Less than one in five pension planners have confidence in the new government
Scots do not think the government is capable of restoring pension security, according to new research from My Pension Expert.
The at-retirement adviser surveyed 2,000 adults aged 40 and above. It found that nearly half (44%) of Scottish pension planners think the government will be unable to stabilise the pensions market, despite Rishi Sunak and Jeremy Hunt’s attempts to restore faith in the UK economy. Just 14% have confidence in the government’s plans.
Almost half (47%) of those surveyed believe the current financial crisis has negatively impacted their retirement strategy. Nearly a third (30%) said they had now lost confidence in their pension scheme.
70% said that the recent turmoil in Westminster is distracting from the cost-of-living crisis.
As winter approaches, rising energy bills were listed as the greatest financial concern amongst 67% of Scottish pension planners. The majority of those surveyed have already started implementing a range of cost-cutting measures[1].
Nearly two thirds (63%) have avoided turning on their heating, despite temperatures dropping. Over two fifths (41%) have taken fewer showers or baths, while 1 in 5 (21%) have even gone as far as to skip meals.
Andrew Megson, CEO of My Pension Expert said: “Inflation is at record levels and expected to remain in double figures for the foreseeable future. Adding increased interest rates and constant chaos in Westminster, people are understandably desperate for reassurances. It is little wonder that public confidence has plummeted.
“The government must take action to protect retirees and pension planners. Being consistent with its policies would be a strong start. So too would providing Britons with the right tools to understand their financial situation and safeguard their hard-saved money – prioritising the launch of the pension dashboard and granting individuals access to affordable independent financial advice would be a positive step in this regard. Such action would help people to understand their financial situation and take steps to improve their financial situation.
“As winter arrives, people are understandably concerned about their immediate and future finances. So, the government must prioritise outlining a clear plan to support retirees and pension planners to understand their financial situation. That would mark a powerful statement that the government is putting savers first and even begin to reinstate some public confidence.”
Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford is the most influential member of the England squad, earning up to £37,950 per sponsored Instagram post
Team captain, Harry Kane is the second most influential member of the squad whilst Raheem Sterling is the third most influential.
Midfielder Conor Gallagher has the most dedicated fanbase, with the highest engagement rate on Instagram among the team at 18.92%
A new study has revealed the most influential members of the England squad for the Qatar World Cup, with Marcus Rashford taking the top spot.
The research, conducted by online casino comparison experts KingCasinoBonus.uk, analysed marketing tools and the social media profiles of the England team to determine which England player is the most influential.
Marcus Rashford took first place earning up to a whopping £37,950 per sponsored Instagram post. This is thanks to his follower count of almost 13 million and an engagement rate of 3.28%. The Manchester United forward has been praised on social media for his work around providing free school meals for children across the UK, creating a dedicated fanbase ahead of the World Cup.
The England captain, Harry Kane, is the second most influential member of the England team. Kane, who boasts 13.3 million followers, can charge up to £36,997 per sponsored Instagram post. Interestingly, Kane has the lowest engagement rate of any member in the England squad at just 0.36%.
The third most influential member of the England team is Raheem Sterling. The Chelsea forward can charge up to £27,661 for a single post on social media. Sterling has 10 million followers on Instagram and an engagement rate of 1.27%.
Trent Alexander Arnold is the fourth most influential player in the England team, earning £22,308 per sponsored post on social media, whilst Phil Foden is the fifth most influential player, earning £15,565 per Instagram sponsored post.
Jack Grealish ranks sixth thanks to his follower count of 5.4 million and an engagement rate of 4.69%. Grealish can charge up to £14,971 per sponsored post on Instagram.
Midfielder Conor Gallagher has the highest engagement rate with fans at 18.92% whilst Jude Bellingham receives the most average likes per Instagram post at 481,008 likes.
Those who play up front also top the leader board with forwards occupying five of the top ten spots – Marcus Rashford, Harry Kane, Raheem Sterling, Phil Foden and Jack Grealish. Manchester United produces the most influential players with three of the top ten coming from the club – Marcus Rashford, Luke Shaw and Harry Maguire.
