Student Debt Soars

A NEW Audit Scotland report has revealed the shocking levels of debts and inequality that students are now faced with in Scotland.

Despite pledging to clear all student debt in 2007, the SNP has presided over soaring levels of debt, with the Audit Scotland report showing that the average loan debt when students start repaying is £13,800 – more than double what it was in 2010/11 when it was £6,000.

The average student loan has also risen from £2,400 in 2008/09 to £5,300 in 2018/19.

Student debt in Scotland is now at a staggering total of £5.5billion. In 2011, this figure was £2.5billion.

The cause of these rises in student debt lies at the door of this SNP government.

Student grants and bursaries have been cut leading students to take on more debt.

It is particularly concerning that students from the poorest backgrounds are having to borrow more than those from better off backgrounds.

Read more: People deserve the same wage for same work

It was Scottish Labour who abolished student fees, while offering generous grants and bursaries.

Now the SNP are causing soaring debt levels, after cutting grants and bursaries.

This is bad news for students in Clydebank, especially those from the poorest areas.

Flags Before Facts

It IS disappointing that we have now officially left the European Union.

The whole affair has been unfortunate and there will continue to be challenges ahead.

Serious times like these need a serious response.

However, that is not to be found with the SNP who used a debate in the Scottish Parliament last week to call for the EU flag to continue to fly outside the parliament building.

The SNP Scottish Government has not held an education debate in over two years, despite claims that education is the first minister’s priority. Yet they find the time to debate flags.

Using parliamentary time to debate flying a flag is symptomatic of what the SNP stand for in government.

They are always looking for distractions, rather than dealing with their record on education, health, economy and public services.

Councils Need More Investment

A REPORT by COSLA, the local government body, has stated that councils across Scotland need £1 billion of investment from the SNP government to protect vital and essential public services.

With the Scottish budget to be announced this week, councils are worried about their finances and after a decade of cuts, the SNP must ensure communities in Clydebank and west Scotland face no further cuts.

Tory austerity has forced the Scottish Government to make cuts.

However, the SNP has more than doubled those cuts and passed them on to councils.

Councils are already struggling to deliver essential services, further cuts could cause suffering for communities.