Assembly Festival re-launches Local Residents Ticket Offer with EH postcodes getting exclusive access for 48 hours
To celebrate the opening of Assembly George Square Gardens for the Edinburgh Folk & Food Festival (18–27 July), Assembly Festival is Inviting locals to embrace the magic of the Edinburgh festival season withthousands of £6.50 tickets released this Wednesday 16 July.
The Assembly Festival 2025 programme boasts over 240 shows, so get ready for a wild ride through comedy, cabaret, theatre, music, dance and more. From returning fan-favourites and rising stars to the wonderfully weird, there’s something for everyone at Assembly Festival.
How it works:
The offer is valid on select shows only at Assembly Festival and Edinburgh Folk & Food Festival.
Starts 10:00 on Wed 16 Jul ends 23:59 on Sun 27 Jul or when tickets sell out – whichever comes first. Strictly limited ticket allocation, so get in quick!
You must log in to your account/register on our website first and ensure your billing address states your EH postcode.
You must select the local resident ticket option and enter the promocode FRINGE4LOCALS before adding to basket.
The offer is only valid under the Local Resident option at the point of booking – if this option is not displayed in the ticket options, it means the offer is not redeemable on the performance you have selected (double check you have selected a performance between 30 July and 03 August).
Exclusive to EH postcodes for 48 hours, then rolling out to FK, G, KY, ML & DG postcodes from 10:00 Friday 18 July.
Tickets are limited to a maximum of two tickets per performance and six per transaction.
All purchases made with Assembly Festival are final. We are unable to amend a booking once it has been processed.
This special offer is valid for performances running from 30 July to 3 August – don’t miss your chance to experience world-class shows at a fraction of the price.Grab your £6.50 tickets now and be part of the fun!
Views are being sought on a new Bill which aims to reduce incidences of domestic abuse, by the Scottish Parliament’s Criminal Justice Committee.
The Prevention of Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Bill is a Members Bill which has been introduced by Pam Gosal, MSP.
The Bill is in four parts and would introduce notification requirements for certain people convicted of domestic abuse offences, similar to those for registered sex offenders. This would mean people would have to inform the police of things like their address or passport details.
It would give courts the power to order an assessment of the suitability of certain people convicted of domestic abuse to take part in rehabilitation or behaviour change programmes.
The Bill would place a data collection duty on Police Scotland, the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) and charities working with victims of domestic abuse, and an annual reporting duty on the Scottish Government.
If passed, the Bill would also require schools to provide education on domestic abuse and healthy relationships as part of the curriculum.
Police Scotland recorded 63,867 incidents of domestic abuse in 2023-24, an increase of 3% compared to the previous year.
Criminal Justice Committee Convener, Audrey Nicoll MSP, said:“Our Committee is acutely aware of the devastating impact domestic abuse has on individuals, families, and communities across Scotland, and the latest statistics on domestic abuse show the scale of this issue.
“This Bill presents a range of proposals aiming to prevent domestic abuse, including statutory data collection on authorities and improving school education but we want to hear views on whether individuals and organisations support these proposals.
“We are particularly keen to hear from those with lived experience, their families and frontline professionals on if they agree with the proposals in this Bill, or if they feel other actions are required to tackle domestic abuse in Scotland.”
Westminster’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) warns of lack of clarity over how much tax is paid or avoided by the very wealthy, as new report highlights significant opportunities to collect more revenue.
HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) cannot identify how much tax is paid by UK billionaires. In a report on collecting the right tax from wealthy individuals, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) calls on HMRC to publish its plan for increasing tax yield from wealthy taxpayers both domestically and offshore.
Despite UK billionaires making up a relatively small number of people and the significant sums of money involved, the PAC was disappointed to find that HMRC cannot use the wide range of data it uses to identify wealthy people to provide transparency about the tax paid by the wealthiest.
A billionaire has wealth and assets 500x greater than a wealthy person who just meets HMRC’s definition* of ‘wealthy’, and so has huge potential on their own to affect how much revenue is available for public spending.
The PAC is seeking HMRC’s plan for improving its understanding of the wealth and assets held by billionaires, including how it might immediately start work on comparing available data on known billionaires, such as the Sunday Times Rich List, with its own records.
