Following a fire at the Gorgie Farm site last night, the City of Edinburgh Council and the Edinburgh Voluntary Organisations’ Council (EVOC) have issued a joint statement:
Joint statement from Culture and Communities Convener, Councillor Val Walker and EVOC’s Convenor, Diarmaid Lawlor:
‘We’d like to sincerely thank the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service for attending the fire at the Gorgie Farm site yesterday evening and making the area safe.
‘This must have been a distressing incident for local residents. We’re glad that no injuries have been reported and that the fire crews were able to contain the fire to the stable block.
‘We’ll now assess the damage at the site and work to determine the best way forward for this much loved community farm.’
£50,000 available for projects to support Scotland’s diaspora
A fund to help strengthen Scotland’s international diaspora has opened for applications.
The £50,000 Scottish Connections Fund is open to bids from any individual or organisation with a Scottish connection, whether that link is through heritage, education, business, culture, or a broader affinity.
Grants ranging from £2,000 to £5,000 will be awarded to support at least 10 new innovative projects that will help bring together Scotland’s diaspora and promote Scottish connections worldwide.
This year’s funding follows a successful pilot last year, which supported four projects, including work by the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society to help descendants of enslaved Americans document their Scottish connections.
External Affairs Secretary Angus Robertson said: “This is a fund that I’m extremely passionate about. We’ve long believed that better engaging our diaspora – family and friends of Scotland globally – can benefit Scotland economically and enrich our culture. It can also improve Scotland’s connections and reputation and we want our efforts to benefit our diaspora too.
“The Scottish Connections Framework, which was launched in 2023, laid out our commitments to support and expand this global community. These connections raise Scotland’s profile and reputation and encourage individuals and companies to visit, study, live, work and do business here.”
The New York Genealogical and Biographical Society was one of the beneficiaries of the pilot fund, using the funding to engage expert researchers in compiling a guide and resource for those researching the Scottish ancestry of enslaved individuals or enslavers in North America.
New York Genealogical and Biographical Society President Joshua Taylor said: “With a generous grant from the Scottish Connections Fund, our organisation had the singular opportunity to explore and share an important but unexamined part of the Scottish diaspora— descendants of enslaved Americans and their connections to Scotland.
“We engaged two genealogists to conduct comprehensive research in Scotland and the United States, compiling a list of resources that will serve as a primary reference for individuals tracing biographical and genealogical connections to those enslaved ancestors with ties to Scotland.
“We are grateful for programmes like the Scottish Connections Fund, which enabled us to develop an important tool that empowers more people to discover and learn more about their family history as part of the Scottish diaspora.
“We encourage any organisation engaging in Scottish culture and heritage to explore this vital resource.”
Two unique Jurassic fossil discoveries from the Isle of Skye have shown that mammals in the time of the dinosaurs grew more slowly and lived longer than mammals today.
A new study in Nature by an international team of researchers led by National Museums Scotland describes two Krusatodon kirtlingtonensis fossils, one adult and one juvenile, both discovered in Skye.
These mouse-sized mammals lived around 166 million years ago. The specimens represent the only juvenile Jurassic mammal skeleton known to science, while the adult is one of the most intact mammal skeletons from this time period in the world.
The discovery of a juvenile and adult of the same species of early mammals is unique and has allowed groundbreaking comparative analysis into their growth and life history. The ages of the specimens at death were determined using X-ray imaging to count the growth rings in their teeth.
The adult was found to be around 7 years old and the juvenile between 1 – 2 years, and still in the process of replacing its baby teeth. This was possible thanks to X-ray computed tomography carried out in several laboratories, including the European Synchrotron (ESRF).
Today, small mammals have significantly shorter lifespans, some living as little as 12 months, and maturing quickly, losing their baby teeth and weaning within months of birth. The Krusatodon fossils reveal for the first time that the earliest mammals didn’t finish replacing their teeth until well into their second year of life, possibly later. This tells us that a fundamental shift in the growth patterns and life expectancy of mammals must have taken place during or after the Middle Jurassic.
The specimens were discovered decades apart, with the adult being one of the earliest Jurassic finds on Skye in the 1970s, while the juvenile was discovered in 2016.
