Tories showing their true colours

It’s barely three months since the Conservatives took over the administration at Perth and Kinross Council and we are now starting to get a glimpse into how they intend to run council services.

Since coming to power the Tories have been careful to deliver continuity, adopting the SNP’s budget and pursuing the big SNP initiatives such as the city of culture bid and the redevelopment of the city hall.

But these are deeply ideological people with a particular world view and they will always be tempted to promote this vision in the way they run civic Perthshire.

We had no idea in advance how they intended to run the council as the only issue they campaigned on in May was their“opposition to a second referendum”.

Such was the obsessive way they presented this “opposition”we knew nothing of how they intended to run local schools or deliver social care.

How the Perthshire Tories thought they could stop a second referendum on independence from 2 High Street was also totally lost on me!

Last week their focus was diverted from the constitution to agonise over issues actually within their council responsibilities and the Tories were typically found wanting.

First was an initiative on potholes – an issue that has plagued Perth motorists for years.

One of the very few things that the Tories did in assuming power was to adopt the guise of‘pothole crusaders’.

Within weeks they proudly proclaimed a reversal of what they described as a “nightmare”policy which banned repairs on potholes less than 60mm deep.

Last week, in a screeching reversal, it was announced road defects which were normally repaired within 24 hours are to be left unattended for up to five days - infuriating Perthshire road users. Then there are the schools. In the last couple of weeks a list of nine schools has emerged where closure is to be an option.

Every council has an obligation to keep their school estate under review but the Tories have discharged these responsibilities with almost singular ineptness.

I joined parents at St Ninian’s Primary on Dunkeld Road to ensure this distinctive and popular school remains open and that the threatened closure is removed. Here the council couldn’t even get the school roll right, simply antagonising teachers and parents alike.

If you look right across Scotland we can see many examples of Tory councillors with provocative and unsavoury views, an invidious feature in which the Perthshire Tories are unfortunately not immune.

These people are apparently to be tolerated and excused by Ruth Davidson and let loose on our council services.

There are always consequences in the way people vote and the people of Perthshire are beginning to see that as the Perthshire Tories start to assert themselves here.

Where they do things in the community interest I will support them but where they revert to Tory‘type’I will stand with communities to oppose them.