Scottish Youth Parliament Elections: just seven days left to cast your vote

You still have seven days to cast your vote in the Scottish Youth Parliament elections …

The Scottish Youth Parliament is a non-party political organisation made up of 150 young people representing every constituency in Scotland. It campaigns to highlight the views of Scotland’s young people on a national and international stage.

Its members meet three times each year at a range of different locations, including in the main chamber at Holyrood’s Scottish Parliament.

There are 12 seats representing Edinburgh open to candidates who receive the most votes at the elections in March. These are in six city areas: Central, Eastern, Northern & Leith, Pentlands, Southern and Western.

Anyone aged between 12 and 25 is eligible to vote – to get involved young people can log onto the Young Scot website and use their Young Scot number to vote (temporary numbers for voting are also available from a selection of schools and community venues across the city).

EDINBURGH NORTHERN & LEITH CANDIDATES

EILIDH MACKAY

SYP_Mani_EilidhMackay_UPDATED

Hello, I’m Eilidh, and I want to be your MSYP for Edinburgh North and Leith. Why Me?

 I am passionate about being a voice for young people in my area and across Scotland
 I think there are important changes that need to be made for the benefit of young people in our country
 I have been a member of the Youth Issues forum for 4 years, proving my enthusiasm and meaning I know what issues are important to young people in Edinburgh
 I have a lot of experience in public speaking so won’t be afraid to speak out about the issues that are important

MAIN ISSUES

 Votes at 16
This is something I feel very strongly about; we have a voice that deserves to be heard

 Sex Education
I feel that there is a serious lack of proper sex ed in schools. This is an issue I’ve heard from a lot of people and one I promise to take forward

 School Dinners
Everyone knows school dinners are awful, so why has nothing changed? There needs to be a proper look taken at the quality and healthiness of what we serve to school students.

Follow Me – @littlenerdyscot – and tweet me with any questions you may have. I Hope I Have Your Vote!

KIERAN REAPE

K__Reape_Manifesto_PDF

Why I’m Standing
I’m standing for Edinburgh Northern and Leith in the upcoming 2015 Scottish Youth Parliament elections to represent the young people in the
Edinburgh Northern and Leith constituency.
What I will support and commit to as a Member of Scottish Youth Parliament:
– Votes at 16 (including all elections; UK and Scottish General Elections;
European Elections and Local Council Elections)
– Equality in Young People.
– Higher minimum wage for under-18’s and Modern Apprentices

I want Votes at 16 to become a reality across every type of election possible. This ties in with equality in young people. Young people should be able to Vote.

I also want Modern Apprentices and Under 18’s to be paid higher. The Modern Apprenticeship minimum wage is £2.73 per hour. Compare
that to the National Minimum of £6.50 per hour and you can see that the
gap is far too big.

A little bit about me
I’m 17 years old and born and raised in Edinburgh. I attended Drummond Community High School. After leaving in 5th year I ended up doing some work with the European Parliament shortly after I left school and eventually started a Certificate of Work Readiness at
the National Records of Scotland in January 2014 to March 2014.
I completed the certificate in March and achieved a Highly Commended SQA Star Award for my efforts there and my destination of work after the placement. After the placement I immediately started a one year modern apprenticeship for a SVQ Level 2 in Business and Administration. I now work for the Scottish Government.

Like me on Facebook: www.facebook.com/KieranReapeMSYP

Follow me on Twitter: @Keezor

Email me: K.L.Reape@gmail.com

Please note that due to the Code of the Civil Service, my influence on anything to do with the portfolio I will work in is extremely limited. It’s fortunate that each constituency actually has two MSYP’s. In the case of a portfolio topic, of where I work was to arise, I would plan to hand it over to the other MSYP of the constituency.

TERRI SMITH

SYP_Manifesto_Terri_Smith_Edinburgh_Northern_and_Leith

Past experience:
 I’ve been a MSYP since 2009
 Current Vice Chair of the Scottish Youth Parliament
 Peer educator/mentor locally & nationally
 Youth Worker with disadvantaged young people
 Involved in 3 successful national campaigns
 Registered over 200 young people to vote in the referendum

Why vote for me?