England’s most influential players
Rank
Player
Instagram Username
Follower count
Potential Instagram earnings
Engagement rate
Average likes per post
1
Marcus Rashford
marcusrashford
12,975,093
£37,950
3.28%
422,632
2
Harry Kane
harrykane
13,306,943
£36,997
0.36%
47,879
3
Raheem Sterling
sterling7
10,030,643
£27,661
1.27%
126,421
4
Trent Alexander Arnold
trentarnold66
8,148,889
£22,308
4.19%
334,731
5
Phil Foden
philfoden
5,765,258
£15,565
7.17%
400,271
6
Jack Grealish
jackgrealish
5,405,916
£14,971
4.69%
251,745
7
Mason Mount
masonmount
5,215,031
£14,514
7.17%
372,925
8
Jordan Henderson
jhenderson
5,104,144
£14,172
2.09%
105,905
9
Luke Shaw
lukeshaw23
4,308,064
£11,978
4.89%
209,536
10
Harry Maguire
harrymaguire93
3,889,842
£10,380
2.58%
99,737
Commenting on the study, a spokesperson from KingCasinoBonus.uk said: “The past success of the England team at the 2018 World Cup and the Euros last year brought the country together and catapulted many of the players to a bigger level of stardom.
“It will be interesting to see who gains the most followers throughout the World Cup tournament, particularly if England go on to do well.”
NHS 24 Online – a new way to access health advice and wellbeing services in Scotland
Feeling unwell? If you or someone you care for is under the weather you can now find out more about your symptoms, when you can self-care and what to do if your condition worsens and you need medical help via a new, easy to use mobile app from NHS 24.
The NHS 24 Online app allows people to check symptoms to find out what to do next. There is also a chatbot function to answer questions and find out how to get further advice for a range of issues including running out of medicine or help for:
Eye problems
Flu-like illness
Lower back pain
Urinary tract infections (UTIs)
The App can also help people find their nearest health and care services using postcodes or location data. It will detail how far away each service is, if it is open or closed, and the contact details for that service.
‘NHS 24 Online’is available for both Android and iOS devices and free to download now.
Dr Laura Ryan, NHS 24’s Medical Director said the app offers people more choice in the way can get the help and advice they need: “Mobile devices have changed the way we do lots of things on a day-to-day basis and we hope the new NHS 24 Online app will make it easier for people to check their symptoms, and if they need further help to find local services at the press of a button.
“By downloading NHS 24 Online, people in Scotland will be able to get health advice from a trustworthy source in a fast and convenient way. And if more help is needed, the app will also provide information on where to access the right care in the right place.”
Please note this is a first iteration of the app – future developments and enhancements are planned for 2023.
The NHS 24 Online app is available to download for free on the Google Play Store for Android devices and the App Store for Apple devices.
One third of children not being seen within waiting time target
The Scottish Children’s Services Coalition (SCSC), an alliance of leading providers of specialist children’s services, has called on the Scottish Government to deliver a budget for mental health as new waiting time figures out yesterday (6th December) highlight that a third of children and young people are not being seen within its waiting time target.
Figures published by Public Health Scotland indicate that over the quarter covering July to September 2022, a third (32.1 per cent) of children and young people had been waiting more than 18 weeks from referral before starting treatment at child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS).1
The Scottish Government target is that 90 per cent of children and young people should start treatment within 18 weeks of referral to CAMHS.
A total of 4,990 children and young people started treatment at CAMHS in the quarter ending September 2022, an increase of 30.2 per cent from 3,833 starting treatment in the quarter ending September 2021.
The figures however come on the back of a planned £38 million cut to planned mental health spending by the Scottish Government in its forthcoming budget, to be revealed on 15th December.
This cut in spending is despite a mental health emergency, which is set to worsen given the cost-of-living crisis and services already at breaking point.
The SCSC has called on the Scottish Government to reverse its decision and prioritise mental health spending, avoiding a potential lost generation of children and young people with mental health problems, such as anxiety, depression and self-harm.
Even before the pandemic, cases of poor mental health in children and young people were at unprecedented levels, with services struggling to keep pace with growing demand, leaving an increasing number of vulnerable individuals unable to access support. The Covid-19 pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis have further exacerbated this situation.
The SCSC also noted that without increased spending it is unlikely the Scottish Government will be able to achieve its target, as outlined in the NHS Recovery Plan, to clear waiting lists by March 2023 and ensure that at least 90 per cent of children and young people referred to CAMHS start treatment within 18 weeks.
