Grow Strong: Edinburgh Community Food launches schools project

Edinburgh Community Food, a social enterprise and charity which uses food to tackle health inequalities, have teamed up with Veg Power, a not-for-profit to increase veg consumption across the UK, to deliver ‘Grow Strong’, a pilot project across Edinburgh, encouraging children to grow food.

38 Edinburgh primary schools and local families have started to receive their Grow Packs which include everything they need to raise Cherry Tomatoes.

The packs include propagators, seeds and compost kindly donated by Unwins Seeds, as well as a Grow Strong wall chart bursting with information to help them grow their tomato plants.

Former Blue Peter gardener, Chris Collins, will be joining Edinburgh’s children by growing his own tomato plant.

He has plenty of tips and vlogs to help guide the little growers and their helpers: “There is nothing like seeing the miracle of a tiny seed emerge from the soil, grow, bloom and produce fresh food. 

“When you have grown once, you will want to grow for a lifetime. Knowing how to grow food is not just amazing fun, it’s also a life skill and one our children should not be without.”

Once the cherry tomatoes are ready to harvest the little growers will head to the kitchen to turn their tomatoes into a delicious pasta sauce.

According to the National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS), 80% of children are not eating enough vegetables. Learning about where food comes from is not just good for healthy eating, it’s important to develop children’s understanding of the food chain, sustainability and the environment.

Veg Power’s Chief Executive Dan Parker said, “Veg Power is committed to increasing the UK’s veg consumption and the Grow Strong project in which children will grow tomatoes from seed is a fun initiative that not only teaches them about food systems and healthy eating but brings together an alliance of local government, business, community and schools.”

The learning will continue throughout the Summer with a number of exciting events for children taking place in Edinburgh’s Community Gardens, which will help them on their Grow Strong journey and ensure the cherry tomatoes make a tasty pasta sauce.

With the rising cost of living, the Grow Strong project is all about helping children and families enjoy delicious, fresh, healthy food working towards making sure everyone in Edinburgh has access to an affordable, healthy diet.

People across Edinburgh are invited to join in the fun by growing their own cherry tomato plants. Share your Tomato Adventure using #TOMTASTIC.

Edinburgh’s private rents soar as the capital bounces back

Post-pandemic surge in demand sees rents hit record high

The appeal of living in the Scottish capital has been reignited, with new figures showing a resurgence in demand for city properties that has pushed rents to record highs.

New research from property letting portal Citylets, shows the average monthly rent in Edinburgh rose 14.2% year on year (YOY) to an all-time high of £1,214, well above the Scottish average of £896.

Figures also show that the average Time To Let (TTL) – the period a ‘for rent’ sign is displayed at the property – is just 16 days, lower than the Scottish national average of 18-25 days across one, two, three and four bedroom properties.

Thomas Ashdown, Managing Director of Citylets said: “City living is back. During the pandemic growth slowed in most cities and accelerated in surrounding areas.

“Now people are back to office working, at least at some level, and seem confident there won’t be any more full lockdowns. The appeal of the city lights appears to have endured some extreme disruption, it would seem.”

However, he pointed out that letting agents remain concerned about the supply of available properties in the private rental sector, with many landlords continuing to sell up while the market is buoyant – or to avoid the threat of increased regulation and the costs that will bring.

The Citylets quarterly report for the first three months of 2022 shows demand for rental properties across Scotland exceeded supply in both rural and urban areas. However, the numbers of available properties was slightly higher than the historic lows reported the last quarter of 2021.

By postcode Edinburgh’s rental hotspot for one-bedroom properties was EH16 (including Cameron Toll, Craigmillar, Liberton) where the TTL was only seven days, while the TTL for two-bedroom properties in EH14 (including Slateford, Longstone, Wester Hailes, Balerno) was an average of only nine days.

At the top end is the EH3 region (New Town, West End, Tollcross and Fountainbridge) which has the highest property prices throughout Scotland, averaging £1,001 for a one-bedroom, £1,482 for a two-bedroom and £1,923 for a three-bedroom property.

Mr Ashdown said: “Despite relentless economic worry and the conflict in Ukraine that will further impact on the cost of living, the market is very busy. People want to get on with life and make decisions now which may have been postponed in recent months.

