Edinburgh hip-hop artist, CTRL, highlights the racism experienced by his grandfather in 1960s Scotland in hotly anticipated single and EP release
Edinburgh hip-hop artist, CTRL, has announced the release of his latest single and hotly anticipated EP, the lyrics of which reveal a deeply honest insight into his backstory and personal life.
From the racism his grandfather endured after arriving in the UK from Sierra Leone, right through to his own present-day struggles – CTRL tackles tough topics and delivers them with finesse.
CTRL, 24, first made a name for himself in the Edinburgh rap and hip-hop scene as a regular DJ in the capital, before founding the record label, New Vision Records, with Paddy Do Rego in 2021.
Solo artist, Chris Thomas, also known as CTRL – a play on his initials and a reference to his determination to control his own future – speaks openly about his past on the single, See it Now, and the EP, Life and Times.
The subject matter covers the many tough decisions CTRL has made, addressing them in the unashamedly open and frank manner his fans have come to admire.
See it Now sees CTRL team up with Jock Begg, a singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer. The single, produced by Leftmind, is a reflective, progressive track about CTRL conquering problems and becoming who he is today.
I plot the X on my map to grow the riches, Cross all these bridges ‘n’ ditches, which is nothing new, I been problem solvin’ Solve all the problems that I’m involved in (Taken from ‘See It Now’)
Staying true to himself is something that resonates throughout the entire EP, with CTRL’s backstory brought to the fore in the track, Hard to Love.
I unlock the scent of Mr Me Mr Confident I gotta vent, pain harder than it’s evident This relevant from my tone I’m tryna be grown Cos my roots lead back to Sierra Leone I’m the clover of the founder of the diamonds you own Grandad was black and 14 surviving all alone Prone to the racism. Taught that we don’t moan For a long time without a place that he could call home Thank you to the man that rescued his chance It’s eventually birthed CTRL to give you a glance The future I create it, the past is what has made it You can try and save it, maybe you phase it Best I hiatus, go and create this Future arena status Be patient
Commenting ahead of the single release, CTRL hinted that despite baring all in these tracks, there was still more to come, with an album set to be released in Autumn 2022.
‘I take inspiration from what I’ve been through, and as life continues to throw challenges my way, I’ll continue to flip those experiences into something positive and try to find the lesson in each one of them’ he said.
PRIME MINISTER BORIS JOHNSON statement 7th July 2022:
Good afternoon everybody,
It is now clearly the will of the parliamentary Conservative party that there should be a new leader of that party and therefore a new Prime Minister, and I have agreed with Sir Graham Brady, the chairman of our backbench MPs, that the process of choosing that new leader should begin now and the timetable will be announced next week
And I have today appointed a cabinet to serve – as I will – until a new leader is in place so I want to say to the millions of people who voted for us in 2019 – many of them voting Conservative for the first time.
Thank you for that incredible mandate, the biggest Conservative majority since 1987, the biggest share of the vote since 1979 and the reason I have fought so hard for the last few days to continue to deliver that mandate in person was not just because I wanted to do so but because I felt it was my job, my duty, my obligation to you to continue to do what we promised in 2019.
And of course I am immensely proud of the achievements of this government from getting Brexit done and settling our relations with the continent after half a century reclaiming the power for this country to make its own laws in parliament, getting us all through the pandemic, delivering the fastest vaccine rollout in Europe, the fastest exit from lockdown and in the last few months leading the west in standing up to Putin’s aggression in Ukraine.
And let me say now to the people of Ukraine that I know that we in the UK will continue to back your fight for freedom for as long as it takes and at the same time in this country we have at the same time been pushing forward a vast programme of investment in infrastructure, skills and technology – the biggest for a century – because if I have one insight into human beings it is that genius and talent and enthusiasm and imagination are evenly distributed throughout the population but opportunity is not, and that is why we need to keep levelling up, keep unleashing the potential of every part of the United Kingdom. And if we can do that in this country, we will be the most prosperous in Europe.
And in the last few days I have tried to persuade my colleagues that it would be eccentric to change governments when we are delivering so much and when we have such a vast mandate and when we are actually only a handful of points behind in the polls even in mid term after quite a few months of pretty unrelenting sledging , and when the economic scene is so difficult domestically and internationally and I regret not to have been successful in those arguments.
And of course it is painful not to be able to see through so many ideas and projects myself but as we’ve seen at Westminster, the herd is powerful and when the herd moves, it moves and and my friends in politics no one is remotely indispensable.
