“The elections in May were heartbreaking for so many of us in the Labour family,but they were part of a long term trend of going backwards at every Holyrood election since 1999. Something needs to change.
“Michael is the leader rooted in Labour values who can unite and renew our party to offer hope across Scotland for better jobs,better public services and fairer nation with opportunity in every community of Scotland.”
Pauline McNeill MSP said:“I am backing Michael because he will be a strong leader who has no illusions about the difficult path ahead.
“He believes passionately that we can build a credible democratic centre left party in Scotland to represent working people.
“This must be an election about ideas and policy and I think he is best placed to lead the free flow of ideas using all the talents and skills in our party and our group of MSPs.”
A campaign spokesperson added: “Michael has been clear this leadership campaign will have to face the tough questions about why Labour has gone backwards at every Holyrood election.
“These problems are deep rooted and require serious answers.
“Only Michael can unite and renew Scottish Labour, drawing on all of our talents to rediscover our sense of moral purpose and offer the people of Scotland hope in Scottish Labour again.”
Marra campaign names local government group co-chairs
The Michael Marra campaign has also established a local government group to strengthen the voice of Labour councillors in the Scottish Labour leadership contest.
The group will be co-chaired by Fife Council leader David Ross and South Lanarkshire leader Maureen Devlin.
Maureen Devlin said:“I’m backing Michael Marra for Scottish Labour Leader.
“He’s the candidate rooted in Labour values who can renew and unite our party.”
David Ross said: “Michael has a positive vision for Scotland and will provide honest, straight-talking leadership, focused on better jobs and stronger public services.
“That’s what we need to unite and renew Scottish Labour.”
Michael Marra, the North East Regional list MSP running for Scottish Labour leader, served as a councillor in Dundee before being elected to Holyrood.
Michael Marra said: “I’m delighted David Ross and Maureen Devlin have agreed to co-chair our local government group as part of my campaign to unite and renew Scottish Labour.
“Labour councillors have been the last line of defence in their communities from SNP cuts and centralisation.
“As Andy Burnham makes the case for redistributing power, wealth and opportunity out of Westminster and Whitehall, we need to have the same conversation in Scotland.
“Local councillors are central to that. They lead the way for Labour in power. Their knowledge, experience and ideas will be a key way under my leadership that we unite and renew Scottish Labour.”
The leadership contest has been caused by former leader Anas Sarwar’s decision to leave Holyrood to take a seat in the unelected House of Lords.
The first international exhibition from the world-renowned Legacy Museum arrives in Scotland for a limited run at Edinburgh International Festival from 8 to 30 August
This August, UK audiences will have a rare opportunity to experience one of the most powerful cultural exhibitions ever created about slavery, racial injustice and their continuing legacy.
Opening on 8 August, The Legacy of Slavery brings the work of the internationally acclaimed Legacy Museum in Montgomery, Alabama to Scotland – and marks the first occasion the Museum has created a major exhibition outside the United States.
Presented by Edinburgh International Festival in the spectacular surroundings of the Playfair Library Hall in one of Scotland’s great civic institutions, the exhibition coordinated by the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI) invites visitors to confront the history of slavery across the Atlantic world and consider how its consequences continue to shape modern society.
The Legacy of Slavery is an immersive, hour-long experience. Visitors travel through centuries of history, from the transatlantic slave trade and the economics of enslavement to segregation, racial terror, mass incarceration and contemporary inequalities within systems of justice.
Founded by the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI), the Legacy Museum has become internationally recognised for transforming public understanding of slavery and racial injustice through rigorous historical research and powerful storytelling.
The exhibition is guided by the work of Bryan Stevenson, founder of the EJI and one of the world’s most influential advocates for justice and human rights.
Through decades of legal advocacy, Stevenson has challenged wrongful convictions, overturned death sentences and sparked international conversations about how societies reckon with difficult histories.
Bryan Stevenson said: “We are thrilled to bring a part of the Legacy Sites to Edinburgh for this exciting festival.