“While there is slightly more supply of properties than there was at the end of last year, it’s not a widespread phenomenon and this is not something can always be addressed quickly. The consequence of that is, with no sign of demand reducing, rents may continue to rise throughout 2022.

“While it’s reassuring to see that cities are coming back to life, rent rises of this order are likely to prove problematic for many, given the ongoing cost of living crisis. This is not a discretionary purchase – you have got to have somewhere to call home. More choice in the sector and indeed more widely in housing would, of course, help.”

Charlie Inness, of Edinburgh letting agent Glenham Property said: “Edinburgh has moved from an oversupply of stock to one of a severe undersupply with high tenant demand and unprecedented activity levels.”

He added: “Properties are letting extremely quickly with multiple applications received for each listing. We do not expect the shortage of supply to change as investors are either exiting the market or are cautious of entering due to the uncertainty created by the Scottish Government’s proposals for increasing regulation and artificial control of the sector. Due to this, we expect upward pressure on rents to continue to the detriment of tenants.”

The figures highlighted in the quarterly report show that available properties were being snapped up rapidly in Edinburgh, with 39% of properties let within one week and 84% taking less than a month to be let.

Jamie Kerr, of Edinburgh’s Ben Property said: “Quarter 1 of 2022 has seen an extraordinary surge in demand across Edinburgh and strong rental levels are being achieved with a short time to let.

“However, while the market is extremely busy and properties are letting faster than ever, there is a worrying lack of supply across the board which should be a wake-up call for the Government.

“There needs to be more investment in social and build to rent housing, and a deeper understanding of the vital role played by the private rental sector, encouraging private landlords and investors, not discouraging them. Only this can redress the balance of supply and demand and calm rental levels accordingly.”

Citylets operate Scotland’s premier residential lettings site with over 50,000 properties per year from over 400 local agents. The Citylets quarterly rental report was launched in 2007 and has since become a respected guide for housing professionals including social housing and public policy makers.

The report and associated rental maps are available for download at Citylets Rental Reports.

Queen’s Speech: Broken promise on employment bill will see “bad bosses celebrating”

The TUC yesterday accused the government of “turning its back” on working people after ministers failed to include an employment bill in the Queen’s Speech.

  • Vital rights ministers had promised like default flexible working, fair tips and pregnancy discrimination protections risk being ditched “for good” 
  • New seafarer minimum wage plans are “unworkable” and won’t prevent a repeat of P&O, warns union body 

The TUC has accused the government of “turning its back” on working people after ministers failed to include an employment bill in the Queen’s Speech. 

The union body said that the government’s broken promise to boost workers’ rights will see “bad bosses celebrating”. 

In 2019, the government announced it would bring forward a new employment bill to improve people’s rights at work, but despite committing to the bill on at least 20 occasions, ministers have shelved the legislation.  

Commenting on the decision to exclude an employment bill from yesterday’s Queen’s Speech, TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said: “The prime minister promised to make Britain the best place in the world to work. But he has turned his back on working people. 

“Today, bad bosses up and down the country will be celebrating. 

“No employment bill means vital rights that ministers had promised – like default flexible working, fair tips and protection from pregnancy discrimination – risk being ditched for good. 

“And it means no action on the scourge of insecure work and ending exploitative practices like zero-hours contracts and fire and rehire. 

“After the P&O scandal, dragging our outdated labour laws into the 21st century has never been more urgent. 

“But by shelving the employment bill, ministers have sent a signal that they are happy for rogue employers to ride roughshod over workers’ rights. 

“Enough is enough. This is a government that just doesn’t get it – from the cost of living emergency to the insecure work epidemic.  

“People can’t wait for greater rights and security at work – they need it now.” 

On the seafarer minimum wage enforcement plans, O’Grady added: “This proposal is feeble and likely unworkable. The government has done nothing to tackle the most flagrant labour abuse in years by  P&O.  

“Only stronger employment legislation that boosts worker protections and stops companies firing on the spot will prevent another P&O-type scandal.” 

The TUC says that the following policies were all promised within an employment bill, and are now risk being ditched altogether: 

  • Ensure that tips go to workers in full. 
  • Introduce a new right for all workers to request a more predictable contract. 
  • Create a new single enforcement body offering greater protections for workers. 
  • Extend redundancy protections to prevent pregnancy and maternity discrimination. 
  • Make flexible working the default unless employers have good reason not to. 
  • Allow parents to take extended paid leave for neonatal care. 
  • Introduce a new legal entitlement to one week’s leave for unpaid carers. 

