Month: September 2024

Joint plan to secure industrial future of Grangemouth

HOLYROOD and WESTMINSTER GOVERNMENTS RESPOND TO PETROINEOS’ DECISION TO CLOSE OIL REFINERY

The Scottish and UK Governments have announced a joint investment plan for Grangemouth following Petroineos’ decision to decommission its oil refinery and pledged to work together for an industrial future for the site.

The company today confirmed it will cease refining oil at the site during the second quarter of 2025 onwards due to global market pressures and competition from bigger, more modern and efficient sites in the Middle East, Asia and Africa.

This follows years of loss-making, with the company stating that it has lost more than $775 million since 2011 despite having invested more than $1.2 billion to maintain the refinery’s safe operation.

UNITE trade union general secretary Sharon Graeme said the closure is ‘an act of industrial vandalism, pure and simple’.

The Scottish Government has been working with the UK Government to deliver an investment plan that will help secure Grangemouth’s industrial future and protect its skilled workforce.

This includes:

  • £100 million package. This includes £20 million in joint funding from the Scottish and UK Governments announced today on top of £80 million in joint funding from the two governments for the Falkirk and Grangemouth Growth Deal. This funding will support the community and its workers, investing in local energy projects to create new opportunities for growth in the region. Over the next 30 years, it is estimated that the Falkirk & Grangemouth Growth Deal will deliver over £628 million in economic benefits, with an employment impact of 1660 net jobs across the Falkirk Council area.
  • Immediate career support for workers. Scottish and UK Government to provide tailored support that will help affected workers in finding new employment.
  • Investment in the site’s long-term future. The £1.5 million joint-funded Project Willow study has identified a shortlist of three credible options to begin building a new long-term industry at the refinery site, including low carbon hydrogen, clean eFuels and sustainable aviation fuels.

It comes as the UK Government confirmed today it stands ready to engage on how the National Wealth Fund could back projects that have the potential to yield a viable long-term future for the site.

Ministers have confirmed that both governments will put local businesses, workers, and trade unions at the heart of decision-making on determining the region’s industrial future.

Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy Gillian Martin said: “My immediate thoughts are with the workforce. This is a very challenging time for them and their families, and we will support every worker affected by this decision. 

“We are working very closely with the UK Government and together we have communicated our disappointment to Petroineos today.

“The Scottish Government has consistently made clear our preference was for refining to continue as long as possible, and we have continued to press the shareholders for a positive decision until the 11th hour.

“This significant package of support combines immediate help for affected workers and a long-term contribution to ensure that Grangemouth continues to thrive in the future. We are clear that there should be a just transition for the refinery site and we remain committed to bringing forward low carbon opportunities that will sustain skilled jobs across the wider area for many years to come.”

UK Government Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said: “It is deeply disappointing that Petroineos have confirmed their previous decision to close Grangemouth oil refinery.

“We will stand with the workforce in these difficult times, that is why we are announcing a package of investment to help the workforce find good, alternative jobs, invest in the community and serve a viable industrial future for the Grangemouth site, with potential for future support from the National Wealth Fund.

 “Unlike in the past, the government is working in lockstep with the Scottish Government across every front. Workers and their families should be in no doubt this is a Government that stands with workers, trade unions, and businesses to fight for jobs and investment in Scotland.”

Secretary of State for Scotland Ian Murray said: “I understand this is a worrying time for the workers at the refinery and the UK Government is working closely with the Scottish Government and Petroineos to ensure they are being supported.

“Both governments have invested in Project Willow to examine how Grangemouth remains an energy hub in Scotland. The enhanced £100 million Falkirk and Grangemouth Growth Deal announced today will help ensure the long-term future of the site – a key part of our journey to clean energy by 2030.

“We remain committed to working together looking at how we can help the area build on its skilled workforce and local expertise to boost economic growth.”

The Energy Secretary Ed Miliband and Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy Gillian Martin have taken joint action to urgently engage with Petroineos, industry experts, and trade unions in exploring all possible solutions to secure a viable industrial site for the future, in the event of a decision from the company to close the refinery.

Ministers continue to urge the company to keep refining open for as long as possible, emphasising the company’s responsibility to its employees and the community. 

As the company has made clear that there is no viable commercial future for the refinery business, the Scottish and UK Governments have today unveiled a package to help the workforce, invest in the area and secure a viable industrial future for the Grangemouth site, as one of Scotland’s key industrial heartlands.

The company’s decision to convert to an import terminal means that their fuel supply will now be maintained by importing refined products directly, rather than importing crude oil to refine on site.

This will form part of the UK’s diverse and resilient fuel market, covering both imported fuel and refined oil production. Since 2013, the UK has been a net importer of refined products, with imports accounting for 51% of UK demand for all petroleum products in 2023.

In response to today’s news from the company, the Energy Secretary Ed Miliband will co-chair an immediate virtual meeting of the Grangemouth Future Industry Board, with Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy Gillian Martin, and the UK Government Secretary of State for Scotland Ian Murray. Ministers will discuss next steps with local industry leaders, Falkirk Council, trade bodies and unions – ahead of an in-person meeting of the Grangemouth Future Industry Board later in Autumn.

‘AN ACT OF INDUSTRIAL VANDALISM’

Unite, the UK’s leading union, has vowed to explore all avenues to preserve high quality jobs at Grangemouth following the announcement that PetroIneos will go ahead with its plans to close its refinery.

PetroIneos confirmed today that it intends to close the refinery at Grangemouth between April – June 2025 and become an import and export only facility. The announcement places in jeopardy the jobs of the 500 workers directly employed (represented by Unite) at Grangemouth and thousands more in the supply chain.

There is widespread fury within the workplace due to the failure of the bosses and politicians to ensure the future of the site.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “This is an act of industrial vandalism, pure and simple. 

“This dedicated workforce has been let down by PetroIneos and by the politicians in Westminster and Holyrood who have failed to guarantee production until alternative jobs are in place.

 “This is now the last chance for this Labour government to show whether its really on the side of workers and communities. The road to net zero cannot be paid for with workers’ jobs.

“The government must put its money where its mouth is to ensure the jobs are safeguarded. This is the only refinery left in Scotland and it must remain. There are alternative plans.

“This is yet another example of workers paying for a crisis they did not create while billionaire owners laugh all the way to the bank “

Unite is now in high level talks with the government about alternatives for the site including the production of sustainable aviation fuel.

Derek Thomson, Unite Scottish Secretary said: “The sole objective for Unite remains that the jobs at the refinery and thousands more in the supply chain are protected by any means.