And our brilliant and Darwinian system will produce another leader equally committed to taking this country forward through tough times not just helping families to get through it but changing and improving our systems, cutting burdens on businesses and families and – yes – cutting taxes, because that is the way to generate the growth and the income we need to pay for great public services.
And to that new leader I say, whoever he or she may be, I will give you as much support as I can and to you the British people I know that there will be many who are relieved but perhaps quite a few who will be disappointed and I want you to know how sad I am to give up the best job in the world, but them’s the breaks.
I want to thank Carrie and our children, to all the members of my family who have had to put up with so much for so long
I want to thank the peerless British civil service for all the help and support that you have given our police, our emergency services and of course our NHS who at a critical moment helped to extend my own period in office, as well as our armed services and our agencies that are so admired around the world and
[Political content omitted]
I want to thank the wonderful staff here at Number Ten and of course at Chequers and our fantastic protforce detectives – the one group, by the way, who never leak .
And above all I want to thank you the British public for the immense privilege you have given me and I want you to know that from now until the new Prime Minister is in place, your interests will be served and the government of the country will be carried on.
Being Prime Minister is an education in itself I have travelled to every part of the United Kingdom and in addition to the beauty of our natural world I have found so many people possessed of such boundless British originality and so willing to tackle old problems in new ways that I know that even if things can sometimes seem dark now, our future together is golden.
Thank you all very much.
With so much still uncertain, there’s no doubt those will NOT be Boris Johnson’s last words as Prime Minister …
Few general rules, which we would appreciate you respect:
the event is absolutely FREE and anyone in need of clothes, household items/ books etc is more than welcome to attend,
it is NOT A SWAP, everyone is allowed to take anything they need for free. We already have quite a few bigger donations, please, DO NOT BRING ANY DONATIONS on the day,
be mindful of others on the day
finally, help us to spread a word and invite friends to attend the Big Swap
Art_Buds_Collective will be holding their next Family Day on Saturday 9 July, 10.30am-12.30pm at Granton Beach, and you are invited to come along and bring your family to join in the creative fun. Free, simply drop in!
Art Buds in Muirhouse offer FREE outdoor art classes inspired by nature for children in Muirhouse (postcodes EH4 4, EH4 5, EH5 1, EH5 2) and the surrounding area, and they’re running their July Summer Camp from 18 to 22 July.
We have some final places for children aged 3 – 6 in our morning and afternoon groups.
Husband and wife, Samba and Awa Manneh-Bah, have now graduated by each other’s side for the second time. They first graduated together in 2014 having studied nursing at Edinburgh Napier University and now graduate having studied their masters together in Healthcare Management this summer.
Originally from Gambia, and now British citizens, Samba and Awa have worked in the NHS and private sector since completing their nursing degrees and are extremely proud of this new milestone in their education. Gaining a masters is a big step for their careers, they did all of this whilst working as nurses full time and caring for their family.
Completing their masters didn’t come without its struggles, the course began during the pandemic and they juggled their full time careers with studying alongside caring for their three children.
Despite this they remained positive and say ‘we enjoyed every bit of it and glad we did it’ their goal is to always ‘be a positive role model to our kids’.
Today, Thursday 7th July, Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society is delighted to launch the official 2022 Edinburgh Festival Fringe programme.
After the challenges of the last two years, it feels more important than ever to celebrate the diverse selection of work on display at the Fringe, spanning the genres of theatre, dance, circus, physical theatre, comedy, music, musicals, opera, cabaret, variety, children’s shows, spoken word, exhibitions and events.
As published in June, our shared vision for the Fringe is to give anyone a stage and everyone a seat.
This year’s programme features work across 3,171 shows, from 58 countries, with themes tackling some of the most topical issues in the world today.
From migration, refugees and displaced people, to race and identity, women’s safety, disability, mental health and climate change, as well as an exploration into gender, queer identity and drag, true crime and more along the way.
As might be expected, lockdown and wider isolation are prominent themes, as well as a focus on parent and child relationships through various generations. Joyously, this year’s Fringe brings together many well-known names, as well as emerging talent, in work both homegrown and international.
New for 2022 is an extension of the popular Fringe Street Events, which will invite audiences to enjoy performances in new locations, including St Andrew SquareandSt James Quarter.
In addition, Fringe Central – the festival’s home from home for Fringe artists, journalists, venue operators, creative industries, and visiting curators – is moving to St James Quarter for the first time.