 I have vast experience

 I’m hard working

 Great at public speaking

 I love working with young people

 I always throw in a bit of banter

 I’m committed to further representing you for another 2 years!

 I have a great working relationship with our politicians.

A vote for #TeamTerri is a vote for …

1. More support for LGBT young people
2. More knowledge and access to local and national opportunities
3. Engage and provide more support to the local youth forum and youth clubs/groups
4. Campaign to improve work experience
5. Tackle bullying In schools and provide further support for bullied young people
6. Continue to work with NUS Scotland to ensure college and university students aren’t facing further cuts to their education.

Framing the art of science

His Excellency Rolando Drago, Chilean Ambassador to the UK, accepts the gift of a painting from award-winning botanical artist Gülnur Ekşi during the Royal Horticultural Society’s London Botanical Art Show last weekend.

Also in the photograph is botanist Paulina Hechenleitner – accompanied by daughter Martha – one of three authors of the forthcoming book Plants from the Woods and Forests of Chile for which Gülnur has prepared 35 paintings.

The book – the first one of its kind in English – will be published by the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh in early October 2015.

Afton Terrace intruders: man to appear in court

Last month a theft took place at an address in Afton Terrace during which the homeowner disturbed a male intruder in his house.

Following extensive enquiries police traced and interviewed a man who was subsequently charged with a number of offences including serious assault. He is due to appear at court today.

Parents and people with disabilities hardest hit by welfare reforms

‘This latest evidence shows that some of those most in need of support, namely parents and disabled people are being hardest hit. For us to be in this situation in 21^st century Scotland is unacceptable.’ – Michael McMahon MSP

Parents and people with disabilities are being hit hardest by the UK Government’s programme of welfare reform according to new research commissioned by the Scottish Parliament’s Welfare Reform Committee.

The report, published yesterday, represents the first time the impact of the UK Government’s welfare reform agenda on different household types in Scotland has been quantified.

The research for the Committee was conducted by Professors Christina Beatty and Steve Fothergill of the Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research at Sheffield Hallam University.

The new evidence shows that in Scotland, it is estimated that couples with dependent children will lose an average of more than £1,400 a year, and lone parents with dependent children stand to lose an average of around £1,800 a year from their income stream.

In all, families with children will lose an estimated £960m a year – approaching two-thirds of the overall financial loss in Scotland.

Disabled claimants and those with health problems have also been shown to be disproportionately affected. Reductions in incapacity benefits are estimated to average £2,000 a year, and some of the same people also face big losses in Disability Living Allowance and reductions in other benefits.

Committee Convener Michael McMahon MSP said: “The Welfare Reform Committee has amassed a growing volume of evidence documenting the impact of the welfare reform agenda on Scotland’s communities. This latest evidence shows that some of those most in need of support, namely parents and disabled people are being hardest hit. For us to be in this situation in 21^st century Scotland is unacceptable.”

The report also shows that almost half the reduction in benefits might be expected to fall on in-work households.

Deputy Convener, Clare Adamson MSP said: “The Scottish Government is to be commended for introducing measures to alleviate some of the worst effects of the welfare reform agenda. New powers over a range of benefits are due to be given to Holyrood in the coming years and this research will help direct those new powers to help those most in need of support.”

Until now, there has been no way to assess the impact across the various benefits on different types of households. Because of the cumulative impact of people being affected by several different benefit streams, the overall impact of welfare reforms has been hidden.

The statistics are expected to become an essential tool for government and local authorities in shaping targeted responses and service delivery.

The research follows two previous reports which measured the financial impact of welfare reform on Scotland as a whole and by local authority area, and the impact down to ward level.

The Committee expects to hear oral evidence on this report at its meeting on 10 March.

Professor Steve Fothergill, of the Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research at Sheffield Hallam University, said: “The figures demonstrate that the welfare reforms impact very unevenly. The very big impact on families with children, in particular, has previously been under the radar because it is the cumulative result of several individual reforms. Coalition ministers have argued that “we’re all in it together”. The impacts of welfare reform, documented in our report, show this is far from being the case.”