A spokesperson for the SCSC commented: “The latest figures highlighting that a third of children and young people are not being seen within the Scottish Government’s 18-week waiting time target is extremely alarming.
“Since the pandemic, demand on services has increased and the cost-of-living crisis is only going to make matters worse, creating a potential lost generation of vulnerable children and young people.
“We are facing a mental health emergency and many of our children and young people are at breaking point, with stress and anxiety reaching alarming levels because of the effect of the cost-of-living crisis.
“However, this concerningly comes against a background of a proposed cut to mental health budgets, meaning that some of our children and young people simply won’t get the help they desperately need, with potentially catastrophic consequences.
“We would urge the Scottish Government to reconsider its proposed cuts to the mental health budget and make this a budget for mental health.”
1 Public Health Scotland, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services: Waiting Times in Scotland, Quarter Ending September 2022, 6th December 2022.
A proposed Road Safety Action Plan for Edinburgh that sets out an ambitious target for zero fatalities on the city’s roads by 2030 will be discussed by councillors tomorrow.
The Draft Road Safety Action Plan for Edinburgh to 2030 updates on the previous plan, approved in 2010, which commits to providing a safe and modern road network for the 21st century. Since then, there has been an overall downward trend in collisions resulting in injuries in Edinburgh.
By adopting the same safe systems approach to road safety, Edinburgh’s action plan aims to further reduce the number of personal injury collisions in the city.
The targets set out in the draft Action Plan, to be met by 2030, either meet or exceed the targets set out in the national Road Safety Framework. Edinburgh’s proposed targets are:
Zero fatalities
At least a 50% reduction in people seriously injured
At least a 60% reduction in children and young people (under 18 years old) seriously injured
At least a 40% reduction in pedestrians seriously injured
At least a 30% reduction in cyclists seriously injured
At least a 30% reduction in motorcyclists seriously injured
At least a 20% reduction in road users aged 65 and over seriously injured
At least a 70% reduction in road users aged between 18 to 24 seriously injured
Actions to achieve these targets will be set out in a Delivery Plan, updated annually. On Thursday, councillors will be asked to approve the first Delivery Plan to 2024, which comprises of more than 100 actions, including proposals for new pedestrian crossings, speed limit reductions and further speed reduction measures.
Councillor Scott Arthur, Transport and Environment Convener, said: “Any injury resulting from a collision on our roads is one too many. We have a responsibility to create safe and welcoming streets for all, and the Road Safety Action Plan is key to achieving this.
“I am keen to work with residents to ensure routes to schools are made safer, traffic short-cutting through residential communities is reduced and physical measures are introduced to cut speeds.
“Thankfully, over the last decade, the number of collisions resulting in injury has continued to fall – but there is clearly much more to be done. The plan sets out a series of targets to significantly reduce the number further and, ultimately, attain ‘Vision Zero’ for Edinburgh.
“Safer, calmer streets are much better places to spend time, walk, wheel and cycle, in turn supporting the City Mobility Plan’s vision for a safer and more inclusive net zero carbon transport system.”
By creating safer streets, the Road Safety Action Plan supports the objectives of Edinburgh’s City Mobility Plan (CMP), which envisions a well-connected, safe and more inclusive net zero carbon transport system for the Capital. It is one of several plans being progressed to deliver the policies set out in the CMP and, if approved, these will be collectively presented for public consultation in early 2023.
The latest Draft Road Safety Action Plan has been developed in partnership with the Council’s road safety partners, including Police Scotland and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service. Engagement with partners will continue throughout the duration of the Action Plan to ensure co-operation towards meeting targets.
Aldi Scotland Takes on Greggs with New Range of Savoury Bakes
At just 84p, Aldi’s steak bake is almost half the price of the equivalent from theUK’s most popular high street bakery
Aldi is bringing a new range of tasty filled savoury bakes to Scotland at incredibly low prices.
Each of its ‘Frasers Bakes’ are just 84p, almost half the price of similar products in Greggs, which retail for around £1.40.
Available across all 104 stores, the golden pastries are full of delicious flavour and locally produced in Scotland.