In previous years this dedicated participants’ hub has played host to over 1,000 national and international media representatives, alongside 1,200 arts industry professionals looking for shows to book as well as co-commissioning and touring opportunities, making the Fringe one of the world’s foremost places for performing artists to do business, and to find opportunities to share their work in other festivals and on stage and screen.
Launching the 2022 Fringe Programme, Shona McCarthy, Chief Executive of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, said: “As we celebrate the festival’s 75th anniversary year, the launch of today’s programme reflects the regenerative nature of a cultural icon that has weathered many storms since its inception.
“Featuring 3,171 shows from 58 countries, this year’s programme represents a glorious return to fully live shows in theatres, venues and public spaces across Edinburgh, in one of the greatest annual celebrations of culture and creativity in the world.
“As a festival which offers anyone a stage and everyone a seat, we can’t wait to welcome artists, writers, staff, crew, venues, producers, creatives, residents and audience members together this August, after two years of uncertainty and reinvention.
“We are hugely thankful to all our sponsors and supporters – those who have backed us through the tough times and those who have come on board to ensure the Fringe returns to its full stature in its celebratory 75th year.
“Venues, producers and artists have created an amazing array of performances and events which dig into some of the most topical themes being discussed in the world today. This is an opportunity for us all to laugh, cry, celebrate and be entertained together, living in this one incredible moment and looking ahead to the future of the Fringe and the many momentous moments yet to come.”
Culture Minister Neil Gray said: “It’s fantastic to see the Fringe unveiling such a varied and exciting programme for its 75th anniversary celebrations this year. Over the decades, as part of the Edinburgh Festivals, the Fringe has been pivotal in shaping and promoting our cultural identity on an international stage.
“To support the return and delivery of Fringe 2022, the Society has received £1.58 million through our PLACE Resilience Fund with £305,000 of this going towards maintaining the Society’s arts industry and media services and supporting the Fringe street events.
“The remaining £1.275 million in the fund has gone to venue producers so that they can continue to programme work of the highest quality. This benefits artists, workers and audiences by protecting jobs an increasing local employment as well as promoting accessibility, sustainability, diversity and inclusion.
“I would encourage everyone to visit the Fringe this year, and to do so safely and with consideration for those around you.”
Cllr Cammy Day, Council Leader of City of Edinburgh Council, said:“This is a very special year for the Fringe, not only does it see the return of a jam-packed programme of artists and performers from across the globe, it is also marks 75 years of this remarkable festival. The Fringe’s varied programme promises to impress, entertain and educate audiences of all ages with performers visiting the capital to showcase their work and meet new audiences.
“This year also marks the fifth year of Fringe Days Out where people have the opportunity to enjoy the Fringe. Through partnerships with schools, community groups, charities and organisations Fringe vouchers, bus tickets and additional support is provided to offer residents the choice to visit the festival. I would encourage everyone to explore this year’s programme– it’s not to be missed.”
Paul Bush OBE, VisitScotland’s Director of Events, said: “The Edinburgh Festival Fringe is a fantastic platform for artists, performers and communities to connect, enjoy and share memorable experiences.
“It is also a key part of Scotland’s portfolio of world-class events and having the Fringe in our calendar further strengthens the country’s position as a leading events destination and the perfect stage for events.
“The launch of the 2022 programme is a wonderful milestone as we celebrate 75 years of this amazing event and return of an international cultural icon. Whether it’s comedy, music or theatre, now is the time to plan and enjoy experiences that stir the emotions and elevate in-the-moment moods.”
James Stafford Head of Partnerships & Community at TikTok said: “The Edinburgh Fringe is a unique moment that brings together emerging artists in a celebration of creativity.
“Our partnership places TikTok’s global community at the heart of the iconic festival, and celebrates our joint belief that creativity is for everyone. TikTok is the home of entertainment and creativity and I know our community will welcome the opportunity to discover new artists, collaborate, and be inspired.”
Barbara Smith, Managing Director of Johnnie Walker Princes Street,said: “The Johnnie Walker Princes Street team is delighted to be on board as Official Partner of The Edinburgh Festival Fringe in its momentous 75th year.
“2022 is a big year for us, too, as we’ll enjoy our first summer open, and we can’t wait to help entertain the festival crowds when they arrive come August. We’re very much looking forward to hosting our own unmissable programme of events in our ‘Label Studio’ space as part of our ‘Pick of the Fringe’ series.
