First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has used her 2016 New Year message to hail Scotland’s ‘can-do’ culture and set out enterprise and innovative public services as priorities for the year ahead. Continue reading First Minister’s New Year message
A second chance at life: ‘The greatest gift of all’
Make organ donation your New Year’s resolution
Public Health Minister Maureen Watt today issued a call for everyone to consider making joining the Organ Donor Register their new year’s resolution for 2016. Continue reading A second chance at life: ‘The greatest gift of all’
2015: The year in pictures
From the Nepal earthquake, Charlie Hebdo and extreme weather to austerity, the refugee crisis and the November attacks in Paris, 2015 was an unforgettable year – but all too often for the wrong reasons. How many of these events do you remember? Continue reading 2015: The year in pictures
Local bus diversions
Pennywell Gardens: 14 and 37 buses diverted
Due to a road closure at Muirhouse View to repair a burst pipe buses are currently unable to serve Pennywell Gardens and are instead being diverted via Pennywell Road, Muirhouse Parkway and Silverknowes Parkway.
Scotland braced for Storm Frank
Members of the public are being advised to prepare for heavy rain and strong winds as Storm Frank sweeps across the country today. Continue reading Scotland braced for Storm Frank
Let’s get the party started!
Some Street Party tickets still available
Edinburgh’s Hogmanay organisers Unique Events are advising revellers to buy and pick up their Street Party tickets soon, rather than the day itself.
While tickets for Concert in the Gardens, Candlelit Concert and the Old Town Ceilidh are already sold out, tickets for the world famous Street Party are still available. The Street Party event sold out last year, however, so if you want to be there – get your ticket NOW!
Our local Living Landscape: opportunities to get involved
As part of the Edinburgh Living Landscape project (see below) I was recently appointed by the Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh as their Urban Biodiversity Project Officer with the aim of developing projects to benefit people and wildlife in the city (writes Leone Alexander). Continue reading Our local Living Landscape: opportunities to get involved
Terrific year for PlayTalkRead
PlayTalkRead, the Scottish Government’s early years campaign, has reached a record number of new families in 2015, the Children’s Minister Aileen Campbell has revealed. Continue reading Terrific year for PlayTalkRead
Letter: Give us the power!
Dear Editor
There can be very few households in the UK who are not worried by their gas and electricity bills. The advice usually given is to shop around for lower tariffs, but this is no permanent solution. The absolute necessity for everyone to afford adequate fuel supplies is overwhelming but it seems that a few major suppliers have a near monopoly on the industry – and have been making millions of pounds profit.
Just a few examples:
£139 million Scottish Gas, February 2015
£549 million SSE, November 2015
£528 million British Gas (first six months 2015)
£860 million EDF, February 2014
£1.5 BILLION Southern Electric, Jan 2014
And yet there are perhaps millions of people who cannot afford adequate heating!
By any measure, this situation cannot go on like this in the 21st Century. As an essential necessity energy supplies MUST become publicly-owned industries, working in the interests of everyone; profits made not for private individuals or groups of investors but used to reduce prices and to maintain efficient industries.
Energy supplies must be seen as important to the people of the UK as the NHS has proved to be. Maximum unity of working people is needed to press for these vital public services: it is up to us.
A. Delahoy
Silverknowes Gardens
Ewing hails community energy schemes
But the GMB union argues that we need more than renewable energy to keep the UK’s lights on
Community energy can go from strength to strength following a strong year for the sector, Energy Minister Fergus Ewing said yesterday. From large scale wind farms to small scale hydro projects, over £10 million was last year ploughed back into communities from renewable sources. Continue reading Ewing hails community energy schemes