Dr Elsa Panciroli, lead author and Associate Researcher of Palaeobiology at National Museums Scotland, said: “These fossils are among the most complete mammals from this time period in the world. They give us unprecedented insights into the lives of the first mammals in the time of dinosaurs.
“Although on the outside Krusatodon looked like a shrew or mouse, on the inside it was quite different; it grew more slowly and lived much longer than small mammals do today. As a result, it probably had quite a different physiology and life history as well. Skye’s fossils are really putting Scotland firmly on the map when it comes to understanding mammal evolution.
“This is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of what they can tell us.”
Dr Stig Walsh, Senior Curator of Vertebrate Palaeobiology at National Museums Scotland and co-author on the study, said: “Even in the context of the amazing palaeontological finds on Skye in recent years, these fossils are remarkable.
“Mammal fossils of this age are exceptionally rare worldwide, and most are just single teeth found by sieving sediment. To find two such rare fossil skeletons of the same species at different growth stages has rewritten our understanding of the lives of the very earliest mammals.
“We’re thrilled they are both now part of Scotland’s National Collection, an important part of the global fossil record, and will be preserved for generations of researchers to come.”
In addition to National Museums Scotland, the study also involved researchers from the American Museum of Natural History, University of Chicago, European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, and Queen Mary University of London.
Prof. Roger Benson from the American Museum of Natural History said of the fossil found in 2016: “When we found the tiny juvenile skull I didn’t realise what we’d found right away.
“The part of the fossil that was sticking out of the rock was blasted by erosion, surrounded by barnacles, and looked just like a piece of ash. I used micro-CT scanning, a form of 3D X-ray imaging, and was very surprised to see a whole skull in the rock. For science,
“it’s really remarkable to have this fossil and it told us a lot about growth and life history in some of the earliest mammals”
Dr Elis Newham, a Postdoctoral Research Associate at Queen Mary University of London said: “Our study benefited greatly from a new technique we developed using synchrotron X-ray technology.
“This allowed us to analyse growth patterns in the teeth of these fossils, much like counting tree rings. It was surprising to discover that Krusatodon, while showing a similar development pattern to modern mammals, grew much slower and lived longer.
“This research emphasises the value of studying juvenile fossils, and the X-ray cementochronology technique offers a powerful tool for unlocking these secrets from the past.”
The paper was published in Nature yesterday, 24 July 2024.
Support for workplace learning and promoting fair work
Reaffirming the Scottish Government’s commitment to advancing Fair Work and tackling inequalities, First Minister John Swinney has announced a continued funding package to support trade unions in developing, organising, and delivering work-related learning in Scotland’s workplaces in 2024/25.
The £2.38 million funding is managed by the Scottish Trade Union Congress (STUC) and will be split between the Scottish Union Learning and the Fair Work in Action Funds.
The First Minister confirmed the funding during a meeting with the 2023 and 2024 STUC Union Rep Award Winners, who are being recognised for their work in areas such as learning, organising and equalities.
First Minister, John Swinney said: “Trade Unions play a vital role across Scotland’s economy in the workplace and communities and I am pleased to continue this support.
“This funding helps to put into action the Scottish Government’s clear commitment to promote fair work, and to lifelong learning, which in turn support the government’s priorities to eradicate child poverty, grow the economy and improve public services.
“The continuation of this funding will ensure that workers across Scotland benefit from opportunities to develop their skills and boost their career prospects, which will help to increase people’s productivity and earnings potential, benefiting themselves and their families and the economy.
“I was thrilled to meet with the STUC’s Award winners who represent the very best of what our trade unions have to offer – they have excelled in the promotion of workplace learning, equalities, health and safety or organising for a stronger collective voice.”
STUC General Secretary Roz Foyer said: “The STUC Union Rep award recipients are the lifeblood of our movement. We congratulate them for leading the way in educating, empowering, and organising workers throughout the country.
“We further thank the First Minister for recognising their achievements and for recommitting his government’s support for workers and Scotland’s wider trade union movement.
“The funding announced today validates the work of our Union Rep Award recipients and is a recommitment to the power of the delivery of workforce development and skills through union and employer co-operation with the support of government.