“Our guests can expect to enjoy an exciting and diverse mix of comedy, music, and theatre, paired with some of the most creative cocktails and tastiest drams Scotland has to offer.”
Greater powers to tackle child sexual abuse online will be introduced through an amendment to the Online Safety Bill, the Home Secretary announced yesterday (Wednesday 6 July 2022).
The amendment will give Ofcom extra tools to ensure technology companies take action to prevent, identify and remove harmful child sexual abuse and exploitation (CSAE) content.
Ofcom, the UK’s regulatory authority for telecommunications, will be able to demand that technology companies such as social media platforms roll out or develop new technologies to better detect and tackle harmful content on their platforms. If they fail to do so, Ofcom will be able to impose fines of up to £18 million or 10% of the company’s global annual turnover, depending on which is higher.
Home Secretary, Priti Patel said: “Child sexual abuse is a sickening crime. We must all work to ensure criminals are not allowed to run rampant online and technology companies must play their part and take responsibility for keeping our children safe.
“Privacy and security are not mutually exclusive – we need both, and we can have both and that is what this amendment delivers.”
The National Crime Agency estimate there are between 550,000 to 850,000 people in the UK who pose a sexual risk to children. In the year to 2021, there were 33,974 obscene publications offences recorded by the police, and although some improvements have been made, it is still too easy for offenders to access harmful content online.
Access to such content online can lead to offenders normalising their own consumption of this content, sharing methods with each other on how to evade detection, and escalation to committing contact child sexual abuse offences.
Digital Minister, Nadine Dorries said:“Tech firms have a responsibility not to provide safe spaces for horrendous images of child abuse to be shared online. Nor should they blind themselves to these awful crimes happening on their sites.
Rob Jones, NCA Director General for child sexual abuse, said:“Technology plays an extremely important part in our daily lives and its benefits are undeniable.
“But it is also a fact that online platforms can be a key tool in a child abuser’s arsenal. They use them to view and share abuse material, seek out and groom potential victims, and to discuss their offending with each other.
“Identifying these individuals online is crucial to us uncovering the real-world abuse of children.
“We are taking significant action in this space and, alongside UK policing, we are making record numbers of arrests and safeguards every month.
“While this will always be a priority, we need tech companies to be there on the front line with us and these new measures will ensure that.”
Sir Peter Wanless, NSPCC Chief Executive, said:“We need urgent action to protect children from preventable online abuse. Our latest analysis shows online grooming crimes have jumped by more than 80% in four years.
“The Online Safety Bill is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to ensure children can explore the online world safely.
“This amendment will strengthen protections around private messaging and ensure companies have a responsibility to build products with child safety in mind. This positive step shows there doesn’t have to be a trade-off between privacy and detecting and disrupting child abuse material and grooming.”
The amendment will support innovation and the development of safety technologies across the technology industry and will incentivise companies in building solutions to tackle CSEA which are effective and proportionate.
The government-funded Safety Tech Challenge Fund is demonstrating that is it is possible to detect child sexual abuse material in end-to-end encrypted environments, while respecting user privacy.
Ambitious new targets have been set out for NHS Scotland to address the impact of the pandemic on long waiting times for planned care.
Health Secretary Humza Yousaf announced NHS Scotland will aim to eradicate waits of more than two years, and then one year in most specialities by September 2024.
Mr Yousaf has asked health boards to take a focussed approach to tackle the waiting lists now that activity in the NHS is beginning to recover from the pandemic.
The targets are to treat those patients waiting longer than:
two year waits for outpatients in most specialities by the end of August 2022
eighteen months for outpatients in most specialities by the end of December 2022
one year for outpatients in most specialities by the end of March 2023
two years for inpatient / daycases in most specialties by the end of September 2022
eighteen months for inpatient / daycases in most specialities by the end of September 2023
one year for inpatient / daycases in most specialities by the end of September 2024
Mr Yousaf, who made the announcement while visiting Perth Royal Infirmary said: “We know that waiting times have grown as a result of the pandemic, which is why we now need to focus on treating these people that are waiting too long for treatment. That’s why I am announcing some of the most ambitious targets in the UK.
“From speaking to patients and clinicians across the country, I know there is a physical and mental consequence in having to wait a long period to be treated, that is why addressing long waits is a key focus of our plans for NHS recovery.”
