Scotland’s national home education organisation Schoolhouse has strongly condemned Labour MSP Duncan McNeil’s attack on home education in the wake of the tragic Riggi case, describing his comments in today’s Sunday Post as “insensitive, deplorable and tantamount to grave robbing.”

The charity will now consider making a formal complaint about his conduct via the Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament.

A Schoolhouse spokesperson said: “We find it deeply disturbing that Duncan McNeil has seen fit to use the deaths of three innocent children in Edinburgh last week to peddle vile personal prejudice and score cheap political points at the expense of a minority community of law abiding citizens.

“The fact that the Riggi children were home educated is no more relevant than the fact that they were Americans, and McNeil’s hysterical remarks have caused deep distress and offence to Scotland’s home educating community who have just lost three young members in tragic circumstance.

“He has not only indulged in conduct unbecoming of an MSP, he cannot even get his facts straight. The law in England has not changed and the Badman recommendations were thrown out before the May election.

“Schoolhouse will be writing to McNeil’s office demanding an apology on behalf of our members and asking him to enlighten us as to how, exactly, draconian regulation of home education might have saved these poor children. In the absence of an apology and retraction, we will consider lodging a formal complaint with the Scottish Parliament over his disgraceful conduct .”