“The relationship between art, music, and justice is deep, profound, and ancient. So much of the world’s most extraordinary creative works have been shaped by eras of inequality, bigotry, and injustice.
“The Legacy Museum documents and explores a painful part of America’s history, which should deepen visitors’ appreciation of the extraordinary music and creative expression this history has inspired.”
Festival Director, Nicola Benedetti said: “The Edinburgh International Festival was founded in 1947 as an act of reconciliation, built on the belief that art and dialogue together could help humanity reckon with its darkest chapters and find a way forward.
“That is what this work with The Legacy Museum offers: a chance to bring the International Festival’s tradition of ideas and conversation into direct contact with one of the most searching acts of historical reckoning being made anywhere today. Hosting the first ever international exhibition of The Legacy Museum is a profound expression of our founding purpose.
“With this year’s International Festival we are placing a particular spotlight on the United States, and this exhibition sits at its heart. Running from the 8th to the 30th of August, it will sit alongside performances and works that explore the same history from different artistic angles, from theatre works Angels in America and HANG TIME to Jazz at the Lincoln Center Orchestra performing Duke Ellington’s monumental symphony Black, Brown and Beige.
“Bryan Stevenson and the Equal Justice Initiative have created something that demands our attention, our honesty and our willingness to sit with discomfort in the service of truth. This exhibition is free and open to everyone, and we hope as many people as possible will come and see it.”
The exhibition, which is focused on the Legacy of Slavery in the US, also includes some context on Scotland’s connections to transatlantic slavery. The exhibit explores the evolution of slavery in America using multiple forms of immersive content and material documenting the past all the way to the present.
Presented within the Edinburgh International Festival’s 2026 programme, which marks the 250th anniversary of American independence, The Legacy of Slavery sits at the heart of the Festival’s wider examination of freedom, hypocrisy and the contradictions that have shaped the modern world.
Visiting a care home today [Wednesday 29th July], the Prime Minister will say he is making the choice to fix the broken social care system by finding common ground across party lines to tackle the big issues.
He will draw a line under decades of decline and a refusal to tackle these problems head on, calling on all political parties to focus on solving problems and find solutions together.
He will reiterate the need for a new kind of politics that puts differences aside in order to come together and face up to the challenges that Westminster has left unaddressed for too long.
Delivering on that pledge, he has invited the leaders of the two main opposition parties, Kemi Badenoch and Ed Davey, to meet with him today to kickstart this work and discuss how to drive urgent reform on social care.
Speaking ahead of his speech, Prime Minister Andy Burnham said: “Last week I said we needed a different kind of politics: problem-solving, not point-scoring. Nowhere is that more urgent than social care.
“For decades, governments have kicked this issue down the road because they’ve seen it as too risky, too difficult, and too complicated.
“Politicians might have different views but I’m serious about fixing this issue and to do that, we have to find common ground and listen to others to find a way forward.
“It’s time to draw a line under people playing politics when the human cost of that means carers struggling, families paying the price and our NHS buckling under the strain.
“This comes down to a choice. We can carry on passing the problem to the next generation, or we can face it head on and work together to build a care system that gives people dignity, security and the support they deserve.
“This is about bringing back hope that we can finally fix the difficult issues that have been ignored for too long, and making Britain believe again. That’s why I’m making this choice and I’m prepared to put everything I’ve got behind it.”
At the speech he will be joined by the Health and Social Care Secretary and Baroness Louise Casey, who is leading the Independent Commission on Adult Social Care which will draw up recommendations to deliver a National Care Service.
She will also launch the Big Conversation on Care today, which will give the public their chance to share their views and help shape the future of adult social care in England so that it is designed for the people it is there to serve.
It will be open to everyone through a new online platform, starting off the conversation by asking people about the values and principles we should all expect from a care system.
Baroness Casey of Blackstock said: “For too long, we have been stuck in the same cycle: crisis, promises of reform, another review, and then retreat, while the people who need care, and their families, bear the brunt.
“Fixing adult social care is about far more than money. People are already paying for failure through council tax, pressure on the NHS, their savings, giving up work, and the forced sale of their homes.