HMRC’s has done well to ensure wealthy taxpayers comply with tax rules brought in an additional £5.2 billion of tax revenue in 2023-24. This is a significant increase from £2.2 billion in 2019-20. However, the report notes that the scale of this success suggests either wealthy non-compliance has got worse, or that previous estimates of their tax avoidance were too low, and finds that HMRC needs to improve its assessment of the amount of tax that the wealthy avoid paying.
The tax authority told the inquiry that the tax gaps* for wealthy people and for offshore wealth are particularly difficult to measure. Given these difficulties, and the deficiencies in HMRC’s information on wealth, the PAC concerned that HMRC is overly confident and optimistic in its estimate that the wealthy tax gap is only £1.9bn.
Its partial estimate of the offshore tax gap, of £0.3bn, seems far too low, particularly when compared with UK residents holding £849bn in offshore accounts in 2019.
The PAC’s report finds that in 2023-24, there were only 25 criminal prosecutions of wealthy people and 456 penalties (down from 1,747 in 2022-23). This is despite the average time HMRC takes to close an investigation increasing every year between 2018-19 to 2022-23.
For investigations yielding more than £100,000, the average duration in 2023-24 was 40 months.
The PAC finds it particularly disappointing that HMRC has issued no penalties to enablers of tax evasion, despite acknowledging unscrupulous advisers often play a key role in helping the wealthy evade tax, and recommends HMRC assess whether it is using its powers to tackle non-compliance by the wealthy sufficiently, in particular, whether it makes sufficient use of available sanctions.
Lloyd Hatton MP, Member of the Public Accounts Committee, said: “This report is not concerned with political debate around the redistribution of wealth.
“Our Committee’s role is to help HMRC do its job properly ensuring wealthy people pay the correct tax. While HMRC does deserve some great credit for securing billions more in the tax take from the wealthiest in recent years, there is still a very long way to go before we can reach a true accounting of what is owed.
“We already know a great deal about billionaires living in the UK, with much information about their tax affairs and wealth in the public domain.
“So we were disappointed to find that HMRC, of all organisations, was unable to provide any insight into their tax affairs from its own data – particularly given that any single one of these individuals’ contributions could make a significant difference to the overall picture.
“We found a similar apparent lack of curiosity in how wide the tax gap is both for the very wealthy and for wealth stashed away offshore.
“Our report shows that, however you slice it, there is a lot of money being left on the table. HMRC must, under its new leadership, begin collecting the correct amount of tax from the very wealthiest – and this must include wealth that is currently squirrelled away in tax havens.
“There is certainly room for improvement. We hope that HMRC uses both our recommendations and the new funding it has secured in this area to do so.”
Three women, aged 31, 34 and 42, have been arrested under the Terrorism Act 2000 after a van was driven into an external fence of a business premises at Crewe Toll.
The incident happened during a disturbance in the Crewe Road North area this morning (Tuesday, 15 July, 2025).
Police Scotland’s Counter Terrorism Unit are leading the investigation and enquiries are ongoing.
Police are treating this as targeted, and do not believe there is any wider threat to the public.
If anyone was on Crewe Road North or in the nearby supermarket carpark during the early hours of this morning and has any relevant dashcam footage or saw anything suspicious, please contact the Police on 101 quoting reference 0416 of 15 July.
Tracy Gilbert MP has today welcomed Scottish Labour’s commitment to increase funding for hospices and deliver pay parity for hospice-based doctors, nurses, and care staff across Scotland, including those serving communities in Edinburgh North and Leith.
The announcement, made today by Scottish Labour, will see hospice staff receive wages in line with their NHS counterparts through full funding of the Agenda for Change pay scale, easing the burden on overstretched hospices and helping to secure the future of palliative care services.
Local facilities such as St Columba’s Hospice in Trinity play a vital role in delivering compassionate, end-of-life care to families across the constituency.
However, rising costs and an historic lack of investment under the SNP government have left the sector struggling to recruit and retain staff.
Tracy Gilbert MP said: “Hospice doctors, nurses, and support staff are the beating heart of palliative care.
“They deserve to be paid fairly for the essential work they do, and under a Scottish Labour government, they finally will be.”