Customers can choose from a range of enticing fillings, including Steak; Macaroni; Cheesy Bean; Cheese and Onion; and Chicken Curry. At just £1.69 for a pack of two, the UK’s Cheapest Supermarket* is once again bringing customers unbeatable deals on quality Scottish food and drink.
Graham Nicolson, Group Buying Director, Aldi Scotland said:“Our mission at Aldi Scotland is to bring as many exciting Scottish-made products to the market for amazingly low prices. Our new range of savoury bakes is an excellent addition to our growing portfolio of locally produced items.
“With a delicate and light coating, and sumptuous selection of flavourful fillings, it’s no surprise that the savoury bake is a household favourite for many across the country.
“We expect these to be incredibly popular amongst our customers, who can now pick up a pack of two for just £1.69, nearly half the price of the popular high-street bakery.”
To find out more about your local Aldi Store, please visit www.aldi.co.uk
The EIS, the country’s largest teaching union, has welcomed the publication of the report Scotland Demands Better: Fairer taxes for a fairer future by the Scottish Trade Unions Congress (STUC).
The report highlights how progressive tax reform could raise an additional £3.3Billion by 2026, including £1.3Billion of tax reforms by April 2023 to help fund public services and public sector pay.
Commenting following the publication of the report, EIS General Secretary Andrea Bradley said, “The EIS welcomes the publication of the STUC report Scotland Demands Better, which represents an important contribution to debates around tax reform and the funding of quality public services.
“The report demonstrates ways in which the Scottish Government could, if it so chooses, engage in progressive reforms to ensure that public services can be properly funded.”
Ms Bradley added, “Scotland’s teachers are currently in dispute over the succession of real-terms pay cuts that have been offered to them this year.
“Since teaching unions submitted their pay claim at the start of the year, a succession of sub-inflationary offers – at 2%, 3.5%, 5% and then 5% again – have been made by the Scottish Government and COSLA, and rejected by Scotland’s teachers.
“With inflation currently sitting at between 11% (CPI) and 14% (RPI), the latest rejected offer would have meant a real-terms pay cut of between 6% and 9% for classroom teachers, and even greater cuts for promoted staff such as headteachers and deputes.”
Ms Bradley added, “Fundamentally, the funding of quality public services and fair pay for public sector workers are a matter of political priorities. Just last week, we saw an Audit Commission report highlighting that the Scottish Government had underspent on last year’s budget by two billion pounds.
“That was a political choice by the Scottish Government, and one that has profound implications for our public services. If the Scottish Government is serious about protecting our public services and valuing public sector workers, they must commit to funding our public services properly and paying our public sector workers fairly.”
Improving pay and working conditions through public sector investment
Organisations applying for public sector grants will need to pay at least the real Living Wage and provide channels for staff to have a say in the workplace from July 2023.
The condition applies to organisations receiving grants from the Scottish Government, enterprise agencies and public bodies. Exceptions may only be applied to emergency funding and where an organisation is heavily dependent on grant funding and paying the real Living Wage would threaten its survival.
The new requirements form part of the Scottish Government and the Scottish Green Party Parliamentary Group Bute House Agreement, a plan to work together to build a fairer and more equal economy.
Employment and Fair Work Minister Richard Lochhead and Green Skills, Circular Economy and Biodiversity Minister Lorna Slater visited MiAlgae, an Edinburgh industrial biotechnology company that has received public sector funding and whose staff are paid at least the real Living Wage and have a voice in the workplace.
Mr Lochhead said: “The Scottish Government is committed to using public sector investment to drive up wages, tackle inequalities and give employees an effective voice.
“This policy is a significant step in strengthening our fair work agenda. For example, in 2021-22 Scottish Enterprise issued £135 million in grants to 953 businesses.
“Fair work and fair pay are good for business. They help improve staff retention and productivity, reduce recruitment costs and contribute to a skilled and motivated workforce.
“Scotland is already leading the way on paying the real Living Wage. In 2022 a record 91 per cent of employees aged over 18 earned the real Living Wage or more in Scotland – higher than the UK as a whole and above any other UK country. There are more than 2,900 accredited real Living Wage employers, which is proportionately five times as many as in the rest of the UK.
“Grant conditionality will strengthen our vision that by 2025, people in Scotland will have a world-leading working life where fair work drives success, wellbeing and prosperity for individuals, businesses, organisations and society.”
