Following the escalation of anti-immigration protests in Glasgow’s city centre on Saturday, a food delivery driver was attacked by a group of protesters and subjected to racist insults and threats.
Chief superintendent Emma Croft stated that “The level of disorder, violence and intimidation we saw in Glasgow on Saturday was nothing short of disgraceful.”
We cannot agree more. The aggression directed at people within our communities, that leave people worried for their own and their family’s safety and prevent them from going after their work and their daily lives is despicable, inexcusable, and deeply concerning.
In a society that grows and thrives on diversity, there is no space for spreading fear, hate, and violence.
We stand for an inclusive, open, and safe Scotland for all and we stand with the people affected by the racism displayed at the protests in Glasgow.
If you experienced or witnessed harassment of any sort, please know that you can report this to authorities and can seek support.
Community Consultation: Wellington Place Meanwhile Site
Come and have your say on the future of our new site at Wellington Place!
Thursday 6th August
6.00 – 7.30pm
Meet at the Meanwhile Site, then a short walk to Croft Populus Café
We’ll share where things are up to in the site’s clearance phase, walk you through what’s next, and then head to the café for refreshments and a relaxed chat about:
what matters to you about the site right now
how you’d like to see it used
how you might want to get involved
Everyone welcome! Come along, bring a friend, and help shape what happens next at Wellington Place!
This autumn, customers can enjoy a packed calendar of seasonal events at Dobbies Edinburgh store, with experiences designed for children, families, dog owners and those looking to enjoy a relaxing autumn-themed Crafternoon Tea.
September Crafternoon Tea
Enjoy a relaxing afternoon of creativity at Dobbies’ Crafternoon Tea, where customers will enjoy a delicious three-tiered afternoon tea, and start to create a unique glass mosaic to take home and complete.
The three-tiered afternoon tea will include an excellent selection of freshly made finger sandwiches, Dobbies’ famous scones with plain and fruit options, served with Cornish clotted cream and a mini pot of jam and a delicious selection of sweet treats to top it off. Customers will also get a pot of tea or coffee with unlimited refills. Customers can also upgrade to a prosecco afternoon tea when booking.
Tickets for Dobbies’ Crafternoon Tea are £40 per person, and advance booking is required at www.dobbies.com.
Little Scare-lings
This spooky season, come along to a spellbinding Halloween Tea Party filled with witchy magic and tasty treats at the Dobbies’ Little Scare-lings event. Little ones can take part in some hands-on fun with a spooktacular session of potion making, creating their own glow-in-the-dark slime, and decorating a trick or treat bag to take home and fill with Halloween sweets.
There will be lots of ghoulish games and activities to take part in, and a Halloween themed afternoon tea brimming with sand-witches, scarily good scones and spooky sweet treats.
Tickets to the Little Scare-lings event are £15 per child and from £7.50 per adult (including tea or coffee with a choice of cake or add on afternoon tea for £17.50). Advance booking is required at dobbies.com
Pup-kin Patch
Dobbies’ popular Pup-kin Patch will return to the Edinburgh store this autumn for lots of tail-wagging fun for dogs. Bring your furry friend along to the dog-friendly event, where they can sniff, explore and choose their very own autumn toy from the playful patch.
With activities from a doggy obstacle course, and a sniff or treat game, to enjoying a puppuccino from the restaurant, furry friends are bound to have a paw-some outing. The event will also include a free digital photo opportunity for dogs to pose in front of an autumnal backdrop, for a beautiful pet ‘paw-trait’.
Tickets to the event are £13.50 per dog (owners go free) and will also include money-off vouchers to enjoy in store and one free hot drink for humans with the purchase of any cake or breakfast roll from the restaurant.
Autumn Terrarium Workshop
Dobbies Edinburgh store is hosting the ultimate autumn activity with a themed planting experience, where the Green Team will show customers how to create their own autumn terrarium.
There will be the chance to create a miniature indoor landscape that captures the rich colours and textures of the season, with plants carefully selected by Dobbies’ Senior Plant Buyer, and RHS judge, Claire Bishop.
The workshop will start with a guided demonstration where attendees can learn some expert tips on care and design, then customers will have the chance to get hands-on and create a beautiful terrarium to take home and care for.
There is the option to add a Gardeners’ Afternoon Tea for £17.50, featuring a delicious selection of savoury and sweet treats and unlimited tea and coffee refills. Tickets for the Autumn Terrarium Workshop at the Edinburgh store are £37.50 per person and must be booked in advance at www.dobbies.com.
Dobbies’ Events Programme Manager, Hannah Stephen, is looking forward to welcoming families, dogs and planting enthusiasts to the excellent line-up of autumn events taking place in store this year.
