Fresh leadership wanted

You would have thought a new Council Leader would bring a fresh approach to South Ayrshire Council, but sadly it’s a case of we carry on in the same dismal fashion.

In the same week the kids returned to schools it seems South Ayrshire was the only Ayrshire Council not to opt in to the UK government scheme Eat out to Help out (which was established to run from the 3rd of August till the 31st). While this in the main was directed to help the hospitality industry, the UK Government opened the scheme to Councils to provide discounted schools meals to kids. Now, of course, if the council had opted in the kids would have only been able to get two weeks benefit of the scheme, but two weeks is two weeks. After all they say a week is a long time in politics.

So who took the decision not to avail the schoolkids of this scheme?

As the council was in lockdown itself it fell to council officers to take decisions with the input of four senior councillors if a matter required a political steer, but at the time of penning this it seems according to one of those senior councillors he knew nothing about it or saying he knew nothing about it.

But when he asked about it the reason given not to opt in to the scheme was to allow resources to be expended in cleaning schools over the summer, and yes again another mistruth. My understanding was the school cleaners were stood down when lockdown was imposed at then brought back a week before the kids started back- according to a retired council employee.

I then get informed by my niece who has two kids at school in South Ayrshire that no hot meals provision is being provided at present yet her workmates who have kids in schools in East and North Ayrshire are providing cooked meals. I have visions of a waif-like kid walking up to a serving hatch, meekly passing a plate back through it with a note saying ‘Please Sir, I don’t want any more.’ Ian Stewart, Ayr