“This support is welcome. It should act as a catalyst for others to see the value of investing in the education and empowerment of the next generation of workers and workplace reps throughout Scotland.
“It also reflects our shared aim of making Fair Work a reality for all. Fair work and a skilled workforce are the building blocks we need to build Scotland’s sustainable economy and boost growth.”
Bill does not provide sufficient support and protection to Gaelic and Scots
Scottish Gaelic is in a ‘perilous state’ according to a new report released today by the Scottish Parliament’s Education, Children and Young People Committee.
The Committee’s report details reservations about the practical impact of the Scottish Languages Bill, which aims to support Scotland’s indigenous languages. The Committee recommends the Bill should proceed to the next stage of scrutiny, but says that more needs to be done to effectively support Gaelic and Scots.
The Committee understood the symbolic importance for stakeholders of designating Gaelic and Scots as official languages in legislation, and the general aims of the Bill were widely supported.
However, witnesses expressed significant concerns about the lack of tangible support for communities using these languages and dialects, concerns the Committee shares. In the report it warns that without additional support, the Bill’s aim to strengthen the support for and promotion of the languages will not be achieved.
In particular, the Committee describes Gaelic as being in a ‘perilous state’. During evidence sessions, most witnesses, including the Deputy First Minister, agreed that action beyond legislation was needed to solve the problems facing the language.
The Committee’s report calls on the Scottish Government to explain how it would use the powers in the Bill to improve the position of Gaelic.
Sue Webber MSP, Convener of the Education, Children and Young People Committee, said:“We have serious concerns about the future of Gaelic.
“On its own, we believe the Scottish Languages Bill does not address the challenges facing the Gaelic language or provide the necessary support to either Gaelic or Scots.
“While our Committee has recommended that the Parliament backs the general principles of the Bill, the Scottish Government must do more to avoid it being purely symbolic.
“We’re also concerned by the lack of clarity around what the obligations attached to this Bill mean for public bodies and local authorities regarding Gaelic and Scots. We would expect the Scottish Government to provide clarity on this, and the other concerns in our report, as scrutiny of the Bill continues.”
The report also highlights concerns about one of the flagship proposals in the Bill, which would see areas of linguistic significance established in areas where there are high proportions of Gaelic speakers.
The Committee agreed with witnesses that the Bill does not explain:
what an area of linguistic significance would look like in places with smaller proportions of Gaelic speakers
how public bodies would work in these areas to deliver opportunities for Gaelic speakers
what funding would be available for local authorities to establish and maintain an area of linguistic significance
The Bill is expected to be considered by the Scottish Parliament in a Stage 1 debate in the autumn.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Energy Secretary Ed Miliband announce first major partnership between Great British Energy and The Crown Estate to unleash billions of investment in clean power.
Prime Minister and Energy Secretary announce first major partnership between Great British Energy and The Crown Estate to unleash billions of investment in clean power
Great British Energy Bill to be introduced today to enable a company owned by the British people, delivering for the British people, backed by £8.3 billion of new catalysing investment over this Parliament
The Prime Minister and Energy Secretary today announced a new unprecedented partnership between Great British Energy and The Crown Estate, which has the potential to leverage up to £60 billion of private investment into the UK’s drive for energy independence.
Great British Energy will be at the heart of the government’s mission to make Britain a clean energy superpower. The company will be owned by the British people, for the British people, backed with £8.3 billion of new money over this Parliament to own and invest in clean power projects in regions across the UK.
It comes soon after the Energy Secretary has scrapped the ban on onshore wind and unblocked the production of cheap solar energy. Today’s announcement is yet more evidence of the Energy Secretary rolling up his sleeves to deliver clean energy and kickstart economic growth, so British bill payers and communities reap the benefits of clean, secure, home-grown energy.
Great British Energy’s first major partnership will be between two national institutions for the benefit of the British people.
The Crown Estate, which has a £16 billion portfolio of land and seabed, operates independently and returns its profits to the government, brings long-established expertise to the partnership, and new investment and borrowing powers recently announced by government.
Great British Energy will bring the critical strategic industrial policy that the state can provide, as well as its own ability to invest.