Hannah said: “Dobbies are excited to offer a variety of seasonal events, with fun for all ages and every member of the family.
“The Autumn Terrarium Workshop is the perfect afternoon out for couples and friends who love to be creative, and our brand-new autumn Crafternoon Tea is an excellent opportunity for customers to enjoy crafting, conversation and a change of pace.
“Our Little Scare-lings event is a firm favourite for families, with plenty of action-packed activities, and the Pup-kin Patch is back by popular demand for all the dogs looking to get involved in the autumn fun. We can’t wait to celebrate autumn and Halloween by welcoming our customers into stores.”
For more information on Autumn events at the Edinburgh store and to book tickets, visit Dobbies.com/events.
Lottery funding worth millions to power community energy projects across Scotland
Community groups across Scotland are to receive further help to cut their energy bills and reduce carbon emissions, thanks to a £10 million investment over five years from the largest community funder in the UK.
The National Lottery Community Fund investment will help to fund the installation of renewable technologies like heat pumps and solar panels, as well as energy efficiency measures through the Scottish Government’s Community and Renewable Energy Scheme (CARES) Community Buildings Fund.
CARES provides advice and funding to communities looking to develop renewable energy, heat decarbonisation and energy efficiency projects. It is administered by Local Energy Scotland on behalf of the Scottish Government.
The investment was announced by Energy Minister Stephen Gethins during a visit to Shetland, where he saw how CARES funding helped Scalloway Youth and Community Project install a heat pump, solar panels and a battery.
The Minister said: “Scotland’s communities are at the heart of our transition to more affordable energy, and this £10 million investment over five years from The National Lottery Community Fund will help even more of them benefit from it.
“By supporting the installation of renewable technologies and energy efficiency measures, we can cut costs for organisations serving some of our most vulnerable people, reduce emissions from community buildings, and strengthen local supply chains.
“CARES has already delivered over £83 million to communities across Scotland, supporting more than 1,200 projects and 75MW of renewable energy capacity.
“This new funding will enable more communities to build on that progress in the places that matter to them, and I would encourage any organisations who have not already applied to speak with Local Energy Scotland to see what help they may be eligible for.”
Kate Still, Chair or The National Lottery Community Fund Scotland, said: “We’re delighted to have established this partnership with the Scottish Government and Local Energy Scotland.
“Supporting communities to be environmentally sustainable is one of our key missions at The National Lottery Community Fund. That’s why we are investing £10 million in the CARES Community Buildings Fund. It significantly increases CARES funding while keeping access to support and funding straightforward for community groups.
“Community buildings are often at the heart of local communities across Scotland, bringing people together to connect and support one another.
“Thanks to National Lottery players, this funding will help organisations invest in renewable and carbon-saving technologies, making these valued local spaces greener, more sustainable and more resilient.
“We know communities want to play a leading role in responding to climate change, and this investment will enable organisations of all sizes to take meaningful action while creating lasting benefits for both people and the environment.”
Laura McGadie, Operations Director at the Energy Saving Trust, said: ““We’re incredibly proud of everything CARES has achieved so far in supporting communities across Scotland.
This funding from The National Lottery Community Fund will help us build on that success, enabling us to reach even more communities and support them on their journey towards a more sustainable future.”
We’re looking for an enthusiastic and creative Community Heritage Officer to join our regeneration team and help bring our area’s rich heritage to life.
As Community Heritage Officer, you’ll develop and deliver activities that encourage people of all ages and backgrounds to explore, share and celebrate their local heritage. From organising community events and workshops, to collecting oral histories and supporting exhibitions, you’ll create opportunities for people to engage with the past while helping shape the future of the area.
This role is part of our Heritage & Place Programme project funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Historic Environment Scotland.
New figures show that more than 7,000 consultations were held at Scotland’s first GP walk-in services.
The number of consultations at the centres increased to a high of 2,299 in June as services were established, Public Health Scotland data shows.
The services are part of an innovative pilot, testing a new way of accessing same-day care from GPs or Advanced Nurse Practitioners at a wider range of times. They have been designed to provide more choice for patients while helping to relieve pressure on wider NHS services.
Between February and June GP walk-in pilot services were opened in six locations.
Health Secretary Angela Constance said: “We have promised to end the frustrating 8am rush for GP appointments and this new data shows that more people are benefiting from appointment-free care, at a time that works best for them.
“Some 7,082 walk-in consultations have already been carried out – giving patients access to urgent, same-day care – and we will roll this out to many more communities over the weeks and months ahead.
“Our focus is not simply on counting every patient, but on making every patient count. The pilot is just getting started and as it grows we will know more about how it is working.
“But behind every attendance is a person who has received timely assessment, reassurance, treatment or advice that may have improved their experience, supported earlier intervention, or prevented a more serious outcome.