“Unite does not accept that the future of the refinery should have been left to the whim and avarice of shareholders. The complex is critical to the nation’s manufacturing base and energy security. The governments involved cannot simply hide behind the convenient smokescreen that this is a commercial decision which they couldn’t influence.”

The Grangemouth complex is of critical strategic economic and infrastructure importance for Scotland and the UK.

It is the only oil refinery in Scotland and it provides four per cent of its GDP and eight per cent of the nation’s manufacturing base.

The Grangemouth support package announced by the Scottish and UK Governments today includes :–

Joint Grangemouth support package:

The Scottish and UK Governments have today confirmed a joint £100 million support package for Grangemouth.

This includes a total of £20 million in additional investments, to support the local Grangemouth community following the closure of the refinery. It covers:

  • The £10 million Scottish Government ‘Greener Grangemouth’ programme, that aims to deliver projects at the heart of Grangemouth’s just transition.
  • £10 million from the UK Government for local energy projects, as well as new skills support from the Office for Clean Energy Jobs to help the site’s workers into good clean energy jobs. 

Today’s additional funding comes on top of an £80 million Falkirk and Grangemouth Growth Deal, match-funded by the two governments, to back new industries across the region.

The Growth Deal will support a range of new projects, including:

  • A bioeconomy plant already in the pipeline, which could use waste whisky and food in chemical production processes to reduce reliance on fossil fuels – via technology currently unavailable in the UK.
  • A new £9m technology centre to support the development, manufacture and use of low carbon technologies. This will help companies substitute their products and industrial processes for greener alternatives, and will be linked to wider hydrogen and carbon capture use
    and storage projects.
  • An employment hub led by one of the UK’s largest operators, Forth Ports, will help develop the skilled workforce needed to support emerging energy sectors. The move will help to drive innovation and attract new investment across sectors, such as offshore wind energy, renewable energy production, storage and distribution, and tidal power. 

Immediate career support for workers:

The Scottish and UK Governments are working closely with the company, Petroineos, to provide immediate support for affected workers at Grangemouth refinery, while longer-term projects get up and running on the site.

The trade body Fuels Industry UK will ensure affected Grangemouth workers have direct access to a wide range of potential employers. The association will also work with the specialist skills provider Cogent to host job vacancies from relevant employers for the Grangemouth workforce.

Workers at the refinery will also receive tailored advice, helping them to identify new training opportunities – backed by the Scottish Government’s Partnership Action for Continuing Employment framework.

The UK Government has also confirmed that Grangemouth will be among the first areas that the new Office for Clean Energy Jobs will work with to help deliver a just transition for workers.

Project Willow:

A range of proposals to deliver a viable long-term future for the Grangemouth refinery site have been shortlisted by the UK and Scottish governments, as part of a joint-funded £1.5 million feasibility study. 

The project is exploring how the region can build on its skilled workforce, local expertise and long heritage as a fuel leader in Scotland to forge a new path in clean energy production.

Following an initial research phase, the project has identified three potential industries that could be hosted on the refinery site.  These are:

  • The production of low-carbon hydrogen.
  • Clean eFuels synthesised from chemical components like hydrogen or carbon dioxide
  • Sustainable aviation fuels which use lower carbon sources like forestry and agricultural waste, used cooking oil and carbon captured from the air to produce jet fuel.

These options will now be tested against their potential to create long-term industries in Grangemouth, support new jobs and contribute to the UK’s clean energy transition. The project will engage extensively with the local community, trade unions, businesses, and industrial experts on rapidly assessing the most viable candidates for industrial production on the Grangemouth site.

AdvoCard Celebrates 30 Years of Advocacy with Milestone Exhibtion and Community Events

Independent advocacy charity, AdvoCard, is celebrating its 30th anniversary with a special exhibition and a series of events highlighting its work and its impact from 1994 to 2024.

The exhibition will be held at the Out of the Blue Drill Hall from Tuesday 8th to Saturday 12th October 2024, running from 10 a.m. daily (end times may vary).

30 Years of Advocacy

The journey of AdvoCard began in the early 1990s when a steering group formed to explore the need for independent advocacy services in Edinburgh.

By 1994, with funding from Edinburgh City Council, the organisation was officially established, led by a small team of three part-time staff, including founding member Karen Anderson, and a small group of dedicated volunteers.

By 2001 they had moved to their first office in Leith and began expanding their service into the South East Locality of Edinburgh, becoming city wide in 2003. 

In 2009, they expanded again, opening a second site at the Royal Edinburgh Hospital to complement the original office in Leith and have continued to grow to meet the increasing demand for services. 

 Today, AdvoCard operates from two main offices: the Duncan Place Community Hub in Leith and the Andrew Duncan Clinic at the Royal Edinburgh Hospital in Morningside with a team of 20 staff and 18 volunteers.

Over the years, they have expanded their original remit to include advocacy for people with problematic substance use, outreach services, a welfare and benefits advocacy worker, prison advocacy and a volunteer team who support people navigating complex challenges related to health and social care, medical treatments, and decision-making processes.

Independent Advocacy focuses on ensuring that people can have their voices heard in decisions impacting their health and well-being, providing an essential service to those often left unheard. In todays current climate of reduced funding for health and social care services, AdvoCard are playing an increasingly vital role in helping individuals understand and assert their rights. 

Celebrating 30 Years with Community Events

AdvoCard’s 30th anniversary will be marked with an exhibition at the Out of the Blue Drill Hall from 8th to 12th October. This exhibition will showcase the organisation’s history, its evolution, and its impact on the community over three decades. Visitors will have the opportunity to engage with staff and volunteers, learning more about the vital role independent advocacy plays in empowering individuals.

AdvoCard workers will also be celebrating with a special event on Thursday 3rd October from 3pm at its former offices on 322 Leith Walk (now home to the Indigo Hair and Beauty Salon), where the salon has generously donated eight free treatments for AdvoCard’s staff and its volunteers. 

AdvoCard invites the media and the public to join in these celebrations, meet the team, and learn more about the crucial services they provide.

Karen Anderson, founding member of AdvoCard and current board member, reflects on the organisation’s milestone: “That AdvoCard has grown and developed so much over the years is a testament to the hard work, commitment and dedication of the many staff, volunteers and  board members who have been involved over the years.”

Advocacy partners (service users) have shared how AdvoCard has positively impacted their lives:

– “AdvoCard took the time to listen to me, which helped me regain my confidence and self-esteem. They couldn’t change my issues, but they empowered me to face them.”  

– “My advocacy worker has been amazing. I feel that I’m taken more seriously now and am regaining power I felt I had lost.”