The Crown Estate estimates this partnership will lead to up to 20-30GW of new offshore wind developments reaching seabed lease stage by 2030, enough power for the equivalent of almost 20 million homes.
The partnership will boost Britain’s energy independence by investing in homegrown power, and with accompanying reforms to policy, cut the time it takes to get offshore wind projects operating and delivering power to homes by up to half.
This partnership will see the public sector taking on a new role undertaking additional early development work for offshore wind projects. This will ensure that future offshore wind development has lower risk for developers, enabling projects to build out faster after leasing and crowding in private sector investment. It will also help boost new technologies such as carbon capture and storage, hydrogen, wave and tidal energy.
It comes as the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero has published details of the company’s objective. Families across the country have suffered during the cost-of-living crisis, as the UK’s over-reliance on fossil fuel markets was exploited by Putin. Great British Energy is part of the government’s plans for clean power by 2030, so families and businesses are never left vulnerable again to spiking global prices.
The Prime Minister has confirmed that Great British Energy will be headquartered in Scotland and will back energy generation projects in the UK, bringing profits back to the British people. The UK Government is in discussions with the Scottish Government and Crown Estate Scotland on how Great British Energy could help to support new development and investment within Scotland.
The government is already legislating to give both Great British Energy and The Crown Estate the powers they need to rapidly deliver, with two Bills being introduced in Parliament today.
Prime Minister Keir Starmersaid: My government is laser focused on delivering change, to make people better off.
“This innovative partnership between Great British Energy and the Crown Estate is an important step toward our mission for clean energy by 2030, and bringing down energy bills for good.
“This agreement will drive up to £60 billion in investment into the sector, turbocharging our country toward energy security, the next generation of skilled jobs, and lowering bills for families and business.
“My mission led government is rolling up our sleeves to deliver for Britain.”
Energy Security and Net Zero Secretary Ed Milibandsaid: “Great British Energy comes from a simple idea – that the British people should own and benefit from our natural resources. Investing in clean power is the route to end the UK’s energy insecurity, and Great British Energy will be essential in this mission.
“The agreement with The Crown Estate will lead to more investment, cleaner power, more energy security, and is a statement of intent that it will be a permanent and transformative institution for our country.”
Chief Executive of the Crown Estate Dan Labbadsaid: “The Crown Estate exists to serve the national interest, including stewarding our natural resources to deliver a decarbonised, energy secure and sustainable future.
“With new powers and by partnering with government, we can drive greater investment into this future for our country, and with it support nature recovery and job creation.”
Great British Energy will have five key functions
Project development – leading projects through development stages to speed up their delivery, whilst capturing more value for the British public
Project investment – investing in energy projects alongside the private sector, helping get them off the ground
Local Power Plan – supporting local energy generation projects through working with local authorities, combined authorities and communities
Supply chains – building supply chains across the UK, boosting energy independence and creating jobs
Great British Nuclear – exploring how Great British Energy and Great British Nuclear will work together, including considering how Great British Nuclear functions will fit with Great British Energy
The Crown Estate has already helped the UK to become a global leader in the offshore wind sector, and is currently running one of the world’s largest commercial scale floating wind leasing programmes in the Celtic sea. This partnership will accelerate that leadership even further.
The Great British Energy Bill, which is being introduced in the House of Commons today, will support the creation of the new publicly owned company by setting out its objectives and ensuring it has access to necessary finances. The Secretary of State will also have the ability to set Great British Energy’s strategic priorities to ensure it remains focussed on the government’s aim to accelerate the delivery of homegrown clean energy power in the UK.
The Crown Estate Bill will modernise The Crown Estate by removing outdated restrictions on its activities so it can, for example, invest in digital technologies that will further enhance its award-winning spatial mapping of the seabed.
The Bill will also expand The Crown Estate’s investment powers and grant borrowing capabilities, unlocking significant investment in public infrastructure.
This includes essential marine investment to help support the acceleration and growth of offshore wind capacity by 2030 alongside supporting the regeneration of urban centres, such as its most recent example of a new Life Science partnership in central Oxford and nature recovery across its portfolio.