Communities: get stuck in to the Big Lunch!

The Big Lunch encourages Scots to get numbers climbing and boost community spirit!

Organisers of the UK’s annual get-together for neighbours are calling for at least 10% of Scots to get stuck into a day of food, friendship and fun on Sunday 7 June.

The call to action was launched on Thursday – the ‘100 days to go’ mark before the big day. It is hoped that millions of neighbours across the UK will again be getting together in an effort to boost community spirit where they live. A massive 4.83 million people took part in the lottery funded initiative in 2014.

Emily Watts, Communications Manager for The Big Lunch in Scotland encouraged more people in Scotland to get involved this year. She said: “C’mon Edinburgh! We want to see the number of people taking part in Scottish communities climbing to 10% of the population. Year on year, feedback from previous participants is very positive, with people feeling more connected to their communities after a Big Lunch. People start new relationships that continue after the day too.

“We know Scots are friendly but we all recognise the feeling that we could make more effort with our neighbours. The Big Lunch is an excuse to chap the door and ask if they’d like to get together.”

The Big Lunch, partnered by Halifax and ASDA, is now in its seventh year. Big Lunches can be big or small, take place on a street, park or community venue and be as simple and inexpensive as you like. There are no rules to getting involved besides that people are the key ingredient!

In 2014, thousands of communities from all across the country took part in the big event. Lou, who organized her street’s first ever Big Lunch street party in Edinburgh last year, said: “Before our Big Lunch I knew the neighbours near our house to speak to, but not further up the street. Now we all know each other and feel able to stop and say hello, which I wouldn’t have done before.

“Our neighbours really got into the spirit of contributing something on the day, bringing lovely food to share and helping with party tunes and activities for the kids. This made it really easy and inexpensive to pull together. Looking back, it felt like a day from a bygone era and I’m glad we put the time aside to get to know our community better. I really recommend getting involved in 2015!”

Edinburgh neighbours who are interested in getting involved this June can register for a free pack, now available from www.thebiglunch.com or on 0845 850 8181. Packs include invitations, posters, recipes and activity ideas, as well as lots of information to get events off the ground. All pack materials are undated so communities can have Big Lunches when best suits them if they can’t join in on Sunday 7 June.

Footage from previous year’s Big Lunches: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=un-ooSya828

The Eden Project started The Big Lunch in 2009 with the belief that we’re better equipped to tackle the challenges we face when we face them together.

The Big Lunch is led by the Eden Project, funded by the Big Lottery Fund and supported by Halifax and Asda.

Find out more about The Big Lunch at www.thebiglunch.com

Lazarowicz calls for fair treatment for Equitable Life policyholders

Speaking in a debate at Westminster, Mark Lazarowicz MP highlighted the need for compensation to Equitable Life members to be increased and greatly speeded up to reflect the reality that many of those who lost out as a result of the maladministration are now advanced in age.

Speaking after the debate, he said: “Under the current scheme, the vast majority of Equitable Life policyholders will only receive less than a quarter – 22.4p in the £ – of what they lost after investing in what was to all appearances a safe, well-established and regulated scheme: it was anything but.

“I want to see the compensation properly reflect what all policyholders lost and be speeded up: the Government should act in the upcoming Budget.

“These were people who tried to make provision for their retirement and they should receive compensation while they can benefit from it: many who lost out have already died before receiving anything at all.

“This highlights why it’s also such a concern that the Government is so behind schedule in providing advice to people on how to make use of the new freedom to take some or all of their pension pot early.”

Even though official estimates of the losses suffered by policyholders at Equitable Life put the total figure at £4.3 billion, the Chancellor allocated only £1.5 billion in October 2010.

That has to cover the cost of administering the scheme and the £620m for full compensation to be paid to the 37,000 holders of with-profits annuities leaving the rest to be shared out amongst the remaining 945,000 policy holders.

