Spring Statement ‘heralds further boost to growth in Scotland’

Scottish Secretary Ian Murray welcomes Chancellor’s £2.2billion defence budget boost

Chancellor Rachel Reeves this week pledged a new era of security and national renewal as she delivered a Spring Statement to ‘kickstart economic growth, protect working people and keep Britain safe’. 

Scottish Secretary Ian Murray has welcomed her measures, including a £2.2 billion increase in the UK-wide defence budget for 2025-26, on top of £2.9 billion announced at Autumn Budget.

Mr Murray said: “We are living in an increasingly insecure world, and the extra £2.2 billion for defence – on top of the £2.9 billion announced at Autumn Budget – will make Britain stronger and safer.

“This is a huge boost for Scotland’s world-leading defence sector, which delivers Scottish economic growth and more highly-skilled jobs. The increase will also mean better homes for our military personnel and families, including the thousands based in Scotland. 

“Today’s announcements underpin the great strides being made by the UK Government in achieving stability in our public finances. There have been three interest rate cuts since the general election.

“Next week the increase in the minimum wage will mean a pay rise for hundreds of thousands of workers in Scotland and our employment rights legislation will deliver the biggest upgrade in workers’ rights in a generation. 

“The Spring Statement also delivered an extra £28 million for the Scottish Government. That is on top of their £4.9 billion extra from the budget, creating a record £47.7 billion settlement for 25/26, announced at the Autumn Budget.

“This is the biggest budget settlement in the history of devolution and an end to austerity. The Scottish Government must now use that wisely – to improve Scotland’s failing public services.” 

This latest defence boost builds on the Chancellor’s recent visit to Babcock in Rosyth where she also announced that UK defence exporters would benefit from a £2 billion increase to UK Export Finance lending capacity. 

Her Spring Statement underlines that growth is at the heart of the UK Government’s Plan for Change with £13 billion of additional capital spend allocated alongside the defence funding boost.

It follows the Budget in the autumn where it was announced that the Scottish Government will be provided with a £47.7 billion settlement in 2025/26 – the largest in real terms in the history of devolution. This includes an additional £3.4 billion through the Barnett formula, with £2.8 billion for day-to-day spending and £610 million for capital investment.  

The measures announced this week top up these Barnett consequentials by a further £28 million in 2025/26.

The Scottish Government continues to receive over 20% more per person than equivalent UK Government spending in the rest of the UK, translating into over £8.5 billion more in 2025-26. Block Grant funding from 2026-27 onwards will be confirmed at Phase 2 of the Spending Review, which concludes on 11 June 2025.

The Chief Secretary to the Treasury will meet with his counterparts from the devolved governments to discuss their priorities ahead of its conclusion.

Disability Rights UK: Fight the CUTS!

Disability Rights UK have launched a new page on the DR UK website containing information and resources regarding the recent green paper plan on benefit cuts and how people can get involved in responding.

The fallout from the recent announcements of benefit cuts and reforms has sent shockwaves through Disabled peoples organisations, disability charities and allies such as Amnesty, the Trussel Trust and many more, who all agree the cuts proposed will be catastrophic.

According to the Government, the benefits system is out of control, with far too many disabled people wrongly receiving benefits. This is not the true picture.

Social security spending overall is not increasing in any significant way.

Inclusion London have made clear that in 2023/4 the UK spent 4.88% of GDP on non-pensioner social security payments, which is lower than it was in 2009 (5.75%), the comparison year the Office for Budget Responsibility used in its 2024 Welfare Trends Report on incapacity benefits.

This is a long-term trend is steady back to the 1990s. Fraud rates for disability benefits are practically non-existent: (PIP) fraud stood at 0% in the financial year ending 2024.

It is a fact that half of all people in poverty are disabled people. Disabled people can’t afford food, energy, housing and transport, and are the biggest users of Food Banks.

The community also faces additional costs related to impairments and health conditions, amounting to up to £1k extra a month and yet the Government intends to take £5 billion pounds from Disabled peoples incomes with its benefit reforms.

