A vow... for now

Colin Hamilton starts his comments with a reference to a policy announcement on tuition fees made by the SNP in 2007 (Letters 16 August). From this criticism we can assume that Mr Hamilton supports a political party which never alters policy.

On education, columnists and contributors like Brian Wilson and Mr Hamilton have made much of the overall reduction in education spending over the last ten years, but of course, it doesn’t suit their political agenda to consider that fluctuations in the school rolls may have had something to with the prioritising of spending by local authorities.

They also don’t wish to mention that in the last financial year education spending increased by £120 million. Their preference is to say that it is a disgrace that spending on the Pupil Equity fund was included in the ten-year total.

And, if you want to present the worst possible gloss on education spending and make much of the attainment gap, the last thing you’ll want to mention is that the figures presented do not include the £750m allocated in this parliament to try to close it.

GILL TURNER Derby Street, Edinburgh