Scottish Labour’s plan is designed not only to improve pay but to protect the services that thousands of families rely on every year.
Red tape swept away in biggest financial regulation reforms in a decade to boost homeownership and put more money into people’s pockets through the Government’s Plan for Change.
Nationwide set to widen access to its ‘Helping Hand’ mortgage from Wednesday, supporting 10,000 extra first-time buyers thanks to Chancellor’s Leeds Reforms.
Reeves: Benefits of a thriving finance sector will be felt all over Britain
The Chancellor is expected to announce the biggest set of reforms to financial regulation in a decade at a summit of top finance executives in Leeds tonight as part of the Government’s mission to kick start economic growth and support more first-time buyers.
Red tape holding back the competitiveness of the UK financial sector will be swept away under the Leeds Reforms, addressing long-standing industry complaints.
The changes will see Britain become the top destination for finance firms over the next decade, attracting inward investment from across the globe to create good, skilled jobs around the country.
Prospective homeowners will be given a leg up onto the housing ladder under the plans, with regulators acting on the Chancellor’s push to regulate for growth.
More mortgages will be available at over 4.5 times a buyer’s income following Bank of England recommendations that some banks and building societies offer more high loan-to-income mortgages – creating up to 36,000 additional mortgages for first-time buyers over the first year.
This change means that Nationwide will be able to make its popular ‘Helping Hand’ mortgage available to people with lower incomes. From Wednesday, eligible first-time buyers can apply for the mortgage with a £30,000 salary, down from £35,000, and joint applicants with a £50,000 combined salary – down from £55,000. This will support an additional 10,000 first-time buyers each year.
This comes alongside the creation of a permanent mortgage guarantee scheme, delivering on a Manifesto commitment and ensuring high loan-to-value mortgages continue to be available in times of uncertainty, as well as a review of Financial Conduct Authority lending rules that could allow a prospective buyers’ record of paying rent on time to show they can afford mortgage repayments.
The reforms will be unveiled in Leeds ahead of the Chancellor’s Mansion House speech on Tuesday evening.
Speaking in the City of London, Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves is expected to say:“This is the foundation of an economy, and a country, that is more active and more confident.
“Where people and businesses look to the future and talk about hope about opportunity.
“Assured of their own capability, and of the ability of our country to boldly face the challenges that lie ahead.
“And certain of the prize if they succeed.
“Of higher wages and higher living standards.
“The renewal of Britain in every home and every high street.
“To put it simply: a Britain that is better off.
She will add on homeownership:
“I welcome the recent changes the Financial Policy Committee has announced to the loan-to-income limit on mortgage lending, which the PRA and FCA are implementing immediately.
“With an instant impact for consumers, such as Nationwide offering its ‘Helping Hand’ mortgage to more first time-buyers – supporting an additional 10,000 each year.
She will conclude:
“Today, I have placed financial services at the heart of the government’s growth mission.
“Recognising that Britain cannot succeed and meet its growth ambitions without a financial services sector that is fighting fit and thriving. …
“And I have been clear on the benefits that that will drive.
“With a ripple effect that will drive investment in all sectors of our economy and put pounds in the pockets of working people.”
Imagine This, the only UK charity solely dedicated to children’s mental health, today unveils its new name as part of a bold new chapter in its mission to support the mental wellbeing of seriously ill children and their families across the UK. Formerly known as The Murray Parish Trust, the rebrand marks a renewed focus on this urgent and underserved area.
Founded in 2014 by actors Sarah Parish MBE and Jim Murray MBE, following the tragic loss of their daughter Ella-Jayne at just 8 months old, the charity has spent over a decade delivering life-changing projects in paediatric care in Hampshire, where the couple live. In 2024, the charity expanded its mission nationally in response to the growing need for mental health support in children’s healthcare.
MBE
Awarded in the 2025 New Year’s Honours List, their MBEs will be formally presented by HRH The Prince of Wales at Windsor Castle tomorrow. The Honours celebrate a decade of extraordinary dedication to improving the lives of seriously ill children and their families across the UK.
Their leadership has driven vital progress in paediatric care, from funding life-saving medical equipment to championing imaginative, mental health-focused projects that offer children and families hope, connection, and support during the hardest times.