With the spring statement offering even less hope, there no humanitarian or economic sense of pushing more disabled people into poverty: we need to act.

The OBR has not yet been able to forecast any employment gain from the cuts/changes to incapacity & disability benefits, so effectively MPs are being asked to support these cuts without any clear assessment of what it will achieve.

These cuts are purely about saving money, nothing else. DR UK and its allies will not stay silent as benefits are cut, public services are slashed, & our rights are eroded, join us in the fight.

The Our new web page contains what action you can take how you can get involved in campaigning against these thebenefit cuta proposals how you can respond , for example responding to the consultation write writing to your MP and protesting.

Learn more about what we campaign on, and how you can campaign with us by visiting the Take Action page

Action Porty: Bellfield’s Big Build

BUY SHARES, BUILD COMMUNITY

Bellfield’s Big Build – Community Share Offer

Dates: Saturday 29th March – Saturday 30th April 2025

Location: Bellfield, Portobello, Edinburgh 

Target Raise: £200k (successful share issue will unlock £450k capital grand from Community Ownership, if we are unsuccessful we lose the £450k).

Porty’s trailblazing take on keeping community spaces thriving

Can we raise 200k from the community in a month? 

  • Action Porty are launching a community share offer to raise funds to double the space in the celebration hall (the old church building) in Bellfield community centre
  • Action Porty currently turn away 50% of bookings due to lack of space, and the new refurbishment will create a warmer, more efficient and more accessible building.
  • Action Porty were the first Urban organisation to have used the community ‘right to buy’ legislation to have bought the building in 2017.
  • Councils, churches and police buildings are being sold off all round the country, Action Porty are showing a way that communities can get organised to own and run their own community spaces. 
  • Community members and organisations who buy shares will have a say in what happens with the building in the future. 
  •  The building is used for youth theatre, ceilidhs, belly dancing, yoga, weddings, birthdays, Quaker meeting and much more!

“When you build more roads, you get more traffic. When you create more community spaces, you get more community” (Justin Kenrick, chair of Action Porty)

“I had my mother’s funeral here; I’ve spent pivotal moments of my life in this building – happy or sad, joyous or full of anguish, this building has housed all those emotions” (Shauna)

More info – contact membership@actionporty.com, Phone: 07786577884 (Hazel) 

Website: https://www.bellfield.scot/buy-shares-1

Instagram: @bellfieldporty

Facebook: Action Porty

Bellfield’s Big Build_FINAL_digitalDownload

Grangemouth: Westminster Committee to question Petroineos, INEOS and EY on Project Willow

Westminster’s Scottish Affairs Committee will examine the future of the Grangemouth oil refinery as part of its inquiry into GB Energy and the net zero transition on Wednesday 2nd April. 

The imminent closure of Scotland’s only oil refinery at the Grangemouth industrial complex, one of Scotland’s major manufacturing facilities, threatens the jobs of around 400 workers. 

This evidence session follows the publication of Project Willow, a feasibility study co-funded by the UK and Scottish governments to examine the viability of new sustainable opportunities at the Grangemouth refinery site. Carried out by consultancy EY, the study identified nine projects that could be developed with private sector investment.  

The cross-party committee of MPs will question the refinery operator Petroineos, shareholder INEOS, and one of Project Willow’s authors, on the study’s findings.

 

Witnesses at 9.30am:  

  • Anu Bhambi, Head of Energy Transition Strategy, EY Parthenon  
  • Iain Hardie, Head of Legal and External Affairs, Petroineos 
  • Colin Pritchard, Sustainability and External Relations Director, INEOS Grangemouth 

Edinburgh Leisure to host citywide Danceathon at Meadowbank

A Celebration of Movement and Fun

Bookings go live today for a Danceathon as Edinburgh Leisure get set to transform Meadowbank Sports Centre into a vibrant dance destination on Saturday, 19th April, inviting everyone to experience the joy of dance.