In addition, the government consulted on reasonable notice period for shifts allocated and cancelled, and payments for cancelled shifts, which the TUC points out the government has “since gone quiet on.” 

The union body also highlights that the government promise to make employers responsible for preventing sexual harassment risks falling by the wayside without the employment bill, as the policy needs primary legislation to carry it forward.

In the notes to the 2019 Queen’s Speech, the government said it would bring forward the employment bill to:  

  • Protect and enhance workers’ rights as the UK leaves the EU, making Britain the best place in the world to work.  
  • Promote fairness in the workplace, striking the right balance between the flexibility that the economy needs and the security that workers deserve.  
  • Strengthen workers’ ability to get redress for poor treatment by creating a new, single enforcement body.  
  • Offer greater protections for workers by prioritising fairness in the workplace, and introducing better support for working families.  
  • Build on existing employment law with measures that protect those in low-paid work and the gig economy. 

In the 2019 Conservative manifesto, the following promises were made on employment rights:  

  • We will create a single enforcement body and crack down on any employer abusing employment law, whether by taking workers’ tips or refusing them sick pay.  
  • We will ensure that workers have the right to request a more predictable contract and other reasonable protections. 
  • We will encourage flexible working and consult on making it the default unless employers have good reasons not to.  
  • We have reformed redundancy law so companies cannot discriminate against women immediately after returning from maternity leave.  
  • We will legislate to allow parents to take extended leave for neonatal care, to support those new mothers and fathers who need it during the most vulnerable and stressful days of their lives.  
  • We will look at ways to make it easier for fathers to take paternity leave.  
  • We will extend the entitlement to leave for unpaid carers, the majority of whom are women, to a week. 

The UK has one of the best workers’ rights records in the world, says UK Government

The UK has one of the best workers’ rights records in the world. As a result of government action, there are now more employees on the payroll than ever before, as we continue to support workers and build a high skilled, high productivity, high wage economy.

The government has protected and enhanced workers’ rights by:

  1. Making sure 2.5 million people received a pay rise in April by raising the minimum and living wage. The largest ever cash increase to the National Living Wage will put over £1000 a year into a full-time workers’ pay packet, helping to ease cost of living pressures. We’re helping younger people too, by lifting the minimum wages for under-23s and apprentices.
  2. Leading the world with one of the highest minimum wages in the world – more generous than those in similar economies such as France, Germany and Japan.
  3. Holding UK businesses to account, ensuring employees are getting what they are owed. In December we named and shamed 208 employers who had failed to pay the minimum wage – taking the total number of employers named since 2014 to around 2,500. We made sure these companies paid back their employees and paid the price with hefty fines for law breakers. We have also quadrupled the maximum fine for employers who treat their workers badly.
  4. Giving the lowest paid in society more control over when and where they work. The government just this week announced it will extend the ban on using exclusivity clauses to contracts where a worker’s guaranteed weekly income is below the Lower Earnings Limit, which is currently £123 a week. This ensures an estimated 1.5 million people have the option to pick up extra work if they want to, further increasing flexibility.
  5. Tackling appalling business practices, such as P&O Ferries firing their employees without consultation. Reporting them to the insolvency service and taking an active role in ensuring they treat their workers fairly, we also recently committed to producing a statutory code on fire and rehire practices to strengthen the rights of all employees. This will clamp down on controversial tactics used by employers who fail to engage in meaningful consultations with employees before making changes to their contracts.
  6. Closing a loophole which sees agency workers employed on cheaper rates than permanent workers.
  7. Recognising the importance of flexible working arrangements by announcing a wide-ranging package of measures to help give employees more flexible working options in the future, including seeking views on making flexible working the default unless employers have good reason not to.
  8. Offering generous leave entitlements, continuing with our aim to make the UK the best place in the world to live and work. Workers get over 5 weeks of annual leave and a year of maternity leave, while the EU minimum for maternity leave is just 14 weeks.
  9. As part of this, we also brought into force a world first, giving parents a new legal right to 2 week’s paid bereavement leave for those who suffer the devastating loss of a child, irrespective of how long they have worked for their employer.
  10. Giving all workers the right to receive a statement of their rights from day one.
  11. Supporting workers throughout the pandemic, taking steps to protect the earnings of workers through furlough, including a new law to make sure furloughed employees who were made redundant received full redundancy payments.
  12. And of course, all this action to support workers’ rights has come alongside the government’s unprecedented £9bn package to support families with the cost of living, including a £150 council tax rebate, and a £200 energy bill discount to cut energy bills for the vast majority of households.