“The choice is whether we keep putting money into a system that is unfair, unpredictable and broken, or have an honest conversation about how to build something better.
“That is why we need a public conversation on care that tackles the tough questions. It’s only by facing up to this problem together that we can fix social care once and for all.”
“It’s not fair! Those hurdles are way too high!”, says former Olympic and Commonwealth athlete Catherine Chiwakwa Chunda, as the athletics events kick off in Glasgow.
Catherine represented her home nation of Malawi in the Sydney Olympics in 2000 and the Commonwealth Games and now calls Scotland home. The former long-distance runner says action is needed to fix the unfair debts faced by one in three Commonwealth nations.
She’s now working with SCIAF, the Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund, and they set up a hurdles race to highlight the issue.
She said: “Commonwealth countries like my homeland of Malawi face the constant hurdle of debt and it’s getting worse every year. They need to pay debts back at a much higher rate, meaning there’s little left to spend on things like health and education.
“For those representing rich countries like Scotland and England, the hurdles were tiny. No problem to overcome.
“The hurdles represent unjust debt. And it’s not hard to imagine what happened: higher hurdles for many of SCIAF’s partner countries made it impossible to run a fair race.
“Removing obstacles for countries like Malawi and Zambia so they can use the money they have to get more children into school, access to healthcare and ensure families get support to have food on the table, is vital.”
New findings from neurodiversity charity Salvesen Mindroom Centre (Mindroom) highlight 88% say caring responsibilities have limited their career progression, while more than half provide the equivalent of a full-time working week of unpaid care.
Leading neurodiversity charity Salvesen Mindroom Centre (Mindroom) has published a pioneering national survey examining the workplace experiences of parents and carers of neurodivergent children, revealing thousands are being forced to reduce hours, turn down career opportunities or leave work altogether because of gaps in health, education and family support.
Based on responses from over 250 parents and carers surveyed across Scotland and the UK in Autumn 2025, Holding It All Together: Workplace Experiences of Parents and Carers of Neurodivergent Children (supported by Baillie Gifford’s Neurodiversity Network) suggests the biggest barriers to employment are not caring responsibilities alone, but delays in diagnosis, fragmented services and inconsistent support.
The full findings will be unveiled at an online launch event on 4 August, where Mindroom will present the research for the first time, explore what it means for families, employers and policymakers, and outline the action needed to tackle the issues identified. Registration is now open.
The report paints a stark picture of parents trying to balance employment with caring responsibilities:
88% said caring responsibilities had limited their career progression
80% reported a negative impact on household income.
98% said the experience had negatively impacted their mental health.
55% provide 30 hours or more of unpaid care each week.
74% have changed their working patterns, and 58% have reduced their hours.
Despite this, 69% continue to balance professional or management roles and 44% work in hybrid roles.
Mindroom’s report’s central message is that the difficulties experienced by parents and carers are not caused by neurodivergent children themselves, but by systems that fail to provide timely and coordinated support. The report is launched alongside Mindroom’s 2025 Impact Report, which highlights rising demand across Scotland.
In 2025 alone, the charity supported 2,172 children, young people and families, received 1,801 new enquiries, and has seen demand increase by 309% since 2020. *
Aileen Shrimpton, Mindroom’s Director of Development, says:“Supporting parents and carers is not a niche issue.
“When support is delayed or inconsistent, families carry the consequences, and so do workplaces. This report provides a baseline for action.”
Gill Christie, Baillie Gifford, Chair of employee-led Neurodiversity Network, on behalf of the project team, continues: “Parents and carers of neurodivergent children are still holding work, family life and overstretched systems together, often invisibly.
The challenges described in this report arise not from them or their children, but from the fallout of systemic pressures outwith their control.”
Alan Thornburrow, CEO of Mindroom, concludes:“This research exposes an invisible workforce issue that has been hiding in plain sight.
