TONIGHT: Our #AScotlandForAllOfUs Scottish Parliament election hustings takes place tonight at 5.30pm.
Join us to hear from
@AlisonJohnstone and
If you haven’t registered, you can do here:
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_GawUyOwoRDa4tsWxRNFVcw
Outdoor hospitality will be among those reopening in England next week after the Prime Minister confirmed the roadmap is on track and planned easements can go ahead.
Significant parts of the indoor economy and further outdoor settings will reopen from 12 April, after data confirmed the government’s “four tests” for easing Covid restrictions had been met.
However he continued to urge caution, with no changes to social contact rules and many restrictions still in place. Outdoor gatherings must still be limited to 6 people or 2 households, and you must not socialise indoors with anyone you do not live with or have not formed a support bubble with.
Confirmation Step 2 of the roadmap would proceed came after the measures were agreed at a “Covid O” meeting and discussed on a Cabinet call earlier today (Monday).
Before proceeding to this step, the government studied the latest data to assess the impact of the first step, which began when schools reopened on 8 March.
The assessment was based on four tests:
As set out in the roadmap, around four weeks is required to see the impact in the data of the previous step.
The government also committed to provide a further week’s notice to businesses, provided through the update from the Prime Minister today.
From Monday 12 April additional premises will be able to reopen – with the rules on social contact applying. Indoor settings must only be visited alone or with household groups, with outdoor settings limited to either six people or two households.
This includes non-essential retail; personal care premises such as hairdressers, beauty and nail salons; and indoor leisure facilities such as gyms and spas (but not including saunas and steam rooms, which are due to open at Step 3).
Overnight stays away from home in England will be permitted and self-contained accommodation can also reopen, though must only be used by members of the same household or support bubble.
Public buildings such as libraries and community centres will also reopen.
The majority of outdoor settings and attractions can also reopen, including outdoor hospitality, zoos, theme parks, drive-in cinemas and drive-in performances events.
Hospitality venues will be able to open for outdoor service, with no requirement for a substantial meal to be served alongside alcohol, and no curfew. The requirement to eat and drink while seated will remain.
People should continue to work from home where they can, and minimise domestic travel where they can. International holidays are still illegal.
The number of care home visitors will also increase to two per resident, and all children will be able to attend any indoor children’s activity, including sport, regardless of circumstance.
Parent and child groups of up to 15 people (not counting children aged under five years old) can restart indoors.
Funerals can continue with up to 30 attendees. Weddings, outdoor receptions, and commemorative events including wakes will be able to take place with up to 15 attendees (in premises that are permitted to open).
The government is also publishing today an update on the 4 reviews established in the roadmap to determine what measures may be necessary from summer onwards.
A Covid-status certification system will be developed over the coming months which could allow higher-risk settings to be opened up more safely and with more participants. Over the coming months, a system will be developed which will take into account three factors: vaccination, a recent negative test, or natural immunity (determined on the basis of a positive test taken in the previous six months).
Events pilots will take place from mid-April to trial the system. All pilots are checking Covid status, initially this will be through testing alone but in later pilots vaccination and acquired immunity are expected to be alternative ways to demonstrate status.
“Good afternoon, I hope you’re all continuing to enjoy the Easter break, and I know that over this weekend millions of people have been able to see loved ones for the first time in months.
“And I want to thank you all again for your patience, because it is really clear now that this is paying off.
“And it your collective efforts, our collective efforts, that has given us that crucial time and space to vaccinate more than 31 million people.
“And I’m pleased that we’ve also been able to support our overseas territories so that Gibraltar has become one of the first places in the world to offer a vaccination to its entire adult population.
“And the net result of your efforts and the vaccine roll-out is that I can today confirm that from Monday 12th April, we will move to Step Two of our roadmap – re-opening shops, gyms, zoos, holiday campsites, personal care services like hairdressers and, of course, beer gardens and outdoor hospitality of all kinds.
“And on Monday the 12th I will be going to the pub myself – and cautiously but irreversibly raising a pint of beer to my lips.