“We have opened ten of the originally planned 16 GP walk-in services in five months and will soon be announcing even more locations as the pilot expands.”
‘Scheme more about politics rather than practicality’
Dr Iain Morrison, chairman of the BMA’s Scottish GPs committee, told BBC Radio Scotland’s Breakfast programme that doctors had expressed reservations about the walk-in clinics when they were first announced – and it now looked like a case of ‘I told you so’.
He said: “In terms of any pilot it’s important to learn to fail fast. My concern is that we’re not going to learn to close this down when all the evidence suggests that it’s not working. “It’s going to continue to be worked upon, potentially expanded, despite evidence crying out that it’s not having the impact that’s desired.
“The way you improve capacity, to provide as many appointments as are required, is to invest into core services. It’s not to put in additional money into separate services that fail to alleviate the core problem”
“The elections in May were heartbreaking for so many of us in the Labour family,but they were part of a long term trend of going backwards at every Holyrood election since 1999. Something needs to change.
“Michael is the leader rooted in Labour values who can unite and renew our party to offer hope across Scotland for better jobs,better public services and fairer nation with opportunity in every community of Scotland.”
Pauline McNeill MSP said:“I am backing Michael because he will be a strong leader who has no illusions about the difficult path ahead.
“He believes passionately that we can build a credible democratic centre left party in Scotland to represent working people.
“This must be an election about ideas and policy and I think he is best placed to lead the free flow of ideas using all the talents and skills in our party and our group of MSPs.”
A campaign spokesperson added: “Michael has been clear this leadership campaign will have to face the tough questions about why Labour has gone backwards at every Holyrood election.
“These problems are deep rooted and require serious answers.
“Only Michael can unite and renew Scottish Labour, drawing on all of our talents to rediscover our sense of moral purpose and offer the people of Scotland hope in Scottish Labour again.”
Marra campaign names local government group co-chairs
The Michael Marra campaign has also established a local government group to strengthen the voice of Labour councillors in the Scottish Labour leadership contest.
The group will be co-chaired by Fife Council leader David Ross and South Lanarkshire leader Maureen Devlin.
Maureen Devlin said:“I’m backing Michael Marra for Scottish Labour Leader.
“He’s the candidate rooted in Labour values who can renew and unite our party.”
David Ross said: “Michael has a positive vision for Scotland and will provide honest, straight-talking leadership, focused on better jobs and stronger public services.
“That’s what we need to unite and renew Scottish Labour.”
Michael Marra, the North East Regional list MSP running for Scottish Labour leader, served as a councillor in Dundee before being elected to Holyrood.
Michael Marra said: “I’m delighted David Ross and Maureen Devlin have agreed to co-chair our local government group as part of my campaign to unite and renew Scottish Labour.
“Labour councillors have been the last line of defence in their communities from SNP cuts and centralisation.
“As Andy Burnham makes the case for redistributing power, wealth and opportunity out of Westminster and Whitehall, we need to have the same conversation in Scotland.
“Local councillors are central to that. They lead the way for Labour in power. Their knowledge, experience and ideas will be a key way under my leadership that we unite and renew Scottish Labour.”
The leadership contest has been caused by former leader Anas Sarwar’s decision to leave Holyrood to take a seat in the unelected House of Lords.
The first international exhibition from the world-renowned Legacy Museum arrives in Scotland for a limited run at Edinburgh International Festival from 8 to 30 August
This August, UK audiences will have a rare opportunity to experience one of the most powerful cultural exhibitions ever created about slavery, racial injustice and their continuing legacy.
Opening on 8 August, The Legacy of Slavery brings the work of the internationally acclaimed Legacy Museum in Montgomery, Alabama to Scotland – and marks the first occasion the Museum has created a major exhibition outside the United States.
Presented by Edinburgh International Festival in the spectacular surroundings of the Playfair Library Hall in one of Scotland’s great civic institutions, the exhibition coordinated by the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI) invites visitors to confront the history of slavery across the Atlantic world and consider how its consequences continue to shape modern society.
The Legacy of Slavery is an immersive, hour-long experience. Visitors travel through centuries of history, from the transatlantic slave trade and the economics of enslavement to segregation, racial terror, mass incarceration and contemporary inequalities within systems of justice.
Founded by the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI), the Legacy Museum has become internationally recognised for transforming public understanding of slavery and racial injustice through rigorous historical research and powerful storytelling.
The exhibition is guided by the work of Bryan Stevenson, founder of the EJI and one of the world’s most influential advocates for justice and human rights.
Through decades of legal advocacy, Stevenson has challenged wrongful convictions, overturned death sentences and sparked international conversations about how societies reckon with difficult histories.