“Parents and carers of neurodivergent children are not stepping back from work because they lack ambition or ability. They are doing so because they are carrying the consequences of delayed diagnoses, fragmented services and inadequate support systems.
“When skilled people reduce hours, turn down progression opportunities or leave employment altogether, families lose income, employers lose experienced staff, and the economy loses valuable talent. Supporting these families isn’t simply a welfare issue, it’s an economic one.”
To register for the official online launch event for Holding It All Together and discover the full extent of the findings, please visit: ‘Holding It All Together’ Launch**
The new Community Wealth Building Act aims to give more control to local communities, redirecting wealth back to the same neighbourhoods.
At Festival of Politics event ‘Scotland’s economy, why can’t we own more?’ panellists will be examining how economic models can uplift communities and individuals.
There is now a new Community Wealth Building Act, with the goals of placing more control in the hands of local communities and redirecting wealth back into those same neighbourhoods.
By prioritising local enterprises and the natural environment and preventing wealth extraction by big business, is it also time to re-think how the larger Scottish economy operates for everyday working people?
Rapid changes across technology and energy are taking place, from doughnut economics to foundational and well-being economies. How could new economic models uplift communities as well as individuals?
Panellists:
Neil McInroy is Global Lead for Community Wealth Building at the Democracy Collaborative, an American-based think/do tank. Neil is chair of the the Economic Development Association Scotland (EDAS). At the heart of his work is a belief in the need for deep democratic shifts in how we organise our economies and communities.
Laurie Macfarlane is a Co-Director of Future Economy Scotland and a Fellow at the UCL Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose.
Eleonora Vanello is at the helm of the Peer Works programme at Prosper, where she supports small and medium-sized enterprises across the private and third sectors to work smarter. She facilitates networking and peer-to-peer learning opportunities across Scotland. Previously, Eleonora worked at the Italian Chamber of Commerce and Industry for the UK, where she actively facilitated projects, businesses and services between Italy and Scotland.
First Minister: Delivering better access to care will be Scottish government’s legacy
Reducing long waits for NHS treatment in Scotland is the focus of the government’s new £90 million investment in planned care.
First Minister John Swinney said substantial progress had been made in the past year but the government remains focused on accelerating delivery to eradicate long waits for good.
Visiting the National Treatment Centre in Fife, Mr Swinney announced the additional funding for health boards to spend directly on bringing down outpatient waiting lists and for scheduled operations and procedures such as hip and knee replacements.
The First Minister said: “Over the past year we have seen long waits falling with new outpatient waits over 52 weeks reducing for 12 months in a row. Our network of National Treatment Centres have been key to this success with thousands more procedures taking place.
“The direction of travel is positive, but there is more work to do – I am determined that ending long waits for NHS treatment will be my government’s lasting legacy.
“This dedicated funding of £90 million will support those waiting the longest for treatment and help to create more capacity within our wider healthcare system. I am confident we will continue to see long waits reduce but I need our health boards focused on accelerating progress.
“People can expect delivery with my government. I have been clear with health boards that I will expect to see month-on-month reductions on the back of this new investment.
“This investment supports our commitment to building an NHS fit for the future. Initiatives including GP walk-in services and Hospital at Home are expanding access so patients receive the right care, in the right place, at the right time. We have also committed to publishing a new hospital flow plan during our first 100 days in office.”
Chief Executive of NHS Fife William Edwards added: “The National Treatment Centre in Fife is helping transform access to planned care, having delivered more than 2,550 operations and supported nearly 15,700 outpatient appointments in 2025/26.
“With high theatre utilisation, shorter hospital stays and most patients returning home within a day, our teams are making a real difference for patients across Scotland. This additional investment will help us continue to work towards reducing waiting times and help us treat more people, sooner.”