– “I wouldn’t be where I am today without the support of AdvoCard.”

Volunteers also speak about the significance of independent advocacy:

– “It’s important to help people voice their opinions when they are struggling. I want to make sure they are heard while maintaining their agency.” 

– “Making a difference by challenging unfair systems is incredibly rewarding.”  

– “Helping someone resolve issues affecting their daily lives is why I volunteer.”

New school uniform guidance published

Reducing the cost of the school day

New national guidance which aims to reduce the cost of school uniforms for families has been published.

Following consultation with schools, families, uniform suppliers, pupils and councils, the new guidance also sets out key considerations to ensure pupil comfort, freedom and happiness.

The guidance, which can be used to form individual school uniform policies, includes advice on encouraging schools to adopt measures that limit costs for families and reduce waste, including limiting the number of items that pupils need and promoting items that can be reused more easily.

The Education Secretary launched the guidance during a visit to Camperdown Primary School in Dundee where she learned about work by pupils to develop a cost of the school day action plan.

Ms Gilruth said: “Every child in Scotland should be able to attend school feeling comfortable, confident, and ready to learn. However, we know the cost can be a significant burden for families and we want to support schools to minimise these costs.

“This new national guidance contains measures for schools to develop and implement their own affordable and sustainable policies that recognise the individual needs of all pupils.

“It makes clear that schools are expected to do all they can to limit school clothing costs for families as part of our wider aim to reduce the cost of the school day. The guidance also encourages schools to develop flexible and inclusive policies which promote generic items of clothing and do not include compulsory branded items, supporting our efforts to be more sustainable.

“Ending child poverty is the central mission of this government and reducing the cost of the school day for families will play a crucial role in this work.”

A spokesperson for Edinburgh School Uniform Bank reacted: “We’re delighted that the government has adopted many of our suggestions around school uniform in their new guidance:

👉 Pupils’ comfort, happiness and freedom to learn and play should be at the centre of considerations about school uniform and clothing, alongside a focus on removing barriers to participation in school education.

👉 Branded items of uniform and blazers should not be compulsory, nor promoted or encouraged by schools.

👉 Schools should avoid including items that need frequent washing or are difficult to wash or dry, and

👉 promote and support arrangements for families to access pre-loved clothing, and

👉 consider the availability of non-standard sizes of uniform, clothing and footwear included within their policies to ensure that all pupils, regardless of their age or build, are able to access comfortable and practical clothing and footwear at a reasonable cost.

School uniform and clothing: Guidance for schools and education authorities

New Home Bargains store opening at Fort Kinnaird Retail Park

Home Bargains has invested approximately £1million into its new store, ‘Edinburgh 3’, located at Fort Kinnaird Retail Park, Edinburgh, which will be officially opened at 8.00 am on Saturday 14th September, 2024.  

As one of the UK’s largest family-run retailers, Home Bargains is creating 60 new jobs in the local community with its new store in Edinburgh.

The new ‘Edinburgh 3’ store will complement the existing Edinburgh stores and over 600 outlets across the UK. Opening approximately 50 stores a year, Home Bargains is bucking current trends in the industry.

Robert Sivewright, the new Edinburgh 3 store manager, said: ” I am super excited to be opening the new XL store in Fort Kinnaird, there is nothing about the process that hasn’t excited me, the planning stages and keeping things on track with my secret love of a spreadsheet.

“The pressure of a new store and a brand-new team of around 60 team members and 6 management has given me even more drive and determination, my goals for the store are clear for everyone to ‘be their best’ and together as a team we can achieve.”

 “As the latest location in this vibrant community, we’ve created 60 job opportunities, igniting pride and progress among our fellow residents. This store goes beyond mere bricks and shelves; it symbolizes a place where dreams can flourish.”

The 15,672 sq. ft store, will offer shoppers a range of products, including homewares, health and beauty essentials, sweets, snacks and drinks, as well as fresh and frozen food.

Robert Sivewright added: “Our new Edinburgh location will be a great store for us, and we’re proud to be able to offer local people top-branded goods at exceptionally low prices.”

With more than five million customers each week, Home Bargains is one of the country’s best-loved discount retailers, stocking top-quality branded goods at low prices.

For more information on the ranges available, visit www.homebargains.co.uk. 
Edinburgh 3 Store Address: Fort Kinnaird Retail Park, Edinburgh, EH15 3RD.

28% unpaid carers across Scotland are living in poverty

ONE IN TWELVE IN DEEP POVERTY

28% unpaid carers across Scotland live in poverty, with 1 in 12 in deep poverty 

  • The rate of poverty amongst unpaid carers is 56% higher than those who do not provide unpaid care in Scotland.  
  • 8% of unpaid carers in Scotland live in deep poverty; 50% below the poverty line. 
  • As many as 100,000 unpaid carers in Scotland are living in poverty. 
  • Carers Scotland is calling for an increase in the value of Carer Support Payment and in its earnings-limit along with an increase in support for unpaid carers on means-tested benefits.

 

New research finds that unpaid carers in Scotland are significantly more likely to experience financial hardship compared to those who do not provide unpaid care. The report by WPI Economics for Carers UK, funded by arbdn Financial Fairness Trust, explores the drivers and extent of poverty amongst unpaid carers in Scotland, finding that 28% are living in poverty, with 8% classed as being in “deep poverty”. 

One of the main drivers of poverty highlighted in the report is the difficulty unpaid carers have combining paid work with their caring role. Many unpaid carers have to give up their careers or reduce their working hours as a result of their unpaid caring responsibilities, which can result in a loss of income and their ability to accumulate savings and pensions.  

Other drivers of carer poverty include high housing costs, lack of support and access to social care services and the inadequacy of social security.  

Fiona Collie, Head of Public Affairs and Communications for Carers Scotland, said: “It’s deeply disturbing and shocking to hear that as many as 100,000 unpaid carers in Scotland are living in poverty.

“Every day across the country, the care they provide helps to hold society together, and too many are finding themselves in precarious financial positions as a result. Relatively small increases to support can have a big impact on carers’ lives and lift many thousands out of poverty. 

“Many carers face huge challenges juggling paid work and unpaid care. We need better support for carers in paid work, and to see visible change for those facing high costs linked to caring by the planned National Care Service meeting the needs of unpaid carers and supports them to continue with paid work, where they are able to combine this with their caring role.  

“Carers who are struggling financially, caring for more hours, and caring over a longer period of time are under immense pressure. They urgently need proper support, new rights and legal protections to ensure that they are not penalised as a result of their caring role.” 