“We’re also increasing the number of visitors to care homes from one to two – to allow residents to see more of their loved ones.
“We think that these changes are fully justified by the data, which show we are meeting our four tests for easing the lockdown as Chris will shortly explain.
“But – and you know I’m going to say this – we can’t be complacent.
“We can see the waves of sickness afflicting other countries and we’ve seen how this story goes.
“We still don’t know how strong the vaccine shield will be when cases begin to rise, as I’m afraid that they will – and that’s why we’re saying:
“As part of our roadmap we’re also publishing today on gov.uk the early thinking on our four reviews, on the safe return of major events, on social distancing, the potential role of Covid status certification, and on the resumption of international travel.
“We set out our roadmap and we’re sticking to it. And I want to stress, that we see nothing in the present data that makes us think that we will have to deviate from that roadmap.
“But it is by being cautious, by monitoring the data at every stage and by following the rules: remembering hands, face, space and fresh air – that we hope together to make this roadmap to freedom irreversible.”
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The Alba Party is looking for voters in May’s Holyrood elections to cast their votes for them on the regional list. They say this will deliver a ‘supermajority’ for independence. How would this work?
‘The more success a party has on the constituency vote, the less well it does on the regional list vote. That’s why in 2016 #BothVotesSNP led to 1 million wasted pro-independence list votes.
‘Voting Alba Party on May 6th will make sure no pro-independence vote goes to waste by securing a #Supermajority for independence.
‘Let’s tip the balance in Scotland’s favour.
‘The Westminster Government has already said it will not allow another independence referendum in Scotland.
‘The #Supermajority will be the only mandate needed to begin negotiating Scotland’s independence as a parliament, rather than just a party.
‘On May 6th you have two votes. On your constituency ballot paper, #voteSNP for your local SNP candidate. On your regional ballot paper, #voteAlba Party to ensure an independence #Supermajority.
‘The weight of these two votes combined, will tip the balance in Scotland’s favour and guarantee a #Supermajority for independence in the Scottish Parliament this year.‘
However The Scottish National Party says that if you want independence, you must vote SNP:
‘The 2011 Scottish election produced a result that was never meant to happen. A majority pro-independence government, against all odds. So how did voters in Scotland do it?
‘At the elections, the SNP won 53 constituency seats on the first vote. But it was the 16 seats won on the regional list, with voters second vote, that got the SNP over the line.
‘It was with people voting Both Votes SNP that secured the first majority government.
‘Other parties say that you don’t have to vote Both Votes SNP in order to vote for independence. They say people should vote for them instead. But they said the same in 2016 – and the SNP lost its majority.
‘Holyrood got less pro-independence MSPs, and Westminster used it as an excuse to question Scotland’s pro-independence mandate.
‘Their tactical voting gamble has failed.
‘This election really comes down to one question. Do you want to put Scotland’s future in Scotland’s hands, or those of Boris Johnson?
‘If you want to help build a better, more progressive future for Scotland, then make it #BothVotesSNP on 6 May.
‘This will be the most important election in Scottish history. Every single vote will count. Scotland’s future is in your hands.‘
While their political priority remains the climate change and the environment, the Scottish Greens also support Scottish independence.
The Conservatives, Scottish Labour and the Lib Dems all oppose independence and say recovery from the pandemic must take priority over constitutional issues.
Female officers have accounted for almost half of the latest intake of probationary constables to join Police Scotland – and of the 179 officers who were welcomed into the policing family yesterday by Chief Constable Iain Livingstone, 82 of them were women.
A total of 12 per cent of the new intake are from ethnic minority backgrounds.
The new recruits took their Oath of Office at a ceremony at Police Scotland’s Headquarters at Tulliallan Castle in Fife as the Chief Constable welcomed them into policing and a career dedicated to public service.
The Chief Constable said: “The Oath of Office marks the point at which our newest recruits are sworn into Police Scotland as Constables, embarking on their careers in public service.
“Although we have much still to do, this particular intake of new Constables reflects the progress Police Scotland has made in our drive to increase recruitment from under-represented groups.
