead over jobs, homes and public services around the world

Q1 GDP Numbers Show the Hollowness of Darling's Forecast

The quarter one GDP figures released today showed the UK economy shrank by 1.9% just two day after Darling had predicted a 3.6% decline for the whole year. This shows how far off the market he was and was generally trying to deceive the mass of the population. This means that the public cuts will have to be much larger than announced in the Budget. The GDP number was much worse than consensus expectations and the UK now has had the largest two successive declines in GDP since the days of Thatcher in 1980.

The UK is on track for a decline of at least 6% in GDP for 2009 with it technically entering a depression sometime in 2010. The Q1 decline shows that the IMF’s prediction of a 4.2% decline for the UK in 2009 is well short of the mark. This has been par for the course for the IMF which has consistently underestimated the scale of the recession.

The news from Germany was even bleaker where Axle Weber the Bundesbank (equivalent of the Bank of England) president said that German GDP shrinkage would be over 3% in Q1. This stands in sharp contrast to a prediction by the IMF of 4.1% for the whole year. Germany is being particularly hard hit by being heavily dependent on exports to the US and the UK.

In the US previously owned homes sales fell in February and half off these were the sales of distressed mortgages and house prices fell 12% in the calendar year. Credit experts KKW have estimated that US banks alone need another $1 Trillion to stay afloat.

Outside of the US, governments will be unable to cover deficits and the cost of bailouts from the issue of government bonds as international investors downgrade the credit worthiness of major economies – Britain is now rated on a par with Portugal and Greece.

This will mean they will have to make massive public sector cuts and raise taxes for the low and middle incomes. This will only deepen the recession and prolong it.

We are all going to pay a very high price for capitalism’ reckless follies.

JOIN HANDS AROUND OUR SCHOOLS!

MORE DETAILS ON WWW.SOSGLASGOW.ORG

FURY ERUPTS AS LABOUR COUNCILLORS PUT THEIR LABOUR PARTY CAREERS BEFORE KIDS

Fury has erupted amongst parents, carers and communities after Labour councillors voted to close primaries and nurseries, despite the mass opposition movement of the past 3 months.

The Glasgow Save Our Schools Campaign has agreed an immediate plan of action at an emergency meeting this afternoon.



Glasgow Save Our Schools Campaign organiser, Richie Venton, today said:



“Labour councillors have shown absolutely spineless careerism by bowing to the dictatorship of their Labour group leader, Steven Purcell. They will rue the day!

“At the secretive meeting of the Labour councillors last week, they voted by 31:6 to proceed with 22 closures. That means 6 of them felt the closure package is rotten, the tens of thousands who oppose the closures are right, and they hoped to save their electoral skins by making a gesture of opposition behind closed doors. But today Labour councillors all toed the Labour party line, obeyed orders and ignored their own consciences. Shame on them for their cowardice - for putting their Labour party careers before kids!

“They have voted to close down schools and nurseries, but they won’t find it so easy to implement their scandalous decision!

“Across the road from the Council meeting, the Glasgow Save Our Schools Campaign met, with representatives from schools across the city, and decided a plan of action to defy, defeat and reverse these closures.

“We will launch a new round of peaceful direct action protest, with unity in the community, starting with a city-wide Hands Around Our Schools protest on Monday at 3pm, declaring that the councillors might vote for closures, but ‘we shall not be moved’!

“We are seeking professional help with legal challenges to a brutally flawed procedure.

“And we are taking our case to the Scottish parliament. The Scottish government should come out clearly in opposition to these closures, wield its political power to demand they be reversed, and side with the people of Glasgow against the Labour council’s unprincipled axe-wielders. The Glasgow SOS Campaign plans a lobby of the parliament to seek support in the next few weeks.”



For more info contact Richie Venton on 07828 278 093 or at richieventon@hotmail.com

Campsie Branch Support Save Our Schools Big Blockade of Glasgow City Council

Photos from SSP comrade, Gordon Scott. Click on the images below to see more.




BBC Coverage of today's demonstrations HERE

Big Blockade of glasgow City Council!

CLICK ON LEAFLET FOR DETAILS. PRESS RELEASE BELOW.


