Nationalist Minister Faces Backlash Over Library Campaign Event
A senior Nationalist minister has sparked controversy by holding a campaign photocall in a Dundee library that faces potential closure due to Scottish National Party budget cuts. Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth visited Charleston Community Library on Thursday to announce a partnership with country music legend Dolly Parton's charity, which aims to provide free books to young children across Scotland.
Library Under Repeated Threat of Closure
The event took place at a facility listed among potential closures in a 2024 budget proposal by Leisure and Culture Dundee, as part of a broader review seeking £800,000 in savings. This library faced a similar threat in 2019, highlighting ongoing financial pressures on community services. During the visit, Ms Gilruth posed with a cardboard cutout of Dolly Parton, drawing immediate criticism from political opponents.
Political Criticism and Accusations of Hypocrisy
Michael Marra, Scottish Labour candidate for Dundee City West, strongly condemned the minister's actions. 'It takes real brass neck for Jenny Gilruth to pose for a photo-op outside a library that the SNP has repeatedly targeted for closure,' he stated. 'SNP ministers such as Jenny Gilruth like to posture, but the reality is their financial incompetence and record of delivery is abysmal.'
Mr Marra further criticised the education secretary's performance, noting that 'on her watch as education secretary, the attainment gap between Scotland's richest and poorest school pupils remains wider than it was before the pandemic.'
Dolly Parton Partnership Announcement
Despite the controversy, the event served to confirm an SNP manifesto pledge to partner with The Dollywood Foundation UK to deliver a nationwide scheme encouraging children's reading. Ministers will support the roll-out of the Imagination Library programme, which sends free books to children from birth to age five.
The SNP emphasised that the scheme already operates in several Scottish areas including:
- Dundee
- Fife
- Renfrewshire
- Helensburgh
Minister's Defence and Scheme Details
During her visit to Charleston Community Library, which already collaborates with Ms Parton's foundation, Ms Gilruth argued the partnership could bring more children into what she called 'the wonderful world of books.' The SNP candidate for Mid Fife and Glenrothes stated: 'Under the SNP, we have invested nearly £22 million on free books for children and teenagers, but through an exciting new partnership with Dolly Parton we can bring even more children into the wonderful world of books.'
Mixed Reactions to the Initiative
Steve Korris, executive director of The Dollywood Foundation UK, welcomed the political support, saying: 'We very much welcome the SNP's ambition that every child in Scotland grows up with books at home.'
However, Scottish Tory education spokesman Miles Briggs expressed scepticism about delivery: 'The SNP have an atrocious record in making announcements of this sort and failing to deliver, so, like the free laptops and bikes they promised, no one will have any confidence these books will materialise.'
The incident highlights the tension between political campaigning and practical governance, particularly regarding public services facing financial constraints. While the Dolly Parton book scheme represents a positive educational initiative, its announcement at a threatened library facility has raised questions about political priorities and the consistency of the SNP's commitment to community resources.