“Policing in Scotland takes its authority and legitimacy from the people of Scotland and I remain committed to doing everything I can to ensure the service represents and reflects the communities we serve.”
A significant number of the recruits are graduates with degrees in disciplines including Law, Criminology, Psychology, Robotics and Cybertronics, Forensic Anthropology and Applied Pharmacology. The intake also includes six former Special Constables, a fraud advisor, civil servant, footballer and a civil engineer.
Visit Police Scotland’s website for more information on a career in policing:
Leeds Building Society is continuing its support for first time buyers in Scotland as it introduces a new range of shared equity mortgages to support the relaunch of First Home Fund.
Fee free fixed rate deals up to 85% LTV (loan to value) with £500 cashback are among the newest additions to Leeds Building Society’s mortgages for Scottish borrowers. It will launch a range of products on Thursday, 1 April for shared equity customers including:
Each of the above comes with no product fee and £500 cashback.
The launch of the range coincides with the re-introduction of the First Home Fund, an affordable housing scheme for first time buyers in Scotland.
“As a lender we are keen to support first time buyers and help more people in Scotland take a first step on the housing ladder,” says Matt Bartle, Director of Products at Leeds Building Society.
“We have drawn on our experience within the shared equity market, our popular previous products, and consulted with intermediaries to design a range that will support First Home Fund and other shared equity schemes.
“We understand that everyone’s individual circumstances are different and so we use our experience to offer incentives which help a range of different customers, including fee free and cashback options. Cash available at the start of a mortgage, for example, is often handy to cover some of the costs associated with buying and moving into a new home.”
Financially shook: 19.8 million people have experienced a financial shock since the pandemic began – with an average decrease in income of £538 per month
Two out of five UK adults (38%) have experienced a financial shock as a result of the pandemic
Those who experienced a financial shock saw their income decrease by £538 per month on average– almost a full week of spending for the average household2 according to the ONS – and equating to £11 billion3 nationally
Over half (51%) of UK consumers have not taken steps to protect themselves against a potential financial shock
New research from Yolt, the award-winning smart money app, reveals that almost 20 million UK adults have experienced a financial shock, such as a pay decrease, job loss or a drastic change in financial situation, since the beginning of the pandemic.
Those who have had to deal with a financial shock saw their income decrease by over £530 per month on average – which almost equates to one full week of spending for the average family in the UK, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Despite this, over half (51%) of UK consumers revealed they have not taken steps to protect themselves against a sudden change in income, or a shift in their finances that would mean they couldn’t cover their usual outgoings.
The research found that in many cases (19%) people had seen their income decrease and one in ten (11%) have been furloughed during the pandemic. In responses to these shocks, over a third (34%) have dipped into their savings and a quarter have turned to credit card spending (26%). One in five people who experienced a financial shock (20%) tried to raise money by selling things online and one in seven (16%) borrowed money from their family.
Experiencing a financial shock makespeople much more likely to put precautions in place in the future, as three out of four (74%) who had previously experienced a financial shock have taken action – compared to a third (33%) who hadn’t faced a shock.
Amongst all UK adults, these preventative steps included, reviewing theirmonthly outgoingstosee where cutbackscanbe made (23%), putting money aside in a rainy day fund (15%) and a focused approach to paying off debts (12%) to help ease financial pressure.
In fact, one in four of Brits (25%) said that the pandemic has made them finally look totackle their debt – as evidenced by recent data from the Bank of England which found that UK households repaid a total of £16.6bn on credit cards and loans in 20205.
Financial uncertainty continues to fuel consumer anxiety in the UK. Almost two out of five UK adults (38%) are extremely worried about their financial future and half (54%) want to protect their family financially more now, than ever before.
Pauline van Brakel, Chief Product Officer at Yolt, said: “Our research shows that the impact of the pandemic on people’s finances has been far reaching.
“There is no uniform financial experience or response tothe current economic climate and we’re unfortunately seeing a widening wealth gap, with some people able to save during this period, as the opportunity to spend has declined, and other people unfortunately having suffered a significant reduction in income at an average cost of £538 per month.