Scottish Secretary responds to Queen’s Speech

Scottish Secretary Alister Jack said: “This is a Queen’s Speech which delivers for Scotland and the whole of the UK.

“Measures in the Queen’s Speech will help us grow our economy, so we can continue to recover from the pandemic, tackle the rising cost of living and level up across the country.

“We will bring in a range of measures to make our country safer, from tackling state-sponsored espionage, to cracking down on modern slavery.

“We will show leadership with a series of ambitious reforms which will support citizens across the United Kingdom.

“We will continue to maximise the benefits of Brexit with legislation to cement our fantastic trade deals with Australia and New Zealand, and remove outdated EU laws. Outside of the EU, the UK will continue to prosper and thrive.”

One of world’s oldest fire engines moved to new Edinburgh home

ONE of the world’s oldest fire engines has been moved into its new home in Edinburgh’s new Museum of Scottish Fire Heritage.

Dating from 1806 the horse-drawn pump, originally stationed at Duns in the Scottish Borders, takes pride of place alongside four other classic fire appliances spanning more than 100 years of fire and rescue history.

The appliances were moved by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service’s fleet team, marking a major milestone in the museum’s construction ahead of a summer opening.

All five appliances played a pivotal role in the history of fire and rescue in Scotland and include a 1939 Dennis Limo, previously based at Musselburgh, a 1911 Halley which served with Leith Fire Brigade, an 1824 hand-drawn pump which was used in Edinburgh City and a 1901 Greenwich Gem, first used by the town of Kircaldy in Fife.

All have been lovingly restored and will feature alongside dozens of historic and modern exhibits and artefacts including uniforms and equipment at the museum’s new premises at McDonald Road Community Fire Station.

Kelly McMeekin, Museum Manager, said: “It has been a journey to get to where we are today.

“The appliance installations have made everything feel so real. We are close to opening our doors to the public and our very proud of the work of staff and the amazing volunteers.

“The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service has a rich and proud heritage which had a profound impact on the evolution of fire and rescue, not only in the UK, but around the world.”

Rounding out the exhibitions are ‘real stories about real people’, interactives and dress up for the entire family with a view to the working fire station’s drill yard.

There has been a museum in Edinburgh dedicated to firefighting in the Lothians since 1968 when it originally opened at McDonald Road Fire Station before moving to its previous location at the old Lauriston Fire Station before closing in 2016.

Dave Farries QFSM, Watch Commander, was a firefighter at McDonald Road and gave tours at the original museum in the 70s.

He commented: “I started working at McDonald Road Fire Station in 1969, as a Junior Fireman seconded to the Brigade Training School, a year after the Station first opened and remember visitors from around the world being given tours of the newly established Museum on the site.

“After years of hard work by our dedicated Volunteers and staff, it is great to see the gleaming appliances being installed and the new museum taking shape back in its original home at McDonald Road.

“We cannot wait to welcome members of the public, the community, firefighters and tourists to the new museum.”

If you would like to be involved the Museum of Scottish Fire Heritage is currently recruiting Front of House and Gallery Guide volunteers. You can contact them by email at Heritage@firescotland.gov.uk 

Find out more information about the museum’s development on social media Facebook – Museum of Scottish Fire Heritage, Instagram – MuseumScotFire and Twitter – @MuseumScotFire

CCTV appeal following Frederick Street assault

Police are continuing to investigate an assault which occurred in Edinburgh City Centre around 1.25 am on Wednesday 2 February 2022.

The incident happened on Frederick Street. A 46-year-old man was assaulted causing serious injuries which required hospital treatment.

Officers have released an image of a man whom they believe can assist them with their enquiries.

He, or anyone who recognises him, is asked to come forward.

