Labour's Ian Murray accuses Nicola Sturgeon of failing to keep pledge made in Edinburgh five years ago

Edinburgh South Labour MP Ian Murray has accused Nicola Sturgeon of failing to keep a promise on education which she gave five years ago at his old school in the Capital.

In August 2015, the First Minister told an audience at Wester Hailes Education Centre that she wanted to be judged on her record in closing the education gap between rich and poor areas of Scotland and said her aim was to “close that attainment gap completely”.

But Mr Murray, Labour’s Shadow Scottish Secretary, said the statistics showed a huge gap still existed and accused Ms Sturgeon of failing a generation of children.

Education Scotland’s most recently published official figures show that in 2018-19, 79.3 per cent of school leavers in the least deprived areas attained at least one pass at SQF level 6 – equivalent to Highers level – while in the most deprived areas 43.5 per cent achieved at least one pass at the same level – an attainment gap of 35.8 percentage points.

Mr Murray said: “When she spoke at my old school in 2015, Nicola Sturgeon asked to be judged on her record in education and pledged to completely close the shameful attainment gap in Scotland’s classrooms.

"She has failed and has let down a generation of youngsters. There remains a huge attainment gap between school leavers from the most deprived and least deprived areas.

“The SNP government has not prioritised education, and has instead chosen to concentrate on its divisive campaign for independence. In 2021 and throughout the next parliament, the priority must be recovery from Covid and improving public services for the next generation of Scots.”

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Ian Murray claims education has not been Nicola Sturgeon's priority Picture: John Devlin.

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