Just another day at the office?

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?

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BREAKING NEWS: JOHNSON TO RESIGN

The BBC is reporting that Boris Johnson will resign as Conservative leader today and will continue as prime minister until the autumn.

It’s understood Mr Johnson will publicly announce his resignation later today.

School Pantry Cupboards directly support children in need

MCKS Charitable Foundation UK provides schools across the country with support for food, toiletries and sanitary products by sending a weekly delivery to stock up their pantry cupboards.  

The charity currently supports 16 schools across the country and aims to increase this to 100 within 12 months.  Each school cupboard supports around 25 families a week and has become a vital life line for children and their families.

The Charity’s Chairman Les Flitcroft says: “Our charity is dedicated to providing caring and compassionate support and our school pantry cupboards provide an efficient way to get food and supplies directly to children who need them most”. 

Westminster UTC School in London who has received care packages from the charity commented: “Genuinely, we are extremely grateful for the support from MCKS Charitable Foundation UK.

“Quite often our students confuse feeling sick with being hungry but we are not always in a position to offer them anything other than water, the cereal bars provided helped them throughout the exam week.

“For many of our pupils who are facing homelessness or challenging financial situations at home, having basic items such as deodorant and shower gel will mean we can practically support our students in a very important yet discreet way with this help”.

Stewards Academy in Harlow, Essex has been receiving weekly food deliveries from the charity for over a year and are extremely grateful for the support: “The help from MCKS Charity this year has helped many at a time of worry, and the support of vouchers, food, sanitary supplies and toiletries has been invaluable to our families.

“We cannot thank the charity enough for their tireless work for our community of Harlow”.

Les added: “As with any charity we rely on donations to keep our services going and we would like to partner with corporate companies who can support the charity to continue this vital support”.

Schools who feel they could benefit from this ongoing service are asked to contact the charity for further information.

Motorpoint to open store in Edinburgh

  • Motorpoint, the UK’s largest independent retailer of cars and vans will open the doors to its new Edinburgh store in September 2022.
  • Motorpoint Edinburgh, located in Baileyfield Road, Portabello is now recruiting 30 new team members across Sales, Service, Administration and Vehicle Preparation.
  • Motorpoint already has a well-established store in Glasgow with a record of selling a nearly new vehicle to every postcode in Scotland.
  • Employing more than 900 people across the UK, Motorpoint recently achieved number one position on the Best Companies to Work for in the Automotive Sector 2022 list.  
  • The 33,000 sq. ft Edinburgh store will stock around 400 Clean Air Compliant vehicles on site with 1000’s more available via Motorpoint’s online store.  
  • The Motorpoint Price Promise means that Motorpoint guarantees to provide its customers with cars and vans at Unbeatable Prices.

Up to 30 new jobs are being created in Edinburgh by Motorpoint, the UK’s largest independent car retailer of nearly new cars and vans.

Located at Motorpoint’s stylish new store at 25 Baileyfield Road, the new roles will include positions in Sales, Service, Administration and Vehicle Preparation.   

Richard Start, Regional Retail Director at Motorpoint Edinburgh said: “We are excited about the opening of our new store in Edinburgh. We are busy transforming the site with an extensive multimillion pound investment to get ready for our September 2022 opening day. We are now keen to recruit team members to join us at our new Edinburgh store.

“We are looking for up to 30 new colleagues to join our team and there’s a range of roles to apply for. We offer a great remuneration and benefits package and are looking for motivated people who want to be a part of Motorpoint’s ongoing nationwide success story.

“We already have a strong Motorpoint presence in Scotland with a well-established store in Glasgow and our Preparation Centre in Motherwell. We’ve sold a car to every postcode in Scotland and are proud of our award-winning track record for delivering first class customer service. 

“We are keen to hear from people with experience from other sectors and industry including hospitality or retail, for example. We’re proud to be an active member of the Automotive 30% Club, an organisation that campaigns for gender balance in the automotive sector.”     

Hannah Litt, Motorpoint’s Head of Recruitment and Inclusion said: “We are extremely proud of our company culture and our record as an equal opportunities’ employer.

“We have a strong focus on providing an exceptional working environment. Our staff enjoy a fantastic range of benefits and there is wealth of opportunity for career development and progression within Motorpoint.

“We have a strong ethos of being part of the wider community in the areas where our stores are located; we have an active fundraising programme that supports local and national charities and events.”

Head over to Motorpoint’s careers page at careers.motorpoint.co.uk or find out more on our LinkedIn company page or Twitter page.

The Little Book of Big Scams

Nobody, whether a business or individual, wants to be a victim of a scam and suffer the financial loss, frustration and worry that it causes.

The information contained in this booklet can provide you with enough knowledge to have confidence in going about your daily business without the fear of falling foul of a scam.

You can view the booklet here ⬇️

https://www.sbrcentre.co.uk/…/Little-Book-of-Big-Scams…

Little-Book-of-Big-Scams-Scottish-Business-Resilience-CentreDownload

Fort Kinnaird supports Young Readers Programme storytelling events

More than 250 school children from three schools in Edinburgh have taken part in storytelling sessions organised by Fort Kinnaird, aimed at helping them fall in love with reading.

The events involved children hearing stories from professional storyteller, Amanda Edmiston, and were part of the Young Readers Programme, an award-winning initiative sponsored by Fort Kinnaird’s co-owner British Land and run-in partnership with the National Literacy Trust, designed to encourage children to read outside of the classroom.

