THE First Minister hit out at Russell Findlay over his party’s proposal to cut the age children can leave school.
Speaking at FMQs, John Swinney suggested that the Scottish Tory leader doesn’t even have confidence in the policy himself – to laughs across the chamber in Holyrood.
As part of Tory plans to “overhaul” the education system, Findlay said yesterday it was time to “explore” lowering the leaving age from 16 “to 15, maybe even 14”.
He added that it was a “bold idea” that “deserves serious consideration and debate” – echoing that sentiment in a question to the SNP leader today, urging him to consider it.
But Swinney slapped the proposal down, saying: “I have to say this is a bold approach to First Minister's Questions, given the fact that yesterday when Mr Findlay set out his proposals, he conceded in a television interview that it was not, in fact, certain that these proposals would reach anywhere near a Conservative manifesto.
"So, I'm not sure Mr Findlay's got quite as much confidence after that one interview in his policy that he puts to me today.”
He then added: “I don't agree with these proposals. We've spent a great deal of time and effort on trying to encourage young people to maximise their engagement with education that has resulted in more young people staying on at school.
“And, as a consequence, more young people leaving school and going into positive destinations. Indeed, positive destinations are at record levels, so I don't intend to follow the policy approach being proposed by Mr Findlay. But then, I don't think he does either.”