“With the UK still experiencing great levels of uncertainty there could be further financial shocks on the horizon for many – especially with government support schemes such as furlough due to come to an end in the coming months.
It’s no doubt a challenging time for all but engaging with your finances and looking to see where you could make cutbacks to save even a small financial cushion can be a lifeline if you do experience a financial shock.
“At Yolt, our recently launched evolution of the app is designed to help you manage your finances and take the hassle out of saving – by helping people save while they spend and making creating savings habits easier.”
The pay offer made to Scotland’s teachers and associated professionals is “completely inadequate” and “fails to recognise the value of teachers to Scotland”, says Scotland’s largest teaching union.
The EIS also expressed its frustration at the slow rate of negotiations on the teachers’ pay claim, which was submitted in December last year. The lengthy delay in the employers initially responding to the teachers’ pay claim, together with slow progress in subsequent discussions, meant that Scotland’s teachers did not receive a pay settlement by the scheduled implementation date of the 1st of April.
No improvement was made at a negotiating meeting held yesterday, with employers sticking to their pay offer which averages a little over 1% if it were to be distributed on a universal basis amongst Scotland’s teachers.
EIS Salaries Convener Des Morris said, “The value of Scotland’s teachers has been clearly highlighted throughout the current pandemic, where teachers have worked extremely hard to support young people in quite unprecedented and extremely challenging circumstances.
“The level of public and political praise for teachers has been extremely high during this time, with frequent statements highlighting the value of teachers to the country throughout lockdown and the essential role that education will play in supporting the national recovery from the Covid pandemic. In this context, the pay offer that has been made to teachers – which would represent a real-terms pay cut for the majority of teachers – is completely inadequate.”
Mr Morris continued: “Last December, the teachers’ side of the SNCT (Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers) submitted a very measured claim for a pay settlement of between 3% and 5% for Scotland’s teachers.
“Now, more than 3 months later, we are looking at an offer from employers for a 1% pay settlement for the majority of teachers. This sub-inflation level pay offer would result in an effective pay cut for Scotland’s teachers – hardly an appropriate recognition of the important role that teachers have played throughout the pandemic and the vital role they will play in the national recovery from Covid.
“The offer is also divisive, offering different pay settlements for teachers based on their grade of post – something that the EIS will never accept.”
Mr Morris added, “The difference between the offer made to Scotland’s teachers and that made recently to the country’s NHS workers is glaring.
“Our NHS colleagues are absolutely deserving of a fair pay settlement that properly recognises the vital work that they do – but Scotland’s teachers and, indeed, other public sector workers also deserve to have their vital contributions property recognised.
“The pay offer that has been made to Scotland’s teachers is inadequate and divisive, and therefore completely unacceptable.”
New data released by Innovate UK, points to a dramatic increase in the number of young people setting up their own businesses in the last decade – with the number nearly doubling (98% increase) from 2009 to 2020.
What’s more, despite the pandemic – and in some cases inspired by the impact of COVID-19 and the subsequent lockdowns – numbers continued to jump in 2020, with a 15% increase in the number of young people starting their own businesses from 2019.
This trend mirrors the increased appetite seen by Innovate UK for its support programmes for 18-30 year olds. The Young Innovators Awards, which recognise young people from across the UK with great business ideas who have the potential to become successful entrepreneurs and future leaders in innovation, saw an 87% increase in applications this year.
This growth combined with the high-quality of applications, led Innovate UK to award 64 Young Innovators, double any previous year.
In particular, young innovators are responding to the needs of the pandemic, with a growing number of business ideas for health and in digital technology.
From socially-aware robotic companions for people living in care homes to projects tackling childhood incontinence and arthritis, double the number of this year’s winners had health projects compared to the 2018 competition winners (13% vs 27%).
Similarly, from a project connecting knitting enthusiasts online to an online marketplace where burgenoing gardeners can sell their home-grown produce, an even greater increase was seen in digital, with 31% of the projects in this field, compared to 13% in 2018.