During the literary-focussed events, pupils from Castleview Primary School, Niddrie Mill Primary School and Brunstane Primary School also learnt how to choose books they will enjoy and were able to take home a book of their choice.

British Land and the National Literacy Trust are celebrating 11 years in partnership this year and, since the programme launched at Fort Kinnaird, it has supported almost 2,300 school children and seen more than 6,800 books donated across the Edinburgh.

Research by the National Literacy Trust has shown that owning a book means children are more likely to say they enjoy reading and are more inclined to read in their free time. However, almost 6% of children in the UK do not own a book, which equates to almost 415,000 children across the country*.

With reading for enjoyment proven to have a positive effect on children’s reading skill* as well as their wellbeing and mental health, the Young Readers Programme initiative aims to give support and help with the development of children in under privileged areas by giving them access to books.

Liam Smith, centre director at Fort Kinnaird, said: “Supporting local children and their families is so important to us and the Young Readers Programme is an integral part of this.

“We look forward to this brilliant initiative every year and have loved seeing children from across our community enjoy their storytelling sessions.”

Jonathan Douglas CBE, Chief Executive of the National Literacy Trust, said: “Reading for enjoyment is proven to support mental wellbeing, literacy skills, and future success. Encouraging children to enjoy reading from a young age can have a measurable impact on the rest of their lives.

“But the sad reality is that 6% of children across the country don’t have their own book to read at home, and many don’t find reading enjoyable.

“Through the Young Readers Programme and the support of British Land, we are able to help so many more children have fun whilst reading outside the classroom, give them access to inspiring books and access to many benefits that they may otherwise be missing out on.”

‘Hello Summer’: NHS 24 launch summer health campaign

With the summer holidays now fully underway across Scotland, NHS 24 is sharing summer health advice to keep people happy and healthy throughout the season. 

The campaign ‘Hello Summer’ signposts people to the correct health advice and services if they need help during the holidays. Topics such as hay fever, sun safety, kids’ injuries, BBQ food safety and hydration will all be covered.

Dr Paul Perry, a GP and Associate Medical Director at NHS 24, says: ‘The summer holidays are a great chance for family, friends and communities to spend time together and relax in hopefully nicer weather or travel further afield to enjoy a break away from home.

“It’s worth remembering a few small steps that can keep you and your family safe from common summer health issues such as hay fever, sunburn and insect bites. Most summer health complaints can be safely treated at home, so our ‘Hello Summer’ campaign will help people to avoid illness and when and where to seek medical advice if needed.”

General advice and information on how to stay healthy can be found at www.nhsinform.scot.

Community partnership shines new light on Gyle Park

Visitors to a west Edinburgh park can soon enjoy a safe and well-lit access route thanks to an innovative community partnership brought together by local residents. 

The Friends of The Gyle Park have linked with local homebuilder Artisan Real Estate and building contractor Cruden Building East, as well as other partners, to raise the necessary funds to install twelve streetlamps along a busy walkway in and out of the park. Other contributors to the project include The Careys Foundation and Scottish Water, with support from the City of Edinburgh Council. 

The newly illuminated pedestrian route links the Gyle Park Sports Pavilion, to the north of the park, to Gylemuir Road which is home to Artisan’s 93-apartment Rowanbank Gardens development, due for completion in spring 2023. 

Welcoming the installation of the new street lighting, Tommy McLean, Chair of the Friends of The Gyle Park, said: “This is a well-used walkway which provides an essential pedestrian link between the residential developments and shops either side of the park.  

“It is also a convenient cut-through to the train station at South Gyle and is used by children going to and from the two primary schools in the area, avoiding the busy A8. 

“The new street lighting means that we can now have safe and well-lit access to the park throughout the year, which will be a huge benefit to local residents and everyone who uses the park on a regular basis.” 

Artisan moved on site at the adjacent Rowanbank Gardens in 2021, and the company was keen to get involved in a project which added to the development’s already superb connectivity with the local area.

Artisan’s Development Director for Scotland David Westwater explained: “Rowanbank Gardens is already making headlines for its low-carbon and sustainability credentials, and an important part of that is how easily it connects to its wider neighbourhood and public transport network, reducing the need for car travel. 

“As such, we were delighted to work in partnership with the local community to improve access into the park and beyond, bringing significant value both to existing residents and to potential home purchasers at Rowanbank Gardens.” 

Cruden Building East is the on-site contractor for Artisan at Rowanbank Gardens and Senior Project Manager Mike Howlett was also keen for the company to become involved. He said: “Our work at Rowanbank Gardens is much more than building homes. It’s also about being part of the community, so we are very pleased to support this important local initiative.” 

Prices for a two-bedroom apartment at Rowanbank Gardens start at just £245,000 making it a perfect destination for first-time buyers and downsizers wanting to live in well-connected, bustling community just minutes from the city centre. 

To register interest and book an appointment at the new on-site sales and marketing suite, visit the development website at www.rowanbankgardens.com or call 0131 516 3302. 

Park Life at West Pilton

PARK LIFE

West Pilton Park

Free activities and food for young people aged P7 – S3

Sports/ parkour/ circus skills/ bike obstacle course/ drumming/ graffiti art & more

Tuesdays 12th, 19th & 26th July, 2.00 pm – 4.00 pm

Email for more information: booking.youth.talk@gmail.com