Rebrand
Today, The Murray Parish Trust is rebranding as Imagine This: an inspiring new name designed to capture hearts, inspire hope, and raise the profile of the urgent mental health crisis facing seriously ill children and their families. This fresh identity reflects the charity’s renewed commitment to being more imaginative, accessible, and far-reaching in its mission.
The need for mental health support for these children is immense and growing, and to meet this, Imagine This is positioning itself to scale its projects and extend its reach across the entire UK. With a clear focus on ensuring no seriously ill child or family faces the mental health challenges of serious illness alone, the charity’s mission is to reach every seriously ill child by 2035.
Key Statistics
There are more than one million seriously ill children in the UK. These children, and their families, are significantly more likely to experience poor mental health, facing trauma, anxiety, and isolation, often with little or no emotional support.
Recent research shows that nearly one in five seriously ill children suffer from anxiety, and around one in seven live with depression, rates far higher than those in the general child population.
The emotional toll extends to parents, who are often expected to cope alone. Mothers of seriously ill children are particularly vulnerable, with one in four experiencing anxiety or depression . Fathers, too, frequently report suffering in silence.
Behind these statistics are children missing school, withdrawing from their friends, and struggling to cope with overwhelming diagnoses and medical trauma, without access to the broad, holistic support they urgently need.
From creative therapies to peer connection, tailored emotional care, and safe spaces just to be children, these forms of support can be life-changing, but far too many go without.
“Imagine being told your child has a serious illness, and trying to hold your family together while navigating a world focused almost entirely on their medical care”, says co-founderSarah Parish MBE.
“We know that trauma firsthand, and we know how much more support families need. Without early, meaningful support, the impact on children and their families’ mental health can last a lifetime.
“That’s why Imagine This exists:to help ensure no child or family faces the emotional toll of serious illness alone.
Our vision is for every seriously ill child and their family to have access to the kind of imaginative, empowering support that helps them navigate their journey with connection, resilience, and hope. This new identity marks our commitment to every one of these children and their families.”
The name Imagine This captures both empathy and possibility, a reflection of the daily challenges faced by seriously ill children and their families, and a call to reimagine what meaningful support can look like.
The charity delivers imaginative, diverse and impactful projects, helping families cope with the emotional and psychological toll of serious illness.
These innovative projects include groundbreaking Positivity in Motion – dance, music and yoga therapy delivered in partnership with Synergy Dance Outreach, to children at Great Ormond StreetHospital and Evelina London Children’s Hospital.
“This isn’t just a name change,” co-founder Jim Murray MBE adds. “It’s the beginning of a bold, nationwide movement to transform how we support the mental wellbeing of seriously ill children and their families living through the unimaginable.
“Our ambition is clear: by 2035, we aim to reach every seriously ill child in the UK, bringing imaginative and innovative projects to children in hospitals, hospices, and communities across the UK. Imagine This is the only UK charity solely dedicated to this urgent need, and we’re just getting started.”
Professor Lorna Fraser of Palliative Care and Child Health at King’s College London says, “When a child becomes seriously ill, this can impact the entire family.
“Our research shows the impact of serious physical illness on the mental health of the children and their parents, and how difficult it can be to access timely and appropriate support.
“We need to prioritise mental health support – it is an essential component of care for children with serious illness and their families. Imagine this is helping to shift that thinking, and it’s long overdue.”
This milestone also marks the start of an exciting new chapter, with the appointment of Ellie Main as Head of Fundraising and Operations.
Formerly Senior Fundraising Manager at BBC Children in Need, Ellie brings a wealth of experience in strategic growth and nationwide programme delivery, putting Imagine This in a strong position to scale its impact and reach every seriously ill child in the UK by 2035.
Fund to support Scotland’s diaspora increased by 50%
Applications are now open for the Scottish Connections Fund 2025-26, which helps strengthen Scotland’s international diaspora.
Grants of up to £5,000 are available for new projects that help to promote Scotland and bring together our diaspora around the world. This year’s total funding has increased by 50% to £75,000 – supporting a minimum of 15 projects in 2025-26.
The Fund aims to promote increased visibility and connectivity with and between Scottish diaspora communities. It offers funding to deliver new and innovative projects outwith Scotland that promote the nation’s reputation and interests around the globe.
