The Totalitarian State of . . . Scotland?

For any of us tempted to take subsidiarity for granted, perhaps a visit to Scotland is in order, as this newspaper report suggests (courtesy CT):

Labour ministers are preparing to cave in to the Catholic Church by exempting faith schools from parts of the Scottish Executive’s sexual health strategy, the Sunday Herald can reveal. . . . Critics say the measure will result in a two-tier system that bases access to contraception, abortion and information on relationships on the religious ethos of schools rather than on the needs of the child.

The move is being resisted by Jack McConnell’s LibDem coalition partners, and is delaying the publication of a policy that has been promised for five years.

The latest row was caused when a new draft of the strategy was circulated among ministers, watering down a commitment to provide the same level of sexual health services to pupils in all of Scotland’s schools.

Liberal Democrats, who had been satisfied with an earlier draft , said the change was unacceptable.

. . . .

[The former health minister] said she hopes the Executive wouldn’t be swayed by arguments most Scots rejected. She added: “The cardinal’s interventions have been very ill-judged and intemperate. It is vital that policy in this area is based on the interests of the population, rather than the narrow fundamentalism of those who shout the loudest.”

Green MSP Patrick Harvie said it would be “irresponsible” if the strategy only applied to some of Scotland’s schools.  “There should be no vetoes or exemptions. If there are exemptions, then children in Catholic schools will have been failed,” he said.

Rob