SNP policies lose on the swings and roundabouts

Sir, – Many readers will be aware Fife Council has had to remove play equipment from a number of playparks in Fife in recent years for health and safety reasons and not been able to replace the equipment due to the SNP Scottish Government’s cuts to the council’s funding.

While SNP cuts have led to the current situation, their manifesto for the recent Scottish Parliament election included the bold statement that, if elected, they would “...renew every playpark in Scotland, so that all children have access to quality play in their own community”.

This is a common SNP tactic – cut funding to local authorities who have to cut core services, then invent some scheme so it appears the SNP has come to the rescue, eg, the Pupil Equity Funding for education. Irrespective of the political tactics, the clear commitment at least meant communities across the country could look forward to renewed playparks.

However, with the SNP having only committed £60m to the initiative and, with the cost of renewing all playparks in Fife alone estimated at around £30m, it’s clear only a very small percentage of play parks will be renewed across Scotland – and this is a significant failure to deliver on an unambiguous commitment to renew every playpark.

It will certainly be interesting to hear how SNP candidates and activists explain this – along with the SNP cuts that have decimated council services – when campaigning for votes at the forthcoming council elections. Councillor Brian Thomson, Forbes Place,

St Andrews.