A 0.28% increase in Argyll and Bute’s population has been hailed as ‘really welcome news’ by the council’s chief executive.
But yesterday’s press announcement needs closer scrutiny, beyond the 300 words in praise of his own performance (and by implication the work of the ruling councillors) by Cleland Sneddon – we should look at what he’s actually saying, what he doesn’t say and why he is the person saying it.
What is he actually saying? The headline news has to be good, since the area’s population had been falling faster than anywhere else in Scotland, despite the threat of this meaning even steeper cuts in funding from the Scottish Government.
Population increase has been at the heart of the council’s strategy for years, being used as the justification for everything from new housing estates to town centre CHORD projects.
And this has led to… an additional 240 people living here in June 2016, compared to 12 months earlier. An increase, true, and they’re very welcome, but it isn’t the most dramatic of totals on which to base a press statement saying ‘our hard work and efforts… have been a real success’.
The 15 families of Syrian refugees who were invited to live in Bute in December 2015 are likely to account for a fair proportion of those 240 people – more have come since, and it’s a laudable initiative but not really a sustainable means of growth, and without them the number that the press release is based on looks even less newsworthy.
What doesn’t he say? Argyll and Bute has the oldest population in Scotland, with a quarter of its population aged 65 or over, according to the National Records of Scotland estimates that the press statement was based on. Not such a brilliant statistic, that one.
Why is Cleland Sneddon saying it? Usually the quotes in a statement such as this would come from a leading councillor, but that couldn’t be done because of the ‘purdah’ period in advance of the elections next week.
According to the Local Government Association, this means press releases can still be issued – but with limitations: “Official, factual press statements about council decisions for public information purposes may still be issued.
“However, no publicity should deal with controversial issues or report views or proposals in a way which identifies them with individual councillors or groups of councillors.”
No councillors were named, it is true, but the tone of the press release seems a far cry from necessary public information and it lists many actions undertaken by the politicians who have been in charge in recent years. Judge it for yourself – the full press release is here.
The Lochside press is right to highlight what is a very meagre increase in numbers. The mention of the Syrian refugees may well account for a large part of the number.
Then we think about the trumpeted story from MOD about the benefits if the new submarines being based in Faslane; I think three may now in service at the base. The story was that these submarines would bring thousands of new personnel and a great boost to the local economy. Some of these new sailors may have moved home and be counted among the population but most are more likely in service accommodation inside the base and travelling home to their permanent abode elsewhere. They should not be counted as a benefit to Argyll & Bute.
In the end if you look behind the story, trumpeted as good news and a result of work by the council, the truth is that there is still an on-going and persistent problem of an aging population. The existing indigenous young people have to move elsewhere to find decent employment which continues the shrinkage of the working age population.