Vivienne Jackson, Programme Manager at abrdn Financial Fairness Trust, said: “The care system would collapse without the vital people who provide unpaid care.

“It’s not right that those who provide essential services to some of the most vulnerable people in our society are living in poverty. Government and employers need to work together to help lift carers out of poverty.” 

Carers Scotland is now calling on the both the UK and Scottish Governments to act on the detailed recommendations laid out in the report, including committing to reviewing Carer Support Payment to increase its low value, reducing complexity and to increasing carer top-ups for those on means tested benefits such as Universal Credit. 

The Scottish Government must also continue to develop and deliver its commitment to pilot a minimum income guarantee for unpaid carers in Scotland 

The charity also wants to see better support for carers who might be able to combine paid work with unpaid care, including increasing the earnings threshold in Carer Support Payment to 21 hours at the National Living Wage.   

Social media safety for young people

Campaign to stop the sharing of violent incidents

A national campaign to support young people to safely navigate social media and prevent violence has been launched.

‘Quit Fighting For Likes’ aims to get young people to think about and discuss attitudes and behaviours around the filming and sharing of violent incidents.

Developed by the Scottish Violence Reduction Unit (SVRU), YouthLink Scotland and Medics Against Violence (MAV), the new campaign is part of an action plan agreed in the Scottish Government’s Violence Prevention Framework, published in May last year.

It features a short awareness-raising animation, illustrating the digital world where this content can take place and showing an alternative route to switch off from it. A set of memes has also been produced covering a range of messages about why filming and sharing fights is damaging.

Young people helped develop the campaign through focus groups and feedback sessions involving various schools and youth groups, including pupils from Craigmount High School in Edinburgh.

The campaign has been launched as the first annual progress report for Scotland’s Violence Prevention Framework was published – highlighting progress made to help cut violent crime and reduce the harm it causes.

Key developments in 2023-24 include:

  • the creation, by the SVRU, of a Violence Anonymous group, the first of its kind in Scotland, to help individuals with significant problems turn their lives around
  • the extension of MAV’s hospital-based Navigator programme to reach young people in times of crisis, to receive support to steer them away from violence and harm
  • YouthLink Scotland’s training and resources provided to more than 700 practitioners across the country to provide young people with key messages on violence and knife crime prevention

Speaking at the launch of the new campaign in Edinburgh, Minister for Victims and Community Safety Siobhian Brown said: “While social media can play a positive role in young people’s lives, helping them engage with their friends and family, it can also be a platform where violent imagery is spread. This campaign will encourage young people to switch off and not share harmful content.

“Scotland’s Violence Prevention Framework is making encouraging progress with a number of partner initiatives focused on prevention and early intervention so that communities across Scotland remain safe and more people live free from the threat of violence.”

Tim Frew, CEO YouthLink Scotland, the national agency for youth work, said: “Young people have told us time and time again that they need help to navigate social media. It is crucial that adults who live and work with young people are confident in providing trusting and non-judgemental support.

“As the national agency for youth work, we are proud to have collaborated on this important campaign, embedding a youth work approach to the resources to start the conversation and upskill practitioners working with young people. By working and learning alongside young people, the toolkit supports young people to make informed, positive, and importantly safe, choices online.”

Prof Christine Goodall, Director and Founder of Medics Against Violence, said: “The use of social media to incite violence is something we couldn’t have anticipated 15 years ago but now we see that regularly along with the sharing of distressing images and videos of violence filmed in places that should be safe, such as school playgrounds and community public spaces.

“As health professionals we recognise the impact that may have on encouraging young people to get involved in violence, risking injury, and the long-term psychological impact on those filmed when their images are shared in the online space, without their consent or knowledge.

“This campaign is important to us because we understand from speaking to young people how conflicted they are about social media and the peer pressure they face to join in with image sharing activities. We wanted to produce something that would reflect their views and would support them to take a stand against activity which is both damaging and pervasive.”

Jimmy Paul, Head of the Scottish Violence Reduction Unit, said: “While the majority of young people in Scotland do not engage in the filming and sharing of violent incidents on social media, as part of our research for this campaign we listened to groups of young people about their experience.

“The Quit Fighting For Likes campaign aims to enable young people to look at attitudes and behaviours regarding social media while pointing towards the toolkit to equip those working with young people to help build positive social norms.”

Quit Fighting For Likes campaign.  

Starmer: Our NHS needs ‘major surgery, not sticking plaster solutions’

PM to pledge ‘the biggest reimagining of our NHS since its birth’ 

  • PM to set out plan for long term, fundamental reform to fix broken NHS 
  • Lord Darzi’s independent investigation concludes NHS is in ‘critical condition’
  • Findings provide a diagnosis of the challenges facing the health service, which will inform government’s 10 year plan to reform the NHS

The PM will pledge the ‘biggest reimagining of our NHS since its birth’ in a speech this morning [12 September 2024], following the publication today of a full and independent investigation into the state of the NHS.

Lord Ara Darzi’s probe has concluded the service is in a ‘critical condition’ amidst surging waiting lists and a deterioration in the nation’s underlying health, identifying serious and widespread problems for people accessing services.

The PM will say that the scale of the damage done to the NHS revealed by the report is “unforgivable”, recognising the tragic consequences for too many patients and their families: “People have every right to be angry. It’s not just because the NHS is so personal to all of us – it’s because some of these failings are life and death.

“Take the waiting times in A&E. That’s not just a source of fear and anxiety – it’s leading to avoidable deaths.

“People’s loved ones who could have been saved. Doctors and nurses whose whole vocation is to save them – hampered from doing so. It’s devastating.

He will also address the causes behind the state of the NHS, including the long term impacts of the 2012 Health and Social Care Act which is described in the report as “a calamity without international precedent” which “proved disastrous”, as well as the far reaching consequences of underinvestment throughout the 2010s. 

The PM is expected to say: “Our NHS went into the pandemic in a much more fragile state.

“We had higher bed-occupancy rates, fewer doctors, fewer nurses and fewer beds than most other high income health systems in the world.

“And let’s be clear about what caused that…a “scorched earth” approach to health reform, the effects of which are still felt to this day.

“Lord Darzi describes [the 2010s] as “the most austere decade since the NHS was founded”. Crumbling buildings, decrepit portacabins, mental health patients accommodated in Victorian-era cells infested with vermin.

“The 2010s were a lost decade for our NHS…which left the NHS unable to be there for patients today, and totally unprepared for the challenges and opportunities of tomorrow.”

