Call for talks by Catholic Church over voting rights

Concern is voiced after council move

The Catholic Church is demanding urgent talks with Perth and Kinross Council after it withdrew voting rights from religious representatives on education committees.

The local authority last week became the first in Scotland to block church reps from voting on school issues.

It followed an earlier decision to close Blairingone Primary, which was swung by the votes of two unelected members of the lifelong learning committee.

Afterwards, the Scottish Government confirmed in a statement to The Courier that while councils were required to appoint religious reps on education committees, their voting rights were “a matter for each local authority”.

Local Roman Catholic representative

There were better alternatives to resolve the issue. BARBARA COUPAR

Margaret MacFarlane missed the Blaringone vote due to illness, but the Church has stressed she would not have voted on the issue in any case.

The Scottish Catholic Education Service said its representatives will only vote on matters that affect Catholic schooling.

The service said the Church now has a diminished say on the future of the region’s four Catholic schools.

Director Barbara Coupar said: “We believe there was a disproportionate response from the council on this issue and there were better alternatives to resolve the issue.”

Representatives from the Dunkeld Diocese, including Bishop Stephen Robson, have now asked for a meeting with council chiefs.

The motion to prevent unelected members from voting was raised by independent councillor Xander McDade.

“This is quite simply a matter of democracy,” he said. “It is my fundamental belief that no one who is unaccountable to the electorate should be able to vote on public policy.”

Picture: Steven Brown. Blairingone Primary School.