West Lothian agreed to join the majority of 32 local authorities in not declaring a bank holiday for the Monday after the opening game against Haiti.
There will be no public holiday in West Lothian for Scotland’s return to the World Cup on 15 June, West Lothian Council’s Executive has decided.
A bank Holiday was declared in the wake of Scotland qualifying for its first World Cup since 1998. Announced by John Swinney the then First Minister and given Royal Assent in the first week of February.
West Lothian agreed to join the majority of 32 local authorities in not declaring a bank holiday for the Monday after the opening game against Haiti kicks off at 2am in Boston.
Linlithgow’s Lib Dem councillor Sally Pattle slated the holiday as a political stunt by the SNP in the run-up to the Scottish Parliamentary elections.
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She said SNP candidates had made an issue of the holiday “a bribe” at every hustings event she had attended.
Councillor Pattle pointed out that: “We didn’t get a public holiday when Andy Murray won Wimbledon or when Chris Hoy won the Olympics.”
Councillor Damian Doran-Timson, Conservative group leader pointed out that the match could be recorded.
He added that the SNP group leader Councillor Janet Campbell made “a nonsense statement to say thousands of fans will be prohibited,” he added.
Councillor Campbell had said the decision denied “thousands” of football fans the chance to see the match, and she branded the decision “classist”.
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Lesley Henderson, Head of Corporate Services told the meeting that only five of Scotland’s local authorities had opted for the holiday.
In her report to the Executive she pointed out that adopting 15 June as a public holiday would contractually oblige the council to pay public holiday enhancement rates and close schools- with associated increased costs for families.
Following the Scottish Government’s plans would incur extra costs when: “it is considered that an additional public holiday would place unnecessary strain on already limited public funding.”
Councillor Pattle asked how much more the adoption would cost the council. Ms Henderson replied: “£30,000 to £40,000.”
The SNP group suggested that refusing the holiday would mean fans would miss the match.
However, the game kicks off at 9pm in the United States on Saturday, June 13, – or 2am on Sunday, June 14, in Scotland.
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Councillor Doran-Timson pointed out that the match could be recorded. “It’s a nonsense statement to say thousands of fans will be prohibited,” he added.
Answering a question Ms Henderson agreed that council employees could ask for 15 June as a day’s leave which would be granted depending on staff cover.
Labour councillor Danny Logue suggested a public holiday would have been a better idea if the team had progressed through the competition to the knock out stages rather than the initial stages.
Councillor Campbell told the meeting she wanted three abstentions, those of herself and two SNP colleagues, Councillors Pauline Stafford and Pauline Orr recorded.
Councillor Lawrence Fitzpatrick, the council leader chairing the meeting, said as there had been no vote abstentions could not be recorded.
The Governance Manager Lesley Montague said that dissent could not be noted under the Standing Orders.
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