Mark Lazarowicz’ contribution to the debate can be found here.

Final call for Compact 10 event

Voluntary sector organisation? How are things for you? Help shape the future – there are still some places available at Tuesday’s Edinburgh Compact event (see below):

Third Sector Poster

Superfast broadband? Mind the gaps!

‘The Culture Secretary hailed improvements but too many people here in Edinburgh haven’t seen them’ – Edinburgh North and Leith MP Mark Lazarowicz

Edinburgh North and Leith MP Mark Lazarowicz has called for action to tackle the households and businesses in Edinburgh bypassed by superfast broadband. He has urged any constituents affected to contact him.

Mr Lazarowicz stressed the need for concerted action from the UK and Scottish Governments, Edinburgh City Council and – not least – broadband providers during a Westminster debate yesterday.

The MP spoke out after being contacted by a stream of constituents who don’t have access despite assurances and announcements hailing new roll-outs – often reheated – from both Ministers and broadband providers.

Speaking last night, Mark Lazarowicz explained: “I am regularly contacted by constituents, whether in Central Edinburgh or new developments along the waterfront, who don’t have access to superfast broadband.

“It’s a vital part of basic infrastructure for businesses and the many people who work from home as well as for leisure as well – the failure to connect people living in or near Scotland’s capital city is damaging to our economy.

“The Culture Secretary hailed improvements but too many people here in Edinburgh haven’t seen them, with fibre optic cable sometimes passing within a few feet of new flats left unconnected.

“My aim is not to allot blame but to get action that is long overdue – I am asking any constituents affected to contact me so I can pressure government and broadband providers to come together to act.”

Mr Lazarowicz has raised access to superfast broadband with BT and also previously at Culture, Media and Sport questions in Parliament but the action promised hasn’t materialised.

He is asking people in Edinburgh North and Leith who have been unable to get access to superfast broadband to contact him at

mark.lazarowicz.mp@parliament.uk

or through his office at 5 Croall Place, EH7 4LT, Telephone: 0131 557 0577.

Service 29 at the double!

Customer demand drives bus service upgrades

Increased frequencies in the evening and at weekends plus extra capacity are just some of the changes being introduced by Lothian Buses at the end of March. Local service improvements include the 29 becoming a double decker and there will be increased frequencies for 23 and 27 on Saturdays – you’ll get one every twelve minutes.

Services have been reviewed in response to customer feedback and passenger demand, resulting in a range of improvements that aim to maintain high satisfaction rates.

Sarah Boyd, Head of Operations, said: “Our changes reflect our continued commitment to our customers at a time when more and more people are relying on public transport to travel around our city. Our research has shown that the vast majority of our passengers will benefit from these changes and will see an improved service as a result. We will continue to monitor all our services to ensure we are providing the best possible transport network for the people of Edinburgh.”

Service 5 will see its frequency increased with buses now running every 10 minutes Monday to Friday during the daytime.

Service 7 will run 24/7, with increased frequency during the day Monday to Friday and in the evening Monday to Saturday. New service N7 will be introduced running hourly each night.

Sunday services doubled in frequency with services 8 and 21 to run every 15 minutes daytime and service 47 to run every 30 minutes daytime.

Services 11 and 16 will have Sunday frequencies increased to every 12 minutes daytime and every 15 minutes in the evening. Additionally service N11 is extended to Ocean Terminal, meaning both services now run 24/7 on their full routes.

Service 15 will have a revised route and timetable to create a quicker and more direct service from Penicuik.

Services 23 & 27 will have Saturday daytime frequencies increased to every 12 minutes.

Service 29 is converted to double-deck to provide more capacity. All Monday to Friday peak journeys will operate to Gorebridge with Mayfield no longer being served.

Service 37 will see alterations in Midlothian. On Monday to Friday alternate daytime journeys will terminate at Easter Bush and will not serve Penicuik. Journeys which continue to Penicuik Deanburn will additionally serve Roslin. Roslin will now have a significantly enhanced bus service with service 37 and N37 providing a full 24/7 service. On Saturdays and Sunday service 37 will continue to run every 20 minutes during the day, with all buses running to Penicuik Deanburn via Roslin.