Event Highlights

Date: Saturday, 19th April

Time: 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM

Location: Meadowbank Sports Centre, London Road, EH7 6AE

Pricing:

  • Free for Edinburgh Leisure members
  • £12.50 per class for non-members

The Danceathon builds on the momentum of the national “Let’s Dance” initiative, championed by Angela Rippon CBE, which launched last month, aiming to inspire more people to discover the incredible physical and social benefits of dancing.

“Dancing is more than just exercise – it’s a celebration of movement, music, and community,” says Alex Smith, Fitness Manager at Edinburgh Leisure.

“Whether you’re a seasoned dancer or a complete beginner, we have a class that will get you moving and smiling.”

Dance Styles for Every Taste

Participants can explore a diverse range of dance classes, including:

  • Musical Theatre Fitness: A Musical Theatre themed dance cardio fitness workout
  • Dance Fitness: Combining dancing and cardio, you’ll burn calories, tone muscles, and boost your mood.
  • Konga: Boxing, Cardio, Dance and Sculpting set to the hottest beats
  • Get Low: A beat-driven low impact workout to ignite your mind, move your body & improve your wellbeing.
  • Bodyjam: High-energy hip hop and chart music
  • Zumba: Lively, upbeat Latin-inspired fitness

What to Wear:

  • Comfortable, flexible clothing
  • Dancing shoes or appropriate fitness footwear
  • A positive attitude and willingness to have fun.

Book Your Spot Now

Spaces are limited, so secure your place quickly:

Don’t miss this opportunity to dance, connect, and get fit in one exciting event!

Charity urges parents to take note of water safety at home following Coronation Street hot tub drowning storyline

 

The Royal Life Saving Society (RLSS UK) is urging parents to always supervise children in and around water and always keep young children within arm’s reach, ahead of Coronation Street’s latest storyline.  

The advice comes as tonight’s episode of the ITV soap features six-year-old Bertie Osbourne involved in a shocking hot tub incident. 

The storyline reflects the dangers that children face at home, in and around water, as the charity has previously highlighted that on average, one child a month drowns at home.  

In the upcoming episode of the award-winning show, Jenny, who is babysitting Bertie, gets distracted by a phone call from her bank and loses sight of the young child. 

After noticing his football floating in the uncovered hot tub, Bertie reaches towards it and falls in unexpectedly, leaving him at risk of drowning. Fortunately, Steve and Cassie find Bertie quickly, pull him out of the water and he is rushed to hospital. 

A survey conducted by water safety charity, RLSS UK, found that 1 in 5 parents have a hot tub at home, yet over half of them (59%) do not always replace the cover immediately after use* allowing children open access, often without parents’ knowledge. 

RLSS UK’s Child Drowning Update highlights evidence from the National Child Mortality Database (NCMD) that the number of child drowning deaths in England has doubled over the last four years**.  

RLSS UK’s Interim Charity Director, Matt Croxall said: “Whilst lots of fun can be had with water in the home and garden/outdoor space, easy access to water in familiar spaces can sometimes make it easy to forget the risks water can bring. Hot tubs are a great place for grown-ups to unwind and socialise, but they can be especially hazardous for children.  

“Our recent Child Drowning Update highlighted the risks that hot tubs can pose – three children accidentally drowned in the 12 months to March 2023 in hot tubs after they were left uncovered. 

“It is great that such a high-profile programme as Coronation Street is featuring such an important issue and highlighting how quickly such incidents can happen.”  

The charity is reminding parents that drowning happens quickly and often silently in as little as 2” (5cm) of water.  RLSS UK is urging parents to always supervise children in and around water and always keep young children within arm’s reach. Evidence shows that 86% of child drownings happened when the child was unsupervised**. 

To help raise awareness of the risks water can pose around every home, RLSS UK launched a new campaign called Splash Safety at my Pad.  

The campaign, which returns in May, seeks to provide young families with advice, hints and tips about how to enjoy water safely at home.  