As well as recognising the cost to people’s health, the PM will also address the inextricable link between the state of the NHS and the nation’s economy: It’s not just the state of our National Health Service in crisis – it’s also the state of our national health.

“There are 2.8 million people economically inactive due to long term sickness, and more than half of those on the current waiting lists for inpatient treatment are working age adults.

“Getting people back to health and work will not only reduce the costs on the NHS, it will drive economic growth – in turn creating more tax receipts to fund public services.

In the face of these dire findings and the growing pressures on the NHS from an ageing society and preventable illnesses, the PM will set out his belief in the ‘profound responsibility’ of government to do the hard work necessary to tackle them: “What we need is the courage to deliver long-term reform – major surgery not sticking plaster solutions.

“The NHS is at a fork in the road, and we have a choice about how it should meet these rising demands.

“Raise taxes on working people to meet the ever-higher costs of aging population – or reform to secure its future.

“We know working people can’t afford to pay more, so it’s reform or die.”

Rooted in Lord Darzi’s diagnoses of the challenges facing the NHS, the Prime Minister will outline three fundamental areas of reform and the imperative to work with staff and patients throughout this process. He is expected to say: “”This government is working at pace to build a Ten-Year Plan. Something so different from anything that has come before.

“Instead of the top-down approach of the past, this plan is going to have the fingerprints of NHS staff and patients all over it. 

“And as we build it together, I want to frame this plan around three big shifts – first, moving from an analogue to a digital NHS. A tomorrow service not just a today service.

“Second, we’ve got to shift more care from hospitals to communities… And third, we’ve got to be much bolder in moving from sickness to prevention.

“Only fundamental reform and a plan for the long term can turn around the NHS and build a healthy society. It won’t be easy or quick. But I know we can do it.

“The challenge is clear before us; the change could amount to the biggest reimagining of our NHS since its birth.”

Lord Darzi is an independent peer and practising surgeon with 30 years’ experience in the NHS. He examined over 600 pieces of analysis from DHSC, NHS England and external organisations during his investigation. His report will inform the government’s 10-year plan to reform the health service.

Lord Darzi said: “Although I have worked in the NHS for more than 30 years, I have been shocked by what I have found during this investigation – not just in the health service but in the state of the nation’s health.

“We want to deliver high quality care for all but far too many people are waiting for too long and in too many clinical areas, quality of care has gone backwards.

“My colleagues in the NHS are working harder than ever but our productivity has fallen. 

“We get caught up frantically trying to find beds that have been axed or using IT that is outdated or trying to work out how to get things done because operational processes are overwhelmed. It sucks the joy from our work – we became clinicians to help patients get better, not to go into battle with a broken system.

“We need to rebalance the system towards care in the community rather than adding more and more staff to hospitals. And we need a more honest conversation about performance – the NHS is now an open book.

“In the last 15 years, the NHS was hit by three shocks – austerity and starvation of investment, confusion caused by top-down reorganisation, and then the pandemic which came with resilience at an all-time low. Two out of three of those shocks were choices made in Westminster.

“It took more than a decade for the NHS to fall into disrepair so it’s going to take time to fix it. But we in the NHS have turned things around before, and I’m confident we will do it again.”

Despite the damning analysis, Lord Darzi insists the NHS’s vital signs ‘remain strong’ and he praised staff for their ‘shared passion and determination to make the NHS better for our patients’.

In carrying out the review, Lord Darzi brought more than 70 organisations together in an Expert Reference Group and sought input from NHS staff and patients through focus groups and frontline visits.   

Responding to the report, Secretary of State Wes Streeting said: “I asked Lord Darzi to tell hard truths about the state of the NHS. He has produced an honest, expert, comprehensive report on the appalling state our health service is in.

“Today’s findings will inform our 10-year plan to radically reform the NHS and get patients treated on time again.

“The damage done to the NHS has been more than a decade in the making. We clearly have a long road ahead. But while the NHS is broken, it’s not beaten. We will turn the NHS around so it is there for you when you need it, once again.”

Today’s report has been welcomed by NHS England and health organisations who have pledged to work closely with the government on its mission to rebuild the NHS.

Amanda Pritchard, NHS England Chief Executive, said: “As this report sets out, staff are the beating heart of the NHS with a shared passion and determination for making the NHS better for patients – but it is also clear they are facing unprecedented challenges.

“Our staff are treating record numbers of patients every day despite ageing equipment and crumbling buildings, a surge in multiple long-term illnesses, and managing the long-lasting effects of the pandemic.

“While teams are working hard to get services back on track, it is clear waiting times across many services are unacceptable and we need to address the underlying issues outlined in Lord Darzi’s report so we can deliver the care we all want for patients.

“As Lord Darzi rightly points out, many of the solutions can be found in parts of the NHS today. That is why we are fully committed to working with government to create a 10-year plan for healthcare to ensure the NHS recovers from Covid, strengthens its foundations and continues to reform so it is fit for future generations”

Key findings from Lord Darzi’s 142-page report include:

  • Deterioration: The health of the nation has deteriorated over the past 15 years, with a substantial increase in the number of people living with multiple long-term conditions. 
  • Spending: Too great a share of the NHS budget is being spent in hospitals, too little in the community, and productivity is too low.
  • Waiting times: Waiting lists have swelled and waiting times have surged, with A&E queues more than doubling from an average of just under 40 people on a typical evening in April 2009 to over 100 in April 2024. 1 in 10 patients are now waiting for 12 hours or more.
  • Cancer care: The UK has appreciably higher cancer mortality rates than other countries, with no progress whatsoever made in diagnosing cancer at stage one and two between 2013 and 2021.
  • Lasting damage: The Health and Social Care Act of 2012 did lasting damage to the management capacity and capability of the NHS. It took 10 years to return to a sensible structure, and the effects continue to be felt to this day.   
  • Productivity: Too many resources have been being poured into hospitals where productivity had substantially fallen, while too little has been spent in the community. 

Responding to the publication of Professor Lord Darzi’s Independent Investigation of the National Health Service in England, Nuffield Trust Chief Executive Thea Stein said: “Lord Darzi’s damning report underlines the stark realities experienced across almost every corner of the health service.

“Wide-ranging problems have been growing in plain sight for years and Darzi’s impressively comprehensive assessment will be familiar to anyone who has studied or experienced the slow deterioration of health care provision in England.

“While not surprising, the report’s findings are deeply troubling. As our research work has repeatedly shown, too often the NHS is not able to provide people with the timely care they need, despite steadfast public commitment to the core principles of the health service. The impacts of this are not felt equally: people in the poorest areas are particularly struggling to access healthcare.

