Scottish First Minister John Swinney has branded union moves to “single out” his constituency for school strikes “absolutely unacceptable.”

Members of Unison, Scotland’s largest public-sector union, recently voted to reject a Cosla pay offer amounting to 3.6 per cent or 67p an hour, whichever is higher, but now face it being imposed.

The union has announced plans for two weeks of strike action from October 21 at schools and early years centres in Mr Swinney’s Perth and Kinross constituency in a bid to take their fight for a better deal to the First Minister’s doorstep.