This trend also reflects the latest report from the UK Business Angel’s Association (UKBAA), which found the sectors where Angels were investing most were Healthcare, Digital Health and MedTech, Bio Tech, Life Sciences and Pharmaceuticals, Software and FinTech.
The UKBAA report these industries and education technology, e-commerce and gaming have been performing better since the onset of Covid-19 – given their role in helping consumers deal with the many challenges of lockdown.
Young Innovators capitalising on this demand include Iona Mackenzie (26, (ABOVE) from Edinburgh), whose Talk and Grow business aims to take the stress out of finding a therapist with an online matching and booking platform to pair clients with local counsellors and Elena Höge (28, (below) also from Edinburgh), who is creating educational games like Wholesome, a mobile forest school experience that teaches children and adults about nature, including how to forage and cook with wild food.
Reflecting on the start-up journey, sustainability entrepreneur Alex Newnes (27, from Aberystwyth), who is producing a fully degradable and non-toxic alternative to plastic, said, “We started PlantSea Ltd with nothing but passion and an idea.
“Since then, we have won awards, networked, and learned an awful lot along the way! None of us knew what the road would look like for a biotech”.
Musician and founder of online music tuition service Starling Music Academy, Rhiannon Jeffreys (27), from Berkhamsted in Hertfordshire, says, “I have been amazed to see how quickly your network can grow, just by having conversations.
“Even people in a completely different sector may be able to put you in touch with someone they know who is in your sector, and I love the idea of being able to do that for others in the future.”
Similarly, Young Innovator Chris Elliot (23, from Reading), creator of Untrapped, a onestop student rental portal, says: “I think the number of new skills you learn as an entrepreneur is surprising. In the last year I’ve gained more skills than any other period of my life.”
Emily Nott, Head of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at Innovate UK says: “With 2020 proving to be an incredibly difficult year, it is inspiring to see so many young people continuing to take steps to develop their own business ideas and innovations.
“It is this generation of innovators who have the potential to tackle some of the big challenges we’ll face in the wake of pandemic and we must do all we can to support them and to encourage others to follow in their footsteps”.
If you’re an inspiring young innovator, check out how Innovate UK could support you here: https://ktn-uk.org/programme/young-innovators/
The city council’s Inch Nursery is getting ready to welcome customers back to its base in Inch Park after a long winter closure.
The Nursery will reopen on Wednesday (7 April) with Covid safety measures in place and will be open five days a week, from Wednesday to Sunday, 10am – 2pm. To ensure safe shopping, customers will be required to book a time slot by email ahead of their visit.
Culture and Communities Convener, Cllr Donald Wilson said: “Now that it’s spring and the weather (hopefully) warms, the re-opening of the Nursery is a great opportunity for Edinburgh’s green-fingered residents to stock up from our wide range of quality plants at sensible prices.
“If you have not visited the Inch Nursery you will be pleasantly surprised at the variety of horticultural delights on offer.
“The pandemic has given us all renewed gratitude for the great outdoors – and for many it’s unearthed an appreciation of gardening, discovering all the benefits, both mental and physical it can bring.”
Culture and Communities Vice Convener, Cllr Amy McNeese-Mechan, said: “We’re very much looking forward to welcoming visitors back to the Nursery next week.
“Gardening benefits the mental health and well-being of so many people isolating at home and I believe that whilst the ongoing lockdowns have put limitations on us, looking after and growing plants helps us to look forward with hope to better and brighter days to come.
“So, if you’re in the market for shrubs and herbaceous perennials, please get in touch with the team to book your spot!”
Janice Peter, Acting Inch Nursery Team Leader, said: “After a long cold winter we are looking forward to opening our doors and welcoming our customers back.
“The last year has allowed people to rediscover their gardens and develop a passion for plants and we are really pleased that we can once again supply quality locally grown plants to the people of Edinburgh.”
Existing customers will be contacted directly but for any queries or new customers who would like to book a shopping slot, please email the team.
Visitors can expect social distancing and hygiene measures to be in place, including two- metre queuing points at key areas, sanitising stations, cashless payments only, and additional cleaning measures.