“The big question now is what happens next.

“The Government has an early opportunity to make good on long-argued points on dysfunctional NHS funding in its first Budget next month. The health service is staring down the barrel of a significant shortfall in funding this current year [2] and the Chancellor will need to set out clear plans to tackle this, ahead of a longer-term funding settlement.

“Rightly, the report repeatedly references the interrelated, compounding pressures of the desperate state of social care and cuts to public health provision. But by design it does not dig into those issues. In future, we hope to see serious work by the government to address those broader societal issues that determine population health and impact health care access.

“Ultimately, the Lord Darzi’s diagnostic report sets out important aspirations to be delivered in the forthcoming 10-year plan to treat – and fix – the NHS. But the improvements we all hope for – and that patients desperately need – will take time, commitment and major financial, practical and system-wide support. There will be no quick fixes.”

NI Secretary Hilary Benn announces public inquiry into the murder of Belfast solicitor Pat Finucane

The Secretary of State told Parliament this afternoon (11 September) of his decision to establish an independent inquiry under the Inquiries Act 2005 into the murder of Patrick Finucane:

With permission, Mr Speaker, I would like to make a statement about the death of Patrick Finucane.

Patrick Finucane was a human rights lawyer. On 12 February 1989 he was brutally murdered in his home in North Belfast by the loyalist paramilitary group, the Ulster Defence Association in front of his wife, Geraldine, who was wounded, and his three children, one of whom is now the Honourable Member for Belfast North.

From that day onwards, Mrs Finucane and her family have campaigned tirelessly in search of answers about the killing of their loved one.

In 1990 an inquest was opened and closed on the same day with an open verdict. 

Subsequently, a number of investigations and reviews were conducted.

In 2001, following the collapse of power sharing, the UK and Irish governments agreed at Weston Park to establish public inquiries into a number of Troubles-related cases, if recommended by an international judge.

Judge Peter Cory was appointed to conduct a review of each case and in 2004 he recommended that the UK Government hold public inquiries into four deaths: those of Rosemary Nelson, Robert Hamill, Billy Wright, and Patrick Finucane. 

Judge Cory also recommended that the Irish Government establish a tribunal of inquiry into the deaths of former RUC officers Bob Buchanan and Harry Breen.

Inquiries were promptly established in all of these cases, with one exception –  the death of Mr Finucane.  

Meanwhile, in 2003 the third investigation by Sir John Stevens into alleged collusion between the security forces and Loyalist paramilitaries had concluded that there had been state collusion in Mr Finucane’s killing. 

That investigation was followed by the conviction, in 2004, of one of those responsible, Ken Barrett.

With criminal proceedings concluded, the then Northern Ireland Secretary, Paul Murphy, made a statement to Parliament setting out the Government’s commitment to establish an inquiry. But despite a number of attempts, the Government was unable to reach agreement with the Finucane family on arrangements for one.

In 2011, the coalition government decided against an inquiry. Instead, a review of what had happened – led by Sir Desmond de Silva QC – was established. Sir Desmond concluded that he was left “in no doubt that agents of the State were involved in carrying out serious violations of human rights up to and including murder.”

The publication of his findings in 2012 led the then-Prime Minister, David Cameron, to make an unprecedented apology from this despatch box to the Finucane family on behalf of the British Government, citing the “shocking levels of State collusion” in this case.

In 2019, the Supreme Court found that all the previous investigations had been insufficient to enable the State to discharge its obligations under Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights. 

The Court identified a number of deficiencies in the State’s compliance with Article 2.  In particular, Sir Desmond’s review did not have the power to compel the attendance of witnesses; those who met Sir Desmond were not subject to testing as to the accuracy of their evidence; and a potentially critical witness was excused from attendance.

In November 2020 the then Secretary of State for Northern Ireland announced that he would not be establishing a public inquiry at that time, pending the outcome of continuing investigations, but that decision was quashed by the Northern Ireland High Court in December 2022.

Mr Speaker, this Government takes its human rights obligations – and its responsibilities to victims and survivors of the Troubles – extremely seriously. 

And the plain fact is that two decades on, the commitment made by the Government – first in the agreement with the Irish Government, and then to this House – to establish an inquiry into the death of Mr Finucane remains unfulfilled. 

It is for this exceptional reason that I have decided to establish an independent inquiry into the death of Patrick Finucane under the 2005 Inquiries Act.

I have, of course, met Mrs Finucane and her family. First on 25 July to hear their views, and again yesterday, to inform them of my decision. Mrs Finucane asked the Government to set up a public inquiry under the 2005 Act and – as I have just told the House – the Government has now agreed to do that, in line with both the 2019 Supreme Court ruling and the Court of Appeal judgement in July this year.

In making this decision, I have, as is required, considered the likely costs and impact on the public finances. It is the Government’s expectation that the inquiry will – while doing everything that is required to discharge the State’s human rights obligations –  avoid unnecessary costs given all the previous reviews and investigations, and the large amount of information and material that is already in the public domain.

Indeed, in the most recent High Court proceedings, the Judge suggested that an inquiry could “build on the significant investigative foundations which are already in place”.

Mr Speaker, as part of my decision-making process, I did also consider whether to refer this case to the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery. The Commission has powers comparable to those provided by the Inquiries Act to compel witnesses and to secure the disclosure of relevant documents by state bodies – powers identified by the Supreme Court as being crucial for the Government to discharge its human rights obligations.

The Commission was found in separate proceedings in February this year by the High Court to be sufficiently independent and capable of conducting Article 2 compliant investigations, and while I am committed to considering measures to further strengthen the Commission, I have every confidence in its ability, under the leadership of Sir Declan Morgan, to find answers for survivors and families.

However, given the unique circumstances of this case, and the solemn commitment made by the Government in 2001 and again in 2004, the only appropriate way forward is to establish a public inquiry.

Mr Speaker, many of us in this House remember the savage brutality of the Troubles – a truly terrible time in our history – and we must never forget that most of the deaths and injuries were the responsibility of paramilitaries, including the Ulster Defence Association, the Provisional IRA, and others, and we should also – always – pay tribute to the work during that time of the Armed Forces, police and security services, the vast majority of whom served with distinction and honour, and so many of whom sacrificed their lives in protecting others.

It is very hard for any of us to understand fully the trauma of those who lost loved ones – sons and daughters, spouses and partners, fathers and mothers – and what they have been through, and there is of course nothing that any of us can do to bring them back or to erase the deep pain that was caused.