Under the Prime Minister’s fundamental changes to the education system, 14-year-olds in England will be able to get early access to technical education, skills training, work experience and connections with employers
Under the Prime Minister’s fundamental changes to the education system, 14-year-olds will be able to get early access to technical education, skills training, work experience and connections with employers
Prime Minister to say to students: ‘whether you choose construction, coding or classics, you’ll get the skills you need and be given the respect you deserve’
Schools, colleges, mayors, local leaders and employers will work together to create clear routes into good, skilled jobs in their area
Ofsted to change the way they measure and inspect schools, ensuring they recognise the quality of technical education and the support aimed at preparing young people for work
The changes follow Alan Milburn’s warning that Britain risks leaving behind a “lost generation” with over one million young people now not in education, employment or training
The Prime Minister will unveil a fundamental change to England’s education system today [Tuesday 28 July], with the launch of new prestigious technical educational routes. The new pathways will provide 14-year-olds with valuable early access to technical skills, work experience and connections with local employers.
The Prime Minister is determined to put technical education on an equal footing with the traditional academic path and to ensure there are ‘no dead ends’ for young people coming out of the education system.
This means providing high-quality technical education routes that are valued and respected by students, parents and employers. In a message directly to students, he will say ‘whether you choose construction, coding or classics, you’ll get the skills you need and be given the respect you deserve’.
From age 14 (Year 10), students will have the chance to combine core academic subjects – including English, maths and science – with a high-quality technical education that’s linked to the jobs available in their area. They will be able to spend time with employers and gain real-world experience.
Building on successful local initiatives, such as the MBacc in Greater Manchester, the new technical routes will mean young people can develop the technical knowledge and skills needed to progress in areas like engineering, healthcare and digital technology, skilling them up with the specific knowledge and capabilities that local employers need.
Regional mayors, local leaders, schools, colleges and employers will work together to shape the new technical education pathways, which can be tailored around local industries and growth sectors.
Rather than relying on a one-size-fits-all system designed in Whitehall, the approach will allow areas to shape education around the industries that matter and are growing in their communities. That could include advanced manufacturing, AI, digital and technology, clean energy, life sciences, construction, health and care, or the creative industries, depending on local strengths and where the jobs of the future are being created.
To support this, the Government will prioritise funding towards high-quality technical education and practical routes into work. The Government will also change the way school performance is measured. Inspectors will recognise the schools that provide high quality technical education and support young people to develop the skills, experience and confidence employers want.
Together, these changes will give schools clear incentives and strong support to expand high-quality technical pathways, rather than treating technical education as an optional add-on or a less valued alternative to academic study. This will also ensure that the new technical pathways are properly recognised alongside academic achievement, so young people have real choice over their future.
Whether young people choose university, an apprenticeship, further education or direct entry into a skilled profession, they will now be able to see a clear route from education into employment, gaining the knowledge, skills and experience they need to secure the good jobs and opportunities in their area.
The changes will be part of the Government’s wider programme of devolution – giving local leaders greater influence over education for 14 to 16-year-olds. The Government will now work together with mayors, local leaders, schools, colleges and employers to develop the new technical education pathways ahead of an ambition to begin rolling them out from September 2028.
The changes announced today are just the first step in the Prime Minister’s plans to tackle the youth unemployment crisis.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham said: “For too long in this country, students have been told that you must take the academic path to do well and to be respected. The whole school system has been built around it and that has let down young people seeking technical qualifications.
“I want an education system based on parity between academic and technical which gives all young people a clear path in life. From today, Britain will value the hard hat every bit as much as the graduation cap.
“In a fundamental change to the education system, we will introduce new technical education pathways from 14 – prestigious routes that will give students the chance to combine the core academic subjects with the skills, technical knowledge and experience they need to get quality, well-paid jobs where they live.
“My message to young people is this – whether you choose construction, coding or classics, or maths, manufacturing or mechanics, you’ll get the skills you need and be given the respect you deserve.
“Fixing the youth unemployment crisis in Britain will require a major shake-up in how we do things – and that’s what this government will do. I want to ensure that our education system leaves no dead ends for our young people. The changes we’re announcing today will just be the start of our work to restore opportunity and hope across the country.”
Alan Milburn’s interim report warned that Britain is at risk of a “lost generation”, with over a million 16 to 24-year-olds now not in education, employment or training. His findings painted a stark picture of a system that too often leaves young people leaving school without the skills, experience or connections they need to step into the world of work.