Ms Slater said: “An effective voice for workers is vital to ensure better terms and conditions, worker wellbeing and developing progressive and fairer work places.
“The ability to speak, individually or collectively, and to be listened to, is essential to improving workers experience as well as improving organisational performance.
“We will work with employers, workers and trade unions, to continue improving the terms and conditions for employees of organisations applying for a public sector grant.”
MiAlgae Operations Director Dr Johann Partridge said: “At MiAlgae, the real Living Wage was something we have been fully committed to since the beginning. As an organisation our people are our most important asset and, for us, a happy and engaged team is crucial to our operations.
“Having open channels of communication between staff across every level and area of the business is something we are passionate about. We strive to ensure each member of our team feels empowered and confident to communicate and engage with each other about all elements of our work.”
But the national membership organisation for the voluntary sector, Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO), has raised concerns about those workers who could be left behind.
In a statement, SCVO said: “SCVO agree that Fair Work for Scotland’s voluntary sector workforce should be a priority. However, it is unclear how the sector will be supported to fund this change.
“Years of underfunding, followed by Covid-19, and the running costs crisis, mean that for many voluntary sector employers paying the Living Wage cannot be achieved without additional resources.
“A significant number of people employed in the sector are funded by public sector grants and contracts. SCVO have made clear that to support organisations to pay the Living Wage, public grant funding and procured contracts should build in a Living Wage uplift to ensure organisations delivering public services and other vital support are able to pay the Living Wage.
“We look forward to more details about how these plans will be funded in the upcoming Scottish Budget.
Concerns were also raised that plans to ensure Scotland’s voluntary sector workforce are paid at least the Real Living Wage apply only to staff engaged in grant funded activities creating the potential for pay inequality within and between voluntary organisations.
SCVO encouraged the Scottish Government to engage with voluntary sector funders and employers to ensure that all of the sector’s 135,000 employees can be paid at least the real Living Wage.
The organisation added: “The voluntary sector workforce makes a huge contribution across Scotland, offering a lifeline to people, families, and communities as the cost-of-living crisis bites. This lifeline shouldn’t need to be extended to voluntary sector staff.
“Scottish Government need to work with local government, funders, and crucially, the sector, to ensure that voluntary sector organisations have the support they need to pay the Real Living Wage.”
STRIKE: THURSDAY 8 DECEMBER – STUDENTS TO STAY AT HOME
Dear Parents and Carers
Due to employee rights around industrial action, we are unable to collate accurate information around the number of teacher colleagues who will be striking on Thursday 8th December in advance. We are aware that some non-striking colleagues may take action in support of striking colleagues.
As such we will make the following adaptations to the delivery of Learning and Teaching:
All students should stay at home and will receive live online lessons
Live online lessons will be made available by non-striking teachers
This will require children to have their own device, preferably the iPad provided by school, and to log on at the usual time for lessons.
If no teacher or work is available due to strike action, learners can use
Contingency Learning Grids available on the CEC webpage.
Alternative forms of learning (e-sgoil, Click etc), available on the CEC webpage.
Learning resources provided by individual teachers across subject areas.
A free school meal will be available for eligible pupils to collect from school during lunch time.
Pupils entitled to a free school meal should report to the school at 13.05-13.30 to collect their meal.
Please use the main front doors for entry and exit. Staff will be on duty to assist.
Summary of the Society’s work over the past 12 months accompanied by headline findings from surveys
This morning the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society launches its review of the year: an in-depth look at the work it has accomplished over the past 12 months.
With unease caused by a new wave of COVID in early 2022, there was still uncertainty that a fully formed Fringe could take place this August. However, against what felt like impossible odds at times, the Fringe re-emerged in glorious technicolour, with local performers joined by artists from across the UK and 63 nations.
In June, Fringe Society President Phoebe Waller-Bridge launched the Fringe Society’s new vision – to give anyone a stage and everyone a seat. This was followed in August with the announcement of new alumni Patron, Eddie Izzard, who started her career as a street performer on the famous Royal Mile.
As the festival approached,activities to celebrate the Fringe’s 75th anniversary took place, through memories collected from audiences and artists over the years.