External Affairs Secretary Angus Robertson said: “The Scottish Connections Fund has increased by 50% to £75,000 for this year – meaning that even more new and innovative projects will be able to benefit and engage Scotland’s diaspora community.
“The Fund is open to bids from any individual or organisation with a Scottish connection, whether that link is through heritage, education, business, culture, or a broader affinity.
“We see Scotland diaspora as an extension of Scotland itself – and we want to support this thriving community around the world.”
One of the Fund’s beneficiaries last year was the Africa Scotland Business Network which received funding to set up a new Future Leaders business network for under 30s.
Director Claire Alexander said: “The Scottish Connections Fund has played a pivotal role in launching a powerful legacy initiative that’s making a real difference in the lives of young people.
“Africa Scotland Business Network (ASBN) was honoured to receive a grant from the fund, which enabled the creation of ASBN Future Leaders – a dynamic, new, international and intercultural business network tailored specifically for the needs of young people.
“Today, ASBN Future Leaders is home to young people from Scotland, England, Namibia, South Africa, and Kenya – and the community continues to grow every month.”
Applications for this year’s Fund will close on Tuesday 9 September 2025. Projects must be completed by the end of March 2026.
UK Government launches the Post Office Green Paper, the first comprehensive review of the Post Office in 15 years
First comprehensive review of the Post Office in 15 years, with customers and postmasters shaping its future.
Post Office Green Paper will seek to transform the organisation’s culture in the wake of the Horizon scandal and changing customer demands.
Better services at the heart of new £118 million subsidy to fund the Post Office’s Transformation Plan and further network investment, moving the organisation closer to delivering growth in line with the Plan for Change.
Postmasters and the public will have the opportunity to shape the future of the Post Office for the first time in 15 years, as the Government sets out its vision for the next decade for the organisation.
The Post Office Green Paper, published today, will move further and faster to deliver a decade of renewal for customers and postmasters, building on the cultural reset being led by Post Office Chair Nigel Railton that will be so crucial to its success.
Working hand in hand with postmasters and the public the Government will ensure the network is put on a path to a strong and sustainable future with Post Office branches remaining at the heart of communities across the UK.
This includes on the Post Office’s ownership model, with concepts including mutualisation on the table for consideration following the publication of the final Horizon Inquiry report later this year.
The report is expected to provide recommendations on improving the structure of the Post Office so that this miscarriage of justice is never allowed to occur again, protecting postmasters whilst also providing reassurance for customers.
This follows an unprecedented period in which the Post Office has faced a series of major challenges, from the Horizon IT scandal to significant changes in consumer behaviour, such as a rise in online shopping and falling demand for traditional post.
Post Office Minister Gareth Thomas said: “Post Offices continue to be a central part of our high streets and communities across the country. However, after fifteen years without a proper review, and in the aftermath of the Horizon scandal, it’s clear we need a fresh vision for its future.
“This Green Paper marks the start of an honest conversation about what people want and need from their Post Office in the years ahead.
“I look forward to hearing the views of customers, business owners and postmasters so we can build a Post Office capable of serving the public for generations to come.”
The consultation will run for 12 weeks, closing on 6th October 2025. It will examine key areas including:
How Post Office services should evolve to meet changing consumer needs
Ways to strengthen the relationship between the Post Office and its postmasters
Options for modernising the network while ensuring services remain within local reach
Ensure the Post Office is well-equipped to adapt to consumer trends
How the Post Office can improve and develop the banking services it provides
Research published alongside the Green Paper today also highlights the important role the Post Office still plays in the daily lives of people and businesses, adding social value of around £5.2 billion per year to households and £1.3 billion annually to small and medium sized businesses.
As part of the Government’s commitment to securing the future of this vital national institution, Ministers have also announced plans to award a new subsidy package of up to £118 million to fund the Post Office’s Transformation Plan and further investment to improve the network.
This funding will protect key services, including access to cash deposits and withdrawals as well as key government services, such as passport applications and the DVLA, alongside helping the Post Office deliver cost-saving measures in its Transformation Plan, part of the New Deal for Postmasters.
The Green Paper and details on how to respond to the consultation can be found here.