These reforms will secure the continued future success of the Crown Estate business and maximise the returns it generates for the public.
The announcements follow the government’s rapid action to set up a new Mission Control at the heart of government to deliver clean power by 2030, headed up by former Climate Change Committee chief executive Chris Stark.
A powerful display honouring the Ukrainian athletes who have been killed since Russia’s full-scale invasion has been unveiled today in Parliament Square.
More than 487 Ukrainian athletes have been killed, with the lives of former and aspiring Olympians, as well as the next generation of sporting talent, cut short.
Display comes ahead of the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games later this week.
Ahead of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, a display has been unveiled in Parliament Square to honour the lives lost from within the Ukrainian sporting community and to highlight the devastating consequences of the war in Ukraine.
Since Russia’s barbaric full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the conflict has claimed the lives of thousands of innocent Ukrainians, including 487 athletes. More than 4,000 athletes are still actively supporting the war effort.
Unveiled today in Parliament Square, the new 3D display brings to life the harrowing ‘487’ figure – though the true number is likely to be even higher. Surrounding the display, sporting equipment representing the disciplines of some of the 487 fallen athletes offers a stark reminder of the war’s devastating toll.
With only 140 athletes from Ukraine competing at this year’s Olympic Games in Paris, this marks the smallest representation ever in Ukraine’s summer Olympic history.
Among the athletes killed by Russian forces are Oleksandr Pielieshenko, who competed in weightlifting at the Rio 2016 Olympics and died defending his country in May this year.
Other casualties include promising young athletes like 11-year-old rhythmic gymnast Kateryna Diachenko, whose life was cut short by a Russian attack on her hometown of Mariupol at the onset of the war on 12 March 2022.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy said: “As the world gathers this summer to celebrate the very best of sporting talent, we must pause to remember the hundreds of Ukrainian athletes who are no longer with us or can no longer take part due to the war.
“We are drawing attention to the harrowing real life stories behind the 487 statistic to pay tribute to the fallen athletes as a timely reminder of this government’s iron-clad support for Ukraine and its people. We must support Ukraine’s fight for freedom.
“The defence of Europe begins in Ukraine and the outcome is down to our collective will. Now is the time to double down on our support so Ukraine not only wins the war, but can forge the bright and ambitious future that Ukrainians deserve.”
Heorhii Tykhyi, Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, said: “Every Ukrainian athlete at the Olympics represents the Ukrainian will to win, Volia. By acting swiftly and with united efforts, the prospect of a world where Ukrainian athletes and citizens are free from the threats posed by Russia will be a reality.“
“The display comes just days after the Prime Minister hosted President Zelenskyy at Downing Street last week after the European Political Community summit. President Zelenskyy also met the Defence and Business Secretaries where they discussed the need for more cooperation and the need to boost industrial production for Ukraine.
The UK’s commitment to support Ukraine to resist Russian aggression is iron-clad. The Prime Minister announced his commitment to £3 billion a year of military support for Ukraine for as long as it takes. In total, the UK has committed almost £12.7bn in military, humanitarian, and economic support for Ukraine since February 2022.
Current and former Olympic athletes and coaches worldwide have also united in solidarity with Ukraine in light of the 487 figure, sharing their hopes for Ukraine to receive the support it needs to win.
This includes Sasha Cohen, former Ukrainian-American Olympic figure skater, Oksana Masters, Ukrainian-American Paralympic athlete, German Biathlete Jens Steinigen and coach Wolfgang Pichler, and former Ukrainian Olympic wrestler Oksana Rakhra.
Sasha Cohen, former Ukrainian-American figure skater, said: “I’ve always believed in the power of sport to unite and inspire. But today, I’m not just speaking as an athlete.
“I’m speaking as the daughter of a Ukrainian immigrant, my mother, Galina. I’ve grown up with stories of Ukraine, our culture, our people, and their resilience.
“Today, I stand in awe of the Ukrainian athletes participating in the Olympics and think of those who we are missing and have been lost to the war.
“Their courage, strength and determination embodies the spirit of my mother’s homeland and I stand with them in solidarity. Together, we can show the world the power of unity in sport.”