Many young people are struggling to make the transition into employment, with growing evidence that qualifications alone are no longer enough to secure a good job. If a young person loses contact with work at the start of their adult life, the consequences can last for decades with lower earnings, fewer opportunities, worse health and a greater risk of long-term dependence on the state.
The Prime Minister believes the best way to bring down the welfare bill is to stop people becoming disconnected from work in the first place, which is why the Government is intervening earlier to strengthen links between schools and employers and to create clear routes into employment.
Education Secretary Lucy Powell said: ““Every young person should be able to see a route to success, whatever their talents or ambitions. That’s why today is so important. It marks the start of a real shared effort with employers, businesses, mayors and councils to design an education system that connects young people to jobs and careers in their local area.
“By offering high-quality technical and vocational education alongside academic achievement, we’ll give more young people the chance to leave education with the skills, confidence and opportunities they need to thrive in today’s economy and the careers of the future.
“The technological revolution we are living through should mean young people become the fresh lifeblood our economy needs to adapt and grow. I want to make sure this generation is able to seize that opportunity, whatever their background or postcode.”
Alan Milburn said: “A million young people are being failed by a system that isn’t creating the opportunities for them to progress in life. The world of work is changing and the education system isn’t keeping up.
“The changes the PM is announcing today are very welcome. They are a big step in the right direction and consistent with the findings of my review. A whole system reset is needed across health, welfare and labour market policy as well as in education and skills. I know the PM recognises this and my final report will outline the further changes that are needed.”
Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: ““For too long, young people leaving school, college or university have faced real uncertainty about what awaits them. They’re not short of talent or ambition, but the roles they need to kickstart their careers and build their futures appeared to have dried up. Meanwhile, rapid advances in AI are changing the world of work altogether.
“That’s why I welcome these new plans from the Prime Minister to tackle the root causes of youth unemployment. This is fully aligned with the work we’re already doing in London, including £18 million of new funding from City Hall, to help thousands more young Londoners into work and training and to prepare them for the jobs of tomorrow.
“Our ambition is to build a future where every young person has the chance to follow their dreams, fulfil their potential and shape our world for the better, and this is the future that we’ll continue to build together.”
Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire, said: ““Here in West Yorkshire, devolution has emboldened us to make a simple promise to our young people – that no one will leave education without having first set foot in a workplace. Now, these bold measures from the Prime Minister will empower us to go even further.
“By putting technical and academic education on an equal footing, we can help ensure that more of our young people leave school with the skills they need to succeed in life and work.”
Michelle Ovens CBE, CEO, Small Business Britain said: ““Small businesses are the heart of communities and are at the front line of working with schools and young people to create routes into work.
“Often supporting those furthest from the labour market, small business are and will be at the centre of this national effort, building on their strong local networks and driven by a personal investment in the success of their local economies.
“This is why we at Small Business Britain welcome this programme. This is a great step towards preparing young people for the future, which needs to include business skills and entrepreneurship as core to the changing world of work. We look forward to supporting the Government and local communities get this into action. ”
TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak said: ““Andy Burnham is absolutely right to launch a national effort to tackle the crisis number of young people out of work, education and training. The place-based approach the new prime minister has set out is welcome and unions can play a key role in ensuring it is a success.
“Putting technical education on an equal footing with academia brings us closer to the international standard for skills.
“And a qualifications framework that gives all young people opportunities to develop the skills and experience they need to move into a good first job with decent prospects is the right move. It’s vital this is met with adequate funding for both FE and schools to ensure meaningful careers guidance and relevant technical routes for young people.”
Helen Dickinson OBE, Chief Executive of the British Retail Consortium, said: ““Retail has long provided the first rung on the career ladder for millions of people, and will continue to offer young people the skills, opportunities and experiences they need to build lifelong rewarding careers.
“Retail has so much to offer young people, and the industry is ready to play its part in tackling the youth unemployment crisis.”
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