Service 40 has been altered to serve Auchendinny ensuring local links to Penicuik and Loanhead are retained following the withdrawal of service 15 from the village.

Service 41 will be increased at busy times to provide an alternative to service 43, which is withdrawn due to insufficient passenger numbers. Service 43 operated between Barnton and Waterloo Place, which is also covered by the service 41.

Following customer feedback service 63 will be re-routed to serve Hermiston Gait Retail Park instead of South Gyle Crescent. The Monday to Friday frequency is increased to every 40 minutes with later journeys introduced. On Saturday and Sunday earlier and later journeys will be introduced.

Following requests from passengers service 104 will now serve The Jewel instead of Brunstane.

Service 113 is increased in frequency Monday to Saturday with buses now running every 30 minutes during the day. This will provide more capacity along the route and provide more direct journeys for Tranent following the withdrawal of service 44 from the town.

Nightbus services are also improving, notably:

Service N3 – better links to Eskbank through the night on all days of the week.
Service N7 – new route introduced from the Royal Infirmary to Ocean Terminal via Newhaven. This will run hourly each night, following the daytime route of Service 7.
Service N11 – route extended from Leith Street to Ocean Terminal serving Pilrig, Bonnington Toll and Newhaven.
Service N37 – serving Roslin on all days of the week, providing the village with a full 24/7 service.

Lothian Buses will have street teams promoting the service improvements starting on Saturday 14 March at Penicuik Centre between 9am and 2pm. Following this event staff will be travelling on buses in the Midlothian and Tranent areas in the two weeks leading up to the change to assist passengers with any questions.

The company reported last May that it had its best year ever in 2013 with a net profit of £8.5m, an increase of 7.8% on the previous year. It also announced it would pay a dividend of nearly £3.3m to local authority shareholders.

In December Lothian Buses announced bus passengers were up from 115.4 million to 118.4 million in 2014.

Last year the company also invested £15m in 65 new low emission and ultra-low emission buses that will significantly impact on improving the city’s air quality and lower carbon emissions.

Full details of the schedule changes are available at www.lothianbuses.com.

Shedding some light on community concerns

Inverleith councillor Lesley Hinds has asked officers to carry out an urgent appraisal of new street lights following complaints from local residents.

Councillor Hinds chairs the city council’s Transport, Infrastructure and Environment Commitee, which has responsibility for street lighting. She said last night: ““Following a very successful pilot project in 2012, the Council is replacing street lights across the city with new, more energy-efficient and more environmentally friendly lighting. In particular, this will result in brighter and clearer lighting throughout the night.

“A number of residents have been in touch regarding lighting in certain streets and, having now visited them myself, I have asked officers to carry out an appraisal and report back as soon as possible.”

Forth councillor Cammy Day – who is also the city’s community safety ‘champion’ – also discussed ‘some concerns’ with the lighting team yesterday.

Many North Edinburgh residents have expressed anger over the brightness and quality of new ‘eco-lights’ installed across the area over the last week. They believe the lighting makes the streets unsafe and could result in more crime and antisocial behaviour.

However the city council says the lighting project will achieve:

Reduced energy costs. Energy costs are expected to double in the next decade. The use of modern lighting equipment will greatly assist in reducing the impact of increasing energy costs.
Improved environmental performance. This new equipment is more energy efficient and lamps have a longer life span.
Provide continuous lighting throughout the night. A number of local authorities have been switching off lights for periods of time during the night to save energy. The City of Edinburgh Council is not currently considering this option.
Compliance with EU directives.
Brighter and clearer lighting. White lights improve colour recognition and improves images captured on CCTV at night. They also allow clothing colours and car registration numbers to be more easily identified.

The council also cites an October 2012 pilot project undertaken in the Gilmerton and Saughton Mains areas of the city: 271 lights were changed and the results from consultation with local households achieved around 90% satisfaction levels.