Glasgow Save Our Schools Campaign

PRESS RELEASE … for immediate use (22nd April)



24 HOUR VIGIL AND BLOCKADE OF GLASGOW CITY CHAMBERS



As decision-day at the Glasgow city council looms, parents and carers in the Glasgow Save Our School Campaign have decided to hold a 24-hour vigil outside the City Chambers from 12 midday today (Weds), in the run-up to the Mass Blockade of the meeting at 12noon on Thursday.



Glasgow Save Our Schools Campaign organiser, Richie Venton, today said:



“People who care for their kids and communities are full of fear for the future, fury at Labour councillors who threaten the closures, and firm determination to fight on

“The peaceful vigil will have a stark message to Steven Purcell and his team of councillors: we are watching you!

“Watching whether Purcell has the decency to meet parents and try to justify the indefensible closures, after going into hiding for weeks.

“Watching whether at least 7 Labour councillors have the principles and strength of character to rebel against the closures of all the schools and nurseries, and help stop larger classes, in old buildings, with less staff being the fate of our kids.

“The vigil will help spread the message to the public that when the Council meets to vote on Thursday, they should encounter a mass human blockade demanding they save our schools or face the sack, that they should put kids before cash.”



For more info contact Richie Venton on 07828 278 093 or at richieventon@hotmail.com



END

Glasgow Save Our Schools Campaign

PRESS RELEASE … for immediate use (21st April)



RESISTANCE TO SCHOOL CLOSURES SPREADS – SUPPORT FROM TRADE UNIONS



As decision-day at the Glasgow city council looms, parents and carers have won fresh allies in the battle to save the schools and nurseries on Labour’s amended hit-list for closure. Parents staged sit-ins at two schools just two days after the 15-day sit-ins ended, and a delegation from the city-wide Glasgow Save Our Schools Campaign won support from several trade unions at the STUC Congress in Perth.



Glasgow Save Our Schools Campaign organiser, Richie Venton, today said:



“Protests are breaking out like bush fires beneath the backsides of the Labour councillors on the eve of the Council meeting on Thursday.

“Those who staged the sit-in at Victoria school were applauded for their courage by a huge crowd of local people as the came out of the building.

“Parents on the roof-top protest at Our Lady of Assumption in Ruchill have shown immense determination in resisting the closure, and there is no excuse for the Council’s over-reaction, dumping kids in another school, because the protest in no way would interfere with the kids’ education – it’s the council’s planned closure that does that!

“A delegation of us travelled to meet delegates at the annual Congress of the Scottish Trade Union Congress. We won massive support from several trade unions who recognise that the cuts in staffing levels, rise in class sizes, threats to parents’ ability to hold down jobs, and assault on community facilities are all issues that trade unionists should take up.

“Given the historic link between Labour and the unions, they would do well to ponder the widespread support for the campaign to stop the closures that union leaders and delegates expressed

This campaign will not go away – we are finding fresh allies in the fight for local community schools with smaller class sizes.”



For more info contact Richie Venton on 07828 278 093 or at richieventon@hotmail.com



END

Parents Fightback!

Parents fightback over the decimation of their communities and children's education. Hundreds march through Glasgow to the City Chambers to let the councillors inside know that OUR CHILDREN'S FUTURE COMES FIRST!

Save Our Schools - DEMONSTRATE 17 APRIL!

Save Our Schools - Clowns lobby the Glasgow City Council Labour clowns

Glasgow City Council Labour group met today to discuss the scandalous closure of Primary Schools and Nurseries across Glasgow. These closures are political - the Labour run council leader, Steven Purcell, has ambitions beyond the City Chambers (he wants to be Labour Leader) and making the SNP/SSP policy of 20 or less in a class unworkable is seen as a good way to cosy up to his bosses - AT OUR CHILDREN'S AND EDUCATION WORKERS EXPENSE!

A group of parents dressed up as clowns to lobby the Labour clowns inside. Richie Venton, a Save Our Schools organiser, facilitated a Save Our Schools press conference which was attended by all the major networks and newspapers.








More photos HERE

Save Our Schools demonstration in Drumchapel

Some Campsie Branch members joined in the Save Our Schools demonstration today in Drumchapel. Working class solidarity knows no council boundaries!





MORE HERE

Save Our Schools - GLASGOW DEMONSTRATION!

GLASGOW SAVE OUR SCHOOLS- DEMONSTRATION!!