The popular street events programme expanded into new areas of Edinburgh’s city centre, with over 3,200 performances taking place, and the Fringe Central participants’ hub opened its doors to over 2,100 arts industry, media, producers and visiting delegations.
Projects such as Fringe Days Out and the Children and Young People ticketing scheme returned as the Society continued with local schools and community groups. These vital initiatives supported children, young people, and those across Edinburgh who might not otherwise get to experience the Fringe.
By the end of August, over 2.2m tickets had been issued, and artists from 63 countries had performed in over 3,400 shows across Edinburgh.
Read the Fringe Society’s full review of the year 2022 at:
Following a year of heightened interest in the Society’s work, today the Society also announce the headline results from a mass feedback project, launched in September.
A significant part of the Society’s annual evaluation is surveying a broad group of stakeholders. This year was no different, with the largest listening drive since 2019. The Society commissioned Scotinform to facilitate surveys to registered artists, audience members, venues, workers, arts industry and media, who combine to create the Fringe ecosystem.
More than 10,000 responses across the surveys were received, with results now being used to support the development of new projects, and to target our future plans. These vital data insights also give us the evidence base we need to advocate for focused support and address some of the challenges identified by the Fringe community.
The positioning of the festival continues to be strong: 76% of audience members agreed that the Fringe is one of the most important cultural eventsin the world. When asked for motivations for attending the 2022 Fringe, respondents cited seeing a variety of events/performances (76%) and enjoying live performance after the pandemic (49%).
Edinburgh’s residents continue to be vital to the festival: 65% feel the Fringe makes the city a better place to live, alongside 75% who feel it makes Edinburgh a better place to visit. With the cost-of-living crisis likely to extend into 2023, 66% of audiences would like ticket offers or discounted tickets, with 91% of Edinburgh residents interested in a discount for EH postcodes.
The live experience continues to be a major motivator, with only 7% agreeing that they would like to see more online shows at the Fringe. As we look ahead to 2023, there is continued optimism from audiences, with 81% of respondents stating they are likely to come to the Fringe in 2023.
Unsurprisingly, following the intense interest in a Fringe app for 2023, 46% of audience respondents said they felt an app would have improved their Fringe experience, with 66% stating they would use an app in the future. This aligned with artist feedback, with 71% stating a Fringe app is very important to them. Work on the 2023 app is already underway and details on its functionality and launch timings will be announced in the new year.
For artists, the Fringe continues to be a core platform for artists’ careers, with 82% of those attending the Fringe for the first time doing so for professional development reasons. For returning Fringe artists, experiencing the Fringe was the biggest motivator, with 82% citing this as the main reason.
Neil Hanna Photography
www.neilhannaphotography.co.uk
07702 246823
Accommodation continues to be a concern for many performers: 87% of artists felt that affordability of accommodation and living costs will be a barrier to future participation in the Fringe; however 70% of artists said they are still likely to bring a show to the Fringe in the future. Interestingly, 17% of artists did not engage directly with the Society, and as such were not aware of the full offering of services available to them such as Fringe Connect and Fringe Marketplace.
While a small sample of workers responded to their survey, the Society continues to review how we reach and support this group more. Recognising work undertaken in support of the Real Living Wage, 77% of Fringe workers said they were paid on or above this benchmark at this year’s festival. 91% were also satisfied that they had a line manager to seek help from, if and when they needed it.
In addition to the statistical information, Scotinform evaluated free text responses across the surveys. In general, there was an appetite for more information to be shared with all respondents, at more regular points of the year.
Advance detailed information was clearly sought, and as such The Society is refining its communications strategy to ensure first time, and returning artists, have the year-round support they need to attend the Fringe in the future.
Shona McCarthy, Chief Executive of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, said: “It’s easy to forget how tumultuous this year has been – between Omicron variants, the cost-of-living crisis and de-stabilising world events, it feels miraculous the Fringe happened at all.
“The fact that it did is a testament to the concerted effort and support of a cast of thousands, including artists, audiences, venues, media, staff, volunteers, crew, sponsors, elected officials and the city of Edinburgh itself.
“Improvements can always be made, and the insights and data gained from our recent listening exercise are already being taken forward.
“We recognise that there are ongoing challenges, and our team are working hard behind the scenes to continue to advocate for our artists, and to support audiences as they plan for Fringe 2023.”