He is described as white, of medium build, with short dark hair, and aged in his mid-twenties. He is shown in the image wearing a light blue hooded sweatshirt with a logo on the left chest.

Frederick Street, Edinburgh

Detective Constable Melissa Silva, from Edinburgh CID, said: “I am asking that the man pictured makes contact with the police in order that further enquiries can be conducted. I am also asking that if any member of the public recognises the man that they make contact with the police.

“Anyone with information is asked to contact Police Scotland on 101 and quote incident 0161 of 2 February, 2022 or make an anonymous report through the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”

Welcome Dnipro Kids to Easter Road

As you will have read in the media a couple of months ago Dnipro Kids rescued 50 orphans and their carers from Ukraine and they are now safe and settled in Edinburgh.

It has been a busy and stressful time for them and we are very excited that they will receive a huge welcome to Edinburgh this Sunday.  

On May 15th, the Dnipro Kids are being welcomed to Edinburgh and Easter Road for the final match of the season against St Johnstone.

They will be taking part in a family friendly day filled with activities including prematch entertainment, presentation of the match ball, play on the pitch and more.

It will be a great day for all, and to promote a fun atmosphere in the stadium for the match, Hibernian FC is offering two free kids tickets with the purchase of an adult ticket.

We would love as many people to come along and welcome the children as possible and would ask that you promote the event amongst your network and on social media.  We want the group to feel excited and safe in Edinburgh and your help would be great appreciated.  

See below for match QR code:

 

Mounting Scottish maternity service staffing shortages spark safety fears, says RCM

Understaffing, staff burnout and fears they cannot provide safe care could see many midwives heading for the exit, according to a Royal College of Midwives (RCM) survey of its members in Scotland. A staggering half of respondents say they rarely have enough staff to provide safe care for women.

The RCM said it is deeply concerned by the survey results, which showed seven out of 10 midwives are also thinking of leaving due to low staffing levels and frustration with the quality of care they can provide. As one midwife responding to the survey said, “I love being a midwife, but I hate the care I am giving.”

The RCM lays out several recommendations to move forward positively and address the issues in the survey. These include a call for more support for midwives early in their career to ensure they feel well supported and positive about their chosen career rather than leaving.

There is also a need to ensure midwives have time to undertake essential education and development which is key to delivering safer and better care. An accurate tool to determine midwifery staffing levels is also overdue and a proportionate and substantial increase in the number of consultant midwives and clinical educators – who play a key role in ensuring safe care.

Jaki Lambert, RCM Director for Scotland said: ‘I know midwives and maternity support workers provide excellent care daily to families, but we cannot rely on goodwill alone.

“This shows deep seated and longstanding issues, certainly worsened by the pandemic which midwives fear are already impacting on the quality of care for women and their babies. There is a worrying catalogue of issues and discontent with an exhausted and a fragile maternity workforce with rock bottom morale.

“They have also been emotionally and physically battered by the pandemic and left feeling that their work and efforts are not valued. We need to move forward together with the Government from this point.

“There is a real disconnect between what maternity services need and what resources are available to them in terms of funding, professional development, resources, and staffing. It is only the incredible determination, skill and sheer willpower of midwives and their colleagues that are holding services up.

“Without action the staff, and the system they are propping up, will break. This is not safe, it’s not sustainable, and it’s not acceptable.”

Fears about understaffing run through the survey. Levels of staffing were consistently described as unsafe, with midwives raising concerns for the safety of women using seriously overstretched services.

Concerns with the quality of care being given was cited by six in 10 of those thinking of quitting.

Women with complex care needs benefit from additional midwifery support but the resources needed to support these women are often not factored into funding calculations, says the RCM.

The RCM says they are concerned that more experienced midwives and those near retirement who delayed leaving to help in the pandemic are starting to head for the exit. The loss of such rich experience impacts on the support available to early career midwives and the students following in their footsteps.

Mandatory training, designed to improve safety in maternity services, has also been a casualty of the workforce crisis, with more than four in 10 respondents unable to do this training during working hours, instead having to do it in their own time or not at all.  

The RCM calls for staff to be given the time to do this vital training. One midwife summed up the situation saying, “mandatory safety training cancelled due to short staffing making a dangerous situation even less safe.”