But what we can do is to seek transparency to help provide answers to families, and to work together for a better future for Northern Ireland which has made so much progress since these terrible events. I hope that this inquiry will – finally – provide the information that the Finucane family has sought for so long.

The Government will seek to appoint a Chair of the Inquiry and establish its Terms of Reference as soon as possible, and I will update the House further.

Mr Speaker, I commend this Statement to the House.

‘After 35 years of cover-ups, it is time for truth’

STATEMENT BY GERALDINE FINUCANE ON BEHALF OF THE FINUCANE FAMILY

I welcome the announcement of the Secretary of State in the House of Commons today, that an independent statutory public inquiry will be established into the murder of my husband, Patrick Finucane.

After 35 years of campaigning for such an inquiry, I believe this announcement represents a significant step forward for my family in our fight to uncover all of the circumstances behind Pat’s murder.

It has been a long journey to get to the point where the establishment of an independent public inquiry has finally become a reality. I look forward to having the opportunity to participate in a statutory inquiry and expose publicly the whole truth behind the murder of my husband.

This has always been the objective of the campaign that my family and I have pursued for 35 years. We have only ever been concerned with uncovering the truth. It is this that has kept us going.

It is the thing that has been missing, all these years. We did not believe that his murder was simply the work of gunmen who killed him. We had no confidence that police investigations would ever bring those truly responsible to justice.

We were not satisfied with private, limited reviews from which we were excluded. We could not and did not accept the assurances of previous British governments that they were anxious to set the record straight, because they were never prepared to do so in public.

An independent, statutory public inquiry is and was the only way to bring the whole truth behind the murder of Pat Finucane into the light of day.

The journey to this point is not one that my family and I have had to endure alone. Indeed, we would never have succeeded without the assistance and support and encouragement of so many people over the years.

I could not begin to thank them all by name here today. So many people, all over the world, were willing to give generously of their time and talent again and again. I want to record my heartfelt thanks and gratitude to each and every one of them.

We would not be here today without them.

However, I would like to single out one person out for special mention, and that is Peter Madden. Peter was my husband’s business partner and friend, throughout Pat’s all-too-short legal career.

He has been a source of unending strength and resilience. I cannot thank him enough for what he has done for my family, or, indeed, the entire legal team that has represented us so fearlessly and brilliantly in our fight for a public inquiry.

Most of all, I believe this inquiry can be a watershed moment in the difficult subject of legacy in this part of our island. If a public inquiry in to the murder of Pat Finucane can finally publicly examine all of the collusion that plagued our society for so many years, then there is hope that the real process of healing can begin.

The murder of Pat Finucane is the last remaining Weston Park case. It is high time it was properly investigated, publicly examined, and finally resolved.

I believe that my family deserve this after so many years. Pat Finucane deserves this after so many years. Society as a whole deserves this, after so many years.

After 35 years of cover-ups, it is time for truth.

MORE COMMENTS:

IRISH TAOISEACH SIMON HARRIS

MICHEAL MARTIN, IRISH MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS

I welcome the announcement that the Finucane family has secured a public inquiry into the killing of their beloved father and husband, Pat Finucane.

Today is a testament to the unwavering spirit and resolve of Pat’s wife, Geraldine, and their children, Katherine, Michael, and John.

The Finucane family’s determination and dignity throughout 35 years of the most difficult of campaigning has brought about this landmark day.

Their campaign has been an inspiration to all families struggling for truth and justice. I will continue to support the Finucane family as they continue on their journey towards truth and justice for Pat.

MICHELLE O’NEILL, FIRST MINISTER – NORTHERN IRELAND ASSEMBLY

Irish Council for Civil Liberties

Edinburgh’s Social Care Crisis: Conference Agenda announced

SATURDAY 14 SEPTEMBER from 10am – 1pm

AUGUSTINE UNITED CHURCH, GEORGE IV BRIDGE

THE agenda for Saturday’s Edinburgh Social Care Crisis Conference has been announced.

The conference has been convened by Edinburgh Trade Union Council and is sponsored by UNITE Edinburgh Not For Profit Branch,  UNITE City of Edinburgh Council Branch, UNITE Lothian Retired Members Branch, Edinburgh EIS Branch and the Scottish Trades Union Congress.

The conference will be attended by three Edinburgh MSPs: Foysol Choudhury, Sarah Boyack and Daniel Johnson.

Des Loughney, Secretary, Edinburgh Trade Union Council says: “”The conference is open to the public, trade union and community health activists and social care users and paid and unpaid carers.

“There will be a discussion of the impact of the Edinburgh Integration Joint Board cuts that are being implemented in this financial year (£55 million).

“We are concerned that prevention services will be cut and that rising demand (mainly due to demographic reasons) will not be met.

“The conference will conclude by a discussion on the way forward in campaigning for more resources for IJBs and how can we lobby for more resources to prevent current damaging cuts.

“We will consider how we can seek to change Scottish Parliament policies in the run up to the 2026 elections.”

ConferenceagendaDownload

Scottish International Storytelling Festival announces 2024 programme

Today (Wed 11 Sep) with support from the Scottish Government’s Festivals EXPO Fund and Creative Scotland, the Scottish International Storytelling Festival launched its 35th festival programme. 

The Scottish International Storytelling Festival (18 to 31 October 2024) is organised by TRACS (Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland) and is the world’s largest celebration of storytelling.

Since it began in 1989, it has been building bridges between cultures, artists and audiences all over the world through the power of storytelling.

To mark its 35th anniversary, which coincides with the fall of the Berlin Wall, the festival has chosen ‘Bridges Between’ as its programming theme, which has been the inspiration for eight new story commissions premiering during this year’s festival.

It has also invited international storytellers from the Storytelling Arena in Berlin, from Ireland with the support of Culture Ireland, and from India to participate in this year’s event.

New Commissions supported by the Scottish Government Festivals Expo Fund:

●      Mending Nets (Fri 18 Oct) – Palestinian poet and dancer Nada Shawa and Scottish storyteller Janis Mackay present stories of loss, friendship and hope, to help people attempt to retrieve an unravelled sense of identity.

●      The Bouncy Billy Goats Gruff (Sat 19 Oct) – a sensory version of the traditional tale of Billy Goats Gruff suited to children with additional needs, their families and friends with storyteller Ailie Finlay and artist Kate Leiper. 

●      The Dream of Al-Andulus (19 Oct) Storytellers Sef Townsend and Inés Álvarez Villa accompanied by flamenco guitarist Danielo Olivera and Moroccan musician Omar Afif, transport audiences to mediaeval Spain.

