Playparks have no place in election games

ONCE I had left my childhood years behind me playparks became meaningless fixtures on town landscapes – noisy gathering places with lots of little people.

However, this all changed when I became a father. I quickly became aware of the location of every playpark within a five-mile radius of any place I visited, so essential were they to family life.

I also learned how much they contributed to a child’s physical, social, emotional and cognitive wellbeing. And nothing makes the heart swell more than seeing your toddler master a chute or hearing them squeal with delight after conquering a climbing frame. It makes life truly worth living.

So as a father of two it was with some interest that I noted Nicola Sturgeon’s £60 million pledge to revamp every playpark if the SNP is re-elected. Unsurprisingly, her attempt to woo swing voters (pun intended) – along with her promise of a laptop or tablet to every child – led to accusations of “bribery”. It’s not difficult to see why.

Now, in the midst of a crucial election such questions over recreational provision may be small beer. For those hunkered down in their respective separatist or unionist camps, election sweeteners will be seen as sideshows aimed at swaying less committed “soft” voters.

And it is inevitable that like car salesmen hovering around a garage forecourt, politicians are always going to set their stalls out

I would take an election bribe over seeing my child hurt by a rusty old nail on a dilapidated roundabout

with bargain policy giveaways.

But it is a tragedy of our times that the election inducements thrown to us like crumbs off the table concern services so essential to our lives. For example, it is a sad state of affairs that questions over how elderly care is funded are still being asked in 2021, more than 70 years since the founding of the NHS. The same can be said for cancer treatment and mental health services and so on.

All of which brings me back to our playparks. To clarify, I’m not necessarily knocking the SNP’S promised largesse. The injection of cash to bolster our play areas is more than welcome. I would take an election bribe over seeing my child hurt by a rusty old nail on a dilapidated roundabout.

But surely their renovation and maintenance are a necessity and should not be presented as an election bargaining chip. Their upkeep should be woven deep in the fabric of everyday public provision just as much as our roads or water supplies are. Promises to provide laptops may be a direct response to our unprecedented pandemic times, but playparks? Really? It’s not as if they’ve just appeared out of thin air.

I’m aware many readers will recall their own formative years of summers filled with woodland adventures and guddling in rock pools, and may view playparks as a luxury. But in a modern world where cars dominate the streets, playparks offer a sanctuary of safety and happiness, especially for families who live in built-up areas without their own garden.

Sadly, politicising children’s development and fun for electoral gain is lazy, ill-conceived and clumsy. Verdict: must do better.