Mr Alastair Murray, Chair of Scottish Committee for Orthopaedics and Trauma said: “Scottish orthopaedics very much welcomes the introduction of targets to address the growing number of people waiting for essential treatment. It is hoped that the targets set out will drive ongoing efforts to reduce waiting times for orthopaedic surgery in Scotland.”
The NHS will work together to reduce backlogs of care, specifically longest waiting patients, and that will mean some patients will be offered appointments outwith their local health board area to provide treatment more quickly – for example, the Golden Jubilee University National Hospital or at National Treatment Centres as they become operational over the next year.
The approach will also build on the success of the Centre for Sustainable Delivery, which was established to drive innovation and introduce new ways of delivering care that will create additional capacity for inpatient, daycase and outpatients.
The National Clinical Prioritisation Framework will be revised to ensure any patient waiting more than two years is prioritised and treated, as well as those who require urgent clinical care.
Funding for the new drive will come from the £1 billion allocated for the NHS Recovery Plan.
LOTHIAN LABOUR MSP: “Our NHS is in a state of year-round crisis”
Lothians list MSP Foysul Choudhury said: “The latest figures show that waiting times in NHS Lothian A&E departments are at historic highs. The last eighteen months have seen a significant drop in compliance with the Scottish Government’s target of 95% of A&E patients to be seen within four hours.
“The figures for NHS Lothian currently sit at 65% of A&E patients being seen within four hours, with the Royal Infirmary currently around 50%, one of the worst figures in the country.
“I welcome the new appointments system for the Minor Injuries Unit, but this will only have an impact on overall waiting times if the whole system – including NHS 111 – is properly staffed, resourced and able to cope with the current and future levels of demand.
“Speaking to staff from NHS Lothian, they too often feel the stress of the pressures on the NHS. They are increasingly being abused at work by patients frustrated at long waiting times, and staff absences are being kept high by repeated waves of COVID. The Scottish Government must better support NHS staff to defuse the building crisis of morale among our healthcare workers.
“Our NHS is now in a state of year-round crisis. The Scottish Government promised the Scottish people only last year that they would focus on pandemic recovery, and these latest figures only make it more disappointing that they are instead being distracted by their obsession with the constitutional question.”
Boris Johnson ‘gets on with the job’ as his government collapses around him
IT was perhaps the most remarkable day in British political history. Seldom, if ever, has so much drama been packed into twenty-four hours.
What happened yesterday? In summary:
New Chancellor of the Exchequer Nadhim Zahawi does the early morning round of media calls: business as usual, getting on with the job, etc. etc.
An uncomfortable Prime Minister’s Questions sees Boris Johnson ridiculed by Opposition party leaders and attacked by members of his own party
PMQs is followed by a damning statement to parliament by outgoing Education secretary Sajid Javid
Boris Johnson leaves Westminster to attempt to appoint new ministers. This proves impossible as there is a steady stream of resignations – more than 40 by the end of the day – as well as new flood of letters of no confidence.
If PMQs was painful. an appearance in front of the high-powered Liaison Committee later in the afternoon was excruciating, with politicians from all sides taking the opportunity to heap further misery on a clearly flustered Prime Minister.
Asked by a committee member how his week was going, Boris Johnson replied: ‘Terrific’. I assume he was joking – but then, with this Prime Minister, you can never be really sure …
You might have thought the Prime Minister’s ‘terrific’ day couldn’t have got any worse … but this was no ordinary day.
Awaiting the PM at Downing Street was a group of Cabinet ministers, including newly-appointed Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi-, the vast majority of whom urged him to stand down.
The chairman of the Tory Party’s 1922 committee also patiently awaited his audience with the PM – and it’s not breaking any confidences to say that Sir Graham Brady was not the bearer of glad tidings of great joy either …
Johnson met each of them individually, but rather than heed their considered advice that the game was up, the Prime Minister instead sided with the views of arch-loyalists Nadine Dorries and Jacob Rees-Mogg and decided instead to fight on … and as a parting shot for the evening fired arch-conspirator Michael Gove!
Putting all those internal difficulties aside, The Prime Minister found time to ‘get on with the job’ and fired off a letter to Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon to confirm that no, I won’t be agreeing to another referendum …
A busy day at the office indeed, and a day on which Wimbledon really couldn’t match Westminster for excitement and drama.
Who knows what surprises today will bring as the Prime Minister attempts to salvage his government from the remnants of his deeply divided party?
Can his ‘terrific’ week really get any worse? Resignation looks inevitable but could this serial survivor really escape once again?
Art Buds in Muirhouse Family Day 