Bryan Stevenson said: “We are thrilled to bring a part of the Legacy Sites to Edinburgh for this exciting festival.
“The relationship between art, music, and justice is deep, profound, and ancient. So much of the world’s most extraordinary creative works have been shaped by eras of inequality, bigotry, and injustice.
“The Legacy Museum documents and explores a painful part of America’s history, which should deepen visitors’ appreciation of the extraordinary music and creative expression this history has inspired.”
Festival Director, Nicola Benedetti said: “The Edinburgh International Festival was founded in 1947 as an act of reconciliation, built on the belief that art and dialogue together could help humanity reckon with its darkest chapters and find a way forward.
“That is what this work with The Legacy Museum offers: a chance to bring the International Festival’s tradition of ideas and conversation into direct contact with one of the most searching acts of historical reckoning being made anywhere today. Hosting the first ever international exhibition of The Legacy Museum is a profound expression of our founding purpose.
“With this year’s International Festival we are placing a particular spotlight on the United States, and this exhibition sits at its heart. Running from the 8th to the 30th of August, it will sit alongside performances and works that explore the same history from different artistic angles, from theatre works Angels in America and HANG TIME to Jazz at the Lincoln Center Orchestra performing Duke Ellington’s monumental symphony Black, Brown and Beige.
“Bryan Stevenson and the Equal Justice Initiative have created something that demands our attention, our honesty and our willingness to sit with discomfort in the service of truth. This exhibition is free and open to everyone, and we hope as many people as possible will come and see it.”
The exhibition, which is focused on the Legacy of Slavery in the US, also includes some context on Scotland’s connections to transatlantic slavery. The exhibit explores the evolution of slavery in America using multiple forms of immersive content and material documenting the past all the way to the present.
Presented within the Edinburgh International Festival’s 2026 programme, which marks the 250th anniversary of American independence, The Legacy of Slavery sits at the heart of the Festival’s wider examination of freedom, hypocrisy and the contradictions that have shaped the modern world.
Visiting a care home today [Wednesday 29th July], the Prime Minister will say he is making the choice to fix the broken social care system by finding common ground across party lines to tackle the big issues.
He will draw a line under decades of decline and a refusal to tackle these problems head on, calling on all political parties to focus on solving problems and find solutions together.
He will reiterate the need for a new kind of politics that puts differences aside in order to come together and face up to the challenges that Westminster has left unaddressed for too long.
Delivering on that pledge, he has invited the leaders of the two main opposition parties, Kemi Badenoch and Ed Davey, to meet with him today to kickstart this work and discuss how to drive urgent reform on social care.
Speaking ahead of his speech, Prime Minister Andy Burnham said: “Last week I said we needed a different kind of politics: problem-solving, not point-scoring. Nowhere is that more urgent than social care.
“For decades, governments have kicked this issue down the road because they’ve seen it as too risky, too difficult, and too complicated.
“Politicians might have different views but I’m serious about fixing this issue and to do that, we have to find common ground and listen to others to find a way forward.
“It’s time to draw a line under people playing politics when the human cost of that means carers struggling, families paying the price and our NHS buckling under the strain.
“This comes down to a choice. We can carry on passing the problem to the next generation, or we can face it head on and work together to build a care system that gives people dignity, security and the support they deserve.
“This is about bringing back hope that we can finally fix the difficult issues that have been ignored for too long, and making Britain believe again. That’s why I’m making this choice and I’m prepared to put everything I’ve got behind it.”
At the speech he will be joined by the Health and Social Care Secretary and Baroness Louise Casey, who is leading the Independent Commission on Adult Social Care which will draw up recommendations to deliver a National Care Service.
She will also launch the Big Conversation on Care today, which will give the public their chance to share their views and help shape the future of adult social care in England so that it is designed for the people it is there to serve.
It will be open to everyone through a new online platform, starting off the conversation by asking people about the values and principles we should all expect from a care system.
Baroness Casey of Blackstock said: “For too long, we have been stuck in the same cycle: crisis, promises of reform, another review, and then retreat, while the people who need care, and their families, bear the brunt.
“Fixing adult social care is about far more than money. People are already paying for failure through council tax, pressure on the NHS, their savings, giving up work, and the forced sale of their homes.
“The choice is whether we keep putting money into a system that is unfair, unpredictable and broken, or have an honest conversation about how to build something better.
“That is why we need a public conversation on care that tackles the tough questions. It’s only by facing up to this problem together that we can fix social care once and for all.”
Community Consultation: Wellington Place Meanwhile Site 
Thursday 6th August
6.00 – 7.30pm
Meet at the Meanwhile Site, then a short walk to Croft Populus Café
what matters to you about the site right now