Growing pressures are also leading to worrying levels of strain and anxiety for maternity staff. Nearly all (88%) in the survey say they have significant levels of work-related stress. One midwife said, “I have nothing left to give my own children and family at the end of the day. I am at breaking point.”

Nearly every respondent said they are missing breaks with over half (52%) saying this happens two to three times a week and has become the norm. Many are not even getting the chance to have a drink or go to the toilet on shifts that can be as long as 12 hours. One midwife reported, “When I say no break, I mean flooding through sanitary products onto my clothing because I cannot take 10 minutes to change my tampon in a 12-hour shift.”

Jaki Lambert added, “The pain and anguish of midwives was very difficult to read about and I hope their words are captured in this survey.  It paints a deeply worrying picture of staff that are on their knees and are not currently seeing a way forward or access to the support they need to deliver the safest and best possible care.

“We can and must do better for midwives, women, babies, and families in Scotland. We know that the Scottish Government wants to fix this and we want to work with them to make sure that midwives are valued and their expertise recognised.

“It is essential that we recruit new midwives into the service, treat the midwives we have better to make sure they stay in post, and that they can continue to develop throughout their careers so that women in Scotland get the maternity care they deserve.”

scotland-survey_finalDownload

Extra support for 30,000 families

Best Start Foods eligibility to widen 

Plans to remove all income thresholds from Best Start Foods by 2023-24 have been announced as part of the second Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan, ‘Best Start, Bright Futures’.

This will increase eligibility to all people in receipt of a qualifying benefit. As a result, an additional 30,000 people are expected to benefit from Best Start Foods.

Best Start Foods is delivered via a prepaid card and provides £18 every four weeks throughout pregnancy, £36 every four weeks from birth until a child turns one, then £18 every four weeks from one until a child turns three. 

The implementation of this change will be part of the successful delivery in the coming years of our significant, wider benefits programme.

Minister for Social Security Ben Macpherson said:  “Tackling child poverty is a national mission for us. We continue to take the necessary steps to reach the ambitious targets set out in our Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan. Social security is one of the main pillars of this plan and will help us to  deliver support directly into the pockets of those families who need it the most.

“The cost of healthy food was already a pressure for parents and carers, and the cost of living increases are only making this more challenging. We will remove the income thresholds for Best Start Foods so that around 30,000 additional people who receive tax credits or certain benefits will be able to receive Best Start Foods by the end of financial year 2023-24.”

Sharon Hill, the Development Manager of Mayfield and Easthouses Development Trust, which runs a community pantry in Midlothian serving local people, said:  “We have been operating the pantry for less than a year but it is clear that people from all walks of life and backgrounds are looking for ways to cut costs when it comes to doing their essential food shopping.

“We encourage people to ensure that they get all the benefits that are available to them and we welcome any move to open that support up to include more people.

“Like many people involved in community pantries and food banks our aim is to help people get to a place where they don’t require these services any more.”

Background

  • The Scottish Government replaced the UK Healthy Start Voucher scheme in Scotland with Best Start Foods on 12 August 2019
  • Best Start Foods aims to help tackle the impacts of child poverty by supporting low income families to buy healthy foods
  • Best Start Foods is delivered via a prepaid card and provides £18 every four weeks throughout pregnancy, £36 every four weeks from birth until a child turns one, then £18 every four weeks until a child turns three
  • The card can be used to buy healthy food, including eggs, milk, fruit, vegetables and pulses
  • Applicants under 18 will be eligible for Best Start Foods during pregnancy and up until their child turns one, without the need to be in receipt of benefits
  • Applicants over 18 need to be in receipt of a qualifying benefit. At present, income thresholds also apply for some of these qualifying benefits.  These income thresholds will be removed by 2023-24
  • Eligible families, and carers can find out more and apply at mygov.scot/beststart or by calling Social Security Scotland free on 0800 182 2222
  • Best Start Foods is part of a package of Five Family Payments. By the end of 2022, the Scottish Government’s package of Five Family Payments for low income families will be worth up to a maximum of over £10,000 by the time a family’s first child turns 6, and £9,700 for second and subsequent children

Democratic impasse: Lewis moves to break Northern Ireland deadlock

The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Brandon Lewis, made a statement following a series of meetings with party leaders:

The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Rt Hon Brandon Lewis MP, yesterday met with the leaders of Northern Ireland’s five main political parties; Michelle O’Neill, Sinn Féin; Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, DUP; Naomi Long, Alliance; Doug Beattie, UUP; and Colum Eastwood, SDLP.