●      The Desperate Battle of the Birds (Mon 21 Oct) Scottish storyteller James MacDonald Reid presents his version of this classic Gaelic folk tale intertwined with live electric cello music by Scottish-Korean musician Ryan Williams. Performed in English and Gaelic throughout.

●      Òran Mhòir (23 Oct) Costumes, films, field recordings, folk songs and electronic sounds come together in a multi-media performance exploring the Gaelic lore of the intertidal zone. With storyteller Eileen Budd and experimental folk duo Burd Ellen.

●      Jack and Beggar’s Island (25 Oct) The most powerful freedom story of Scottish oral tradition recreated by storytellers Jimmy Williamson, Claire McNicol and Linda Williamson connected with music from Toby Shippey and friends.

●      Kanpur: 1857! (26 Oct)Niall Moorjani and Jon Oldfield present a dilemma between a young Indian rebel strapped to a cannon and a British officer for the crimes of Kanpur. Are they a hero or villain?

●      A Wolf Shall Devour the Sun (30 Oct) Weaving myth from the Celtic Isles, Scandinavia and Siberia, storyteller Douglas Mackay takes a deep dive into the history of our troubled relations with our oldest ally. With Jemima Thewes providing shadow puppet animation and original, dreamlike soundscape.

This year the Festival is also part of the city’s Edinburgh 900 programme, celebrating nine centuries of story and literature in Scotland’s capital city.

Festival Director Donald Smith, who is also author of the newly-published Edinburgh Our Storied Town, has programmed a series of events showcasing Edinburgh through the centuries and exploring different eras of its history.

These include talks on ‘chivalry’ and the knightly values of the crusades; Edinburgh’s theatres and the history of the festivals; Scotland’s golden age of literature; and a conference and ‘Lit Fandango’ with Michael Pedersen to celebrate 20 years since Edinburgh was crowned the world’s first UNESCO City of Literature. 

There are also guided walks through the city to explore Edinburgh’s founding women with Claire McNicol; an after-hours tour of Surgeon’s Hall where tales of chloroform tea parties and grave robbing will be shared; and storytelling sessions at Bridgend Farmhouse, The Balm Well and Edinburgh’s Philosophy Cafe on the Southside. 

For younger audiences and families there is a packed programme of events over the October school holidays kicking off on Saturday 12 October, ahead of the festival’s main programme (18 to 31 Oct).

Family highlights include storytelling fun and adventures with Claire McNicol and Linda Williamson in Raven Jack and Lady Unicorn; dancing and stories with Moyra Banks and Fergus McNicol; tales of dragons and tunes from Lithuania and Scotland; and The Hairy Tale of Sam the Skull about a gallus Glasgow cat, told by storyteller Alastair McIver.

There is also a chance for young storytellers to learn new skills in the 3-day workshop series School of Storycraft and plenty of events outdoors including the return of the Botanics Storytelling Day and Macastory’s Caddie Capers.

Plus, the festival’s Global Lab strand returns with four online workshops exploring intangible cultural heritage; the war in Gaza through the voices of children and young people; stories from across India hosted by the Folklogue Team; and a discussion of Scotland as a slaver nation trading in Jamaica hosted by Kate Philips, author of Bought and Sold: Scotland, Jamaica and Slavery.

Work in progress, marked as ‘In the Making’ will be shared during the festival and will include stories from Norway created and performed by Svend-Erik Engh, Hafdís Huld and Neil Sutcliffe; adventures beyond the iron curtain told by Alice Fernbank through her dad’s memoirs; a coming of age story told in the spirit of the Griot storytelling traditions from West Africa by French-Cameroonian artist Fay Guiffo; and retellings of the work of Hamish Henderson. 

This year the festival runs up until Halloween and includes events when storytellers, musicians and artists will join together to share dark tales and gather for Samhain. There will also be four Tree of Memory events celebrating and honouring some of our storytelling elders including Irish and Scots storyteller Audrey Parks; Shetland storyteller Lawrence Tulloch, and Edinburgh storytellers Jack Martin and John Fee.

Throughout the festival, audiences can also enjoy relaxed Open Hearth gatherings of storytellers and musicians in the evening at the Netherbow Theatre, and post-show Festival Nights at The Waverley Bar.

Go Local returns this year, with new voices from Angus, the Highlands, and Stirling joining storytellers from all over Scotland throughout October and November to celebrate 35 years of the festival.

From Orkney and the Western Isles, to the Scottish Borders, there will be nearly 50 Go Local events in this year’s programme, plus two of the festival’s commissions will tour to community halls, libraries and storytelling festivals in Glasgow, Aberdeen and Tobermory. 

Finally, this year’s festival exhibition hosted at the Scottish Storytelling Centre will be Take Me To New Lands & Then Take Me Home, a series of paintings by Orcadian artist and musician Sarah McFadyen exploring the line between the worlds of fact and fable, and the place where land and sea meet.

Culture Secretary Angus Robertson said: “The Scottish International Storytelling Festival’s 35th anniversary is a magnificent achievement and demonstrates what a successful and important event it is.

“That’s why the Scottish Government has provided £100,000 in EXPO funding this year to support the commissions of eight performances at the festival.

“This year’s programme is incredibly diverse and there is plenty there to appeal to people of all interests, and both young and old. I am really looking forward to hearing some of the amazing stories at the Festival.”

Donald Smith, Scottish International Storytelling Festival Director said:
“In a world plagued by violence and division, the Scottish International Storytelling Festival offers bridges of imagination, fellow feeling and hope.

“And these qualities are inspired by a capital city that is celebrating 900 years of story, art and friendship.”

Performing at today’s launch storyteller Janis Mackay and poet and dancer Nada Shawa said: “We met on the dance floor fifteen years ago. Building bridges between is at the heart of our dance practise, 5 rhythms.

“Bridges between each other, between the heart and the body. Between the music and the dance. And with both of us there are many opportunities for exploring bridges between.  

“Nada is from Gaza, Janis is from Edinburgh.  Nada uses a wheelchair. Janis does not. Nada is a poet. Janis is a storyteller. So many rich differences that we weave into this show; Mending Nets.”

The Scottish International Storytelling Festival will take place from Friday, 18 October to Thursday 31 October.

Tickets to family events cost just £5 per ticket. For those planning on attending multiple events, the Festival Supporter Pass offers discounted tickets to many live festival events, online and at the Scottish Storytelling Centre, as well as a discount at the Scottish Storytelling Centre’s bookshop, Haggis Box Café and an invitation to the Festival launch event.

To purchase tickets and browse the full programme, visit sisf.org.uk