RLSS UK’s Top Tips for Staying Safe around Hot Tubs 

  1. Cover it Up  

Ensure hot tubs are covered with a solid, lockable cover immediately after use to prevent curious children from climbing or falling in. 

If your hot tub doesn’t have a cover or it is broken, replace this vital piece of safety equipment as soon as possible. Don’t fill or use your hot tub until you’ve replaced the cover.  

  1. Stay Together  

Ensure children are always supervised by an adult when they are spending time in and around a hot tub – even when the cover is on. Accidents can happen quickly, and children are naturally drawn to water.  

Top Tip: If you’re with a group of adults, take it in turns to oversee supervising children near water. Always ensure that everyone in the group knows who’s responsible for watching the children at all times. 
 
3. Not for Little Ones! 

Children under five should not use a hot tub in any circumstances. 
 
4. Talk about the Risks 

Talk to older children about how to stay safe around hot tubs. Be clear children should stay away from hot tubs when not in use. Ensure that they never open the cover without an adult present.  

Sources: 

* Royal Life Saving Society UK Consumer Survey, geographically represented sample of n=1,003 parents of children aged five years and under, (September 2024). 

** England only, 2019 – 2023  

Water of Leith sex offender jailed

A 24-year-old man has been sentenced in connection with sexual offences which happened in Edinburgh.

Noor Khan Yousafzai carried out the offences in December 2024 near the Water of Leith walkway in the city.

He has been sentenced to 12 months imprisonment at Edinburgh Sheriff Court yesterday – Thursday, 27 March, 2025.

Detective Sergeant Jordan Kerr said: “Yousafzai caused fear and alarm to members of the public by exposing himself and sexually assaulting a woman.

“We would like to thank the public who came forward and reported these incidents to us, which has resulted in him being brought to justice.”

NHS Lothian receptionist Cathie retires at 90 after 58 years of service

A treasured receptionist at the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People (RHCYP) will retire this week – at the remarkable age of 90!

Cathie Lackie will move on to her next chapter after nearly six decades of dedicated service to NHS Lothian.

She began working at the old Sick Kids hospital in 1966, where one of her duties was operating the switchboard, manually connecting calls by plugging cords into the right socket for the caller to be put through to the correct department.

Cathie initially retired 30 years ago when mandatory retirement rules were in place. However, her expertise and dedication were so valued that she was quickly asked to return – and she’s been a fixture at the hospital ever since for the last 58 years.

Cathie said: “When I first started and was on the switchboard, it was very different to how it is here now. I’m definitely going to miss the company and all the chats.

“I used to get to know the doctors quite well – that’s been one of the best things about working here, to see them progress from junior doctors all the way to consultants – then they retire, and I see their children become doctors.”

Allister Short, Service Director of Women’s and Children’s Services, NHS Lothian, said Cathie’s warmth and professionalism made her a familiar and comforting presence for staff, patients, and families alike throughout her service.

“Cathie is an institution for us here at the RHCYP. When you walked through the front door, especially at the old site, Cathie was always there with a warm smile.

“For children who were regular visitors, seeing her familiar face made a huge difference. Hospitals can be intimidating places, but Cathie’s welcome brought comfort to so many families.

“When you have that many years of experience you almost become part of the furniture. Even though we’ve moved buildings, Cathie became the reception at the RHCYP. We’re all going to miss that and there will always be a special space for Cathie in our hearts.”

Staff who have been touched by her kindness over the years came together recently for a farewell event to celebrate Cathie’s incredible achievements at the RHCYP.

They shared memories and wished Cathie well in her new adventures.

Cathie intends to swap her reception desk and phone for her garden and spending time with her family, including daughter Susan Burns.

Susan said: “Working at the Children’s Hospital has been such a huge part of Mum’s life.

“When we were younger, Mum and Dad shared childcare—when Mum was working, Dad would watch us, and vice versa. Later, when we had our own families, Mum would care for the grandchildren during the day, then head off to work in the evening.

“Her work family was so important to her. Even when she was meant to retire at 60 and reduce her hours, we quickly realised she was going in seven days a week!”