In all his meetings, the Secretary of State reiterated the need to respect the electoral outcome of Thursday’s election and restore the full functioning of the devolved institutions as soon as possible – both the Executive and the Assembly.

All parties agreed on the importance of maintaining political stability. The Secretary of State encouraged all party leaders to come together to form an Executive as soon as possible, starting with the nomination of an Assembly Speaker.

The Secretary of State acknowledged that the Northern Ireland Protocol remains a clear barrier to political stability and re-confirmed that the Government will do whatever it takes to protect the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement, in all of its dimensions.

He reiterated the Government’s desire to address the outstanding issues by agreement with the EU, but confirmed that the Government stood ready to take further steps to rectify those issues, should that be necessary.

He noted that negotiations with the European Commission related to the Protocol were the responsibility of the UK Government and that they should not stand in the way of restoring the Stormont institutions and enabling the Executive to deliver for all the people of Northern Ireland.

He reiterated the importance of taking advantage of the new provisions in the NI (Ministers, Elections and Petitions of Concern) Act passed earlier this year to enable continuity in decision-making during the Executive formation process. This will ensure existing Northern Ireland ministers can remain in place to oversee NI departments, allow legislation to progress and support the delivery of vital public services.

Speaking after his meetings, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Brandon Lewis MP, said: “Northern Ireland’s party leaders must come together to agree a way forward to deliver a stable and accountable devolved government.

“The UK Government’s overriding priority remains the preservation of peace and stability in Northern Ireland and the protection of the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement in all its strands.

“The current situation with the Protocol is fundamentally undermining the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement and creating an unacceptable situation in Northern Ireland. We will continue to press the EU to agree the crucial changes that are urgently needed but will take nothing off the table in our pursuit of those solutions.

“As I conveyed to party leaders today, our collective focus must be on the restoration of the Stormont institutions so that those newly elected representatives can come together and deliver in the best interests of all the people of Northern Ireland.

“I will remain in close contact with the party leaders over the coming days.”

Fridays launches bottoms up brunch

Fridays, part of newly listed Hostmore plc, has introduced Bottoms Up Brunch seven days a week which is available to book now via its website!

A go to for social gatherings between groups of friends and loved ones, Bottoms Up Brunch at Fridays can be enjoyed for just £29.95 per person. Guests can enjoy their choice of either 4 glasses of Prosecco, 4 pints Fridays American Pilsner, 4 glasses of Clean G&T (less than 0.5% ABV), 4 glasses of orange juice or 4 cocktails per person alongside a signature sharing platter for two.

It wouldn’t be Fridays® Bottoms Up Brunch without our iconic cocktails handcrafted by our expert bartenders. Sip sip hooray! Guests who opt for cocktails can choose from a selection of Fridays finest including the Pornstar Martini, Purple Rain, Long Island Iced Tea and Aperol Spritz.

The new sharing platters are named after New York Boroughs and include the Queens Sharer, an amazing platter with Salmon Tacos, Mac & Cheese bites and a sharing portion of Boneless Hot Wings tossed in Franks® RedHot sauce; and the Manhattan Sharer with everyone’s favourite Fridays® Sesame Chicken Strips, classic Mozzarella Dippers and the Fridays® Corndog.

Fridays’ Bottoms Up Brunch slots will last for 90 minutes and are available all-day Monday to Thursday, and 11:30am-3:30pm Friday to Sunday. T&Cs apply*.

Robert B. Cook, Fridays CEO, commented: “We are thrilled to bring Bottoms Up Brunch to our guests in Scotland, adding another contemporary aspect to our lively restaurants.

“Bottomless Up brunches epitomise that Fridays Feeling. Add in our iconic cocktails with unbelievable New York inspired sharers and Fridays’ generosity of spirit and the result is the best Bottoms Up Brunch experience in town!”

To keep up to date with our latest offerings this summer and full details of our new Bottoms Up Brunch visit Bottomless Brunch | Fridays UK (tgifridays.co.uk) plus follow us at @TGIFridaysUK on social media to get that Fridays Feeling all day, every day!