Alba: Creating a Supermajority for Indpendence?

‘Tipping the balance in Scotland’s favour’?

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.

Chief Constable welcomes new officers to Police Scotland

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: 

https://www.scotland.police.uk

Leeds Building Society boosts first time buyer support in Scotland

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:

  • two year fixed rate at 2.14% available up to 75% LTV
  • two year fixed rate at 3.09% available up to 85% LTV
  • five year fixed rate at 3.14% available up to 85% LTV

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.”

https://www.leedsbuildingsociety.co.uk/

One in three Scots experience financial shock during pandemic

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.”

Pay offer to teachers fails to recognise their value to Scotland

Teacher back at school after covid-19 quarantine and lockdown, disinfecting desks at break time.

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.”

Edinburgh women part of upsurge in young entrepreneurs starting their own businesses

  • Number of young people (18-30) setting up businesses nearly doubles in last decade
  • Innovate UK’s Young Innovators programme sees 87% increase in applications over last year
  • Data shows young innovators putting energy into health and digital technology ideas

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/

Inch Nursery opens on Wednesday

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.

Letter: Mayhem in The Meadows

Summit and Action Plan urgently needed, says resident

Mayhem in the Meadows

Over the course of six months between May and October 1886, 135 years ago, the Edinburgh International Exhibition of Industry, Science and Art attracted an incredible 2.7 million visitors to Scotland’s capital.

An astonishing 30,000 people attended on the first day, with 10,000 season tickets sold at one guinea each.

The exhibition’s enormous main pavilion was a sight to behold. It filled the Meadows Parkland between Brougham Place and what is now Jawbone Walk. The domed roof kissed the sky at 120 feet tall and was decorated with the signs of the zodiac.

I was struck as to what our forefathers responsible for creating and attending this would have thought after witnessing the events in the Meadows on Saturday (3rd April).

What occurred has been well documented:

– https://www.edinburghlive.co.uk/news/edinburgh-news/edinburgh-meadows-chaos-sees-teen-20319859 

– and I won’t spend much time on this, but the scenes of violence, anti-social behaviour and urinating/defecating in neighbouring streets and on the Meadows was something those of us living locally should not have to put up with.

We have had enough.

It should also be noted that this is not a one-off. Roseneath Place for example is commonly used effectively as a public toilet known as the “pee street” and the rubbish left after such occasions on the Meadows is appalling. We are sick and tired of having to go out and clean up and am sure council workers have better things to do.

Without urgent action a long summer lies ahead and what is happening is in clear breach of the Covid-restrictions.

I am conscious that this has been a difficult time for young people, especially on their mental health, but behaviour like this cannot and should not be tolerated, especially as we are going through a fragile Covid-recovery.

The Meadows is now “the place” to go for teenagers, with thousands congregating and clearly overwhelming police, who I have considerable sympathy with and are in an incredibly difficult situation. Large groups are in clear breach of the Covid-regulations and it should be noted that these are not just local teenagers, with large numbers arriving in taxis/using public transport.

A combination of deterring groups of teenagers from attending plus cracking down on anti-social behaviour for those who do is vital.  I have a few suggestions which may want to be considered/built on.

A Meadows’ summit needs to be implemented very quickly to look at what can be done to try and prevent this happening again through delivering an action plan. Not something in six-months time, but now.

Such a group could involve key representatives from the Council – council officials and councillors – MP; community councils, Friends of the Meadows and Bruntsfield Links, retailers and police (am conscious given the election there is no MSP(s)). This can clearly be pulled together very quickly given the wonders of modern technology.

Some thoughts for consideration below:

  1. Licensing – it was clear from the young people queuing outside shops locally that a large number were underage and should not have been able to buy alcohol. The impact of alcohol on behaviour was clear for all to see. A reminder to shop-owners of their responsibilities is a suggestion.
  2. Toilets – a lack of toilets is an issue. We have to acknowledge that even if we manage to deter groups of teenagers attending and breaching Covid-regulations, they are not enough facilities to accommodate. The provision of some portaloos would be an option, preventing people urinating/defecating in local streets.
  3. Bins – unfortunately many are too lazy to take their rubbish to a bin or take it away. The provision of some black bins on the Meadows itself may be an issue and implementation of a BYOB – Bring Your Own Bag Campaign – tied in with some environmental messaging. Although I am conscious of the potential impact of locating bins on the grass. Potential also to use park wardens (as per 4)) to distribute bags.
  4. Park wardens – provision of park wardens handing out bags, implementing fines for those littering. The presence of someone on Roseneath Place on a summer’s day as a deterrent to those using it as a public toilet would be welcomed.
  5. CCTV – has the potential to deter if people know they are being “caught on camera”. For those engaging in anti-social behaviour there is the evidence to convict.
  6. Police – having to deal with this is a massive waste of police resources, which can be deployed elsewhere.  Groups of individuals must be deterred from attending, but there does however require to be a police presence to crack down on those who do, with a zero- tolerance message. Early intervention through a strong presence early on has the potential to prevent having to address out of control crowds later on. This includes removing alcohol, breaking up crowds and implementing fines.
  7. Parental responsibility – parents clearly have a responsibility in ascertaining what their children are up to. Could a communication maybe be sent by the Council to parents to explain what has been happening, for them to question where their children are going when out and where they have been, and to also highlight the Covid-restrictions?

Ultimately, addressing issues after they happen is much more resource-intensive than trying to prevent them occurring in the first place.

These are a few suggestions any group may want to look at. The Meadows is a much-loved and appreciated resource, and we must all act to try and keep it that way.

Yours with thanks and for consideration

Alex Orr

NHS Lothian: Covid appointments

NHS Scotland will contact you about your coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccination (jab, injection) appointment when it’s your turn.

We urge you to please make every effort to attend the appointment you have been allocated. This allows NHS Scotland to continue to vaccinate everyone as quickly as possible.  

Getting to your vaccination appointment is classed as an essential journey. This means you can:

  • travel by public transport
  • share a car with someone not from your household
  • travel outwith your local authority area

You are advised to follow the standard guidance to protect yourself and others – wear a mask, keep a couple of windows slightly ajar to allow fresh air to circulate and sanitise your hands before and after the journey.

However, if you are still unable to attend or cannot get to the venue, you can rearrange your appointment. Every effort will be made to reschedule your appointment as soon as possible however it is important to understand that this is likely to mean you may have to wait longer for your appointment. 

At the moment, vaccine supply is limited which in turn restricts our ability to reschedule appointments for people who wish to change the time or location of their appointments.

Call handlers on the national booking line and on NHS Lothian’s local helpline will do all they can to help you. Please be patient and treat them with respect.

There are cases when rearranging appointments is essential. You should rearrange your appointment if you:

  • are feeling unwell with symptoms of coronavirus
  • have recently tested positive for coronavirus
  • have been told by NHS Test and Protect that you are a close contact of someone who has tested positive for coronavirus
  • live with someone who has recently tested positive for coronavirus
  • live with someone who has symptoms of coronavirus

If you have recently tested positive for coronavirus, even if you have no symptoms, you should wait until 4 weeks after the date you were tested to get the vaccine.

National Covid Vaccination Helpline   – 0800 030 8013
NHS Lothian Covid Vaccination Helpline    – 0300 790 6296