Campaigners from Extinction Rebellion Scotland, Divest Lothian, Friends of the Earth Scotland and Protest in Harmony demonstrated outside the Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association Investment conference in Edinburgh this morning.
The protest included a performance calling on delegates to acknowledge they are currently hugely underestimating climate risk and to take bold action to address this.
This annual Pension Investment conference brings over 800 delegates to Edinburgh from across the UK pension investment industry; an industry which invests more that £1.3 trillion on behalf of 30 million people.
Attracting the attention of delegates with singing and a ‘Big Oil Funk’ dance, campaigners portrayed a pension fund leader with his head in the sand being persuaded by actuaries and climate scientists to look up and “Face the Climate Risks”.
They warn of the “catastrophic” risks to communities and the economy which are being ignored by pension funds due to the flawed climate risk assessments supplied by their advisers, according to ‘Planetary Solvency – finding our balance with nature’, a report published in January 2025 by The Institute and Faculty of Actuaries, in conjunction with climate scientists at the University of Exeter.
The report explains how climate change and nature-driven risks have been hugely underestimated through flawed economic modelling and risk assessment processes. It sets out that we are on a trajectory to catastrophic warming levels of > 2°C by 2050, leading to a possible 50% contraction of the global economy within the lifetimes of current pension savers.
Alexander Forbes, 35, Lifeguard and XR Edinburgh & Lothians, said: “The warning from the actuaries, the risk experts, couldn’t be more stark. Risk management by pension funds is currently blind to systemic climate, nature, societal and economic risks.
“The lack of urgency within governments to make the sweeping policy changes necessary – and within the pension industry to demand that they do – can be directly attributed to the flawed economic modelling and risk assessment processes widely considered authoritative, that underestimate the risk.
“We urgently need the people managing our pension savings to boldly face these risks, be honest about the risks with pension savers and demand the government take immediate policy action to accelerate the energy transition and reduce emissions.”
The actuaries’ report comes at a time when UK pension funds are investing an estimated £88 billion in fossil fuel companies which, buoyed by support from the new US administration, are intent on increasing oil and gas production and worsening the climate crisis, as evidenced by BP’s ‘reset’ announced in February.
Joan Forehand, 60, retired accountant and Divest Lothian, said: “Pension fund managers have their heads in the sand when it comes to climate risk. They need to look at the evidence in front of them, which risk experts have hammered home. A robust approach to climate risk assessment would clearly show that investing in the fossil fuel industry is not in the interests of its members.
“Divestment by pension funds would be both economically wise, and would send a strong signal to governments that policies and subsidies favouring the fossil fuel industry must be rapidly removed.”
Meanwhile climate records continue to be broken and extreme weather is devastating millions of lives around the world.
Last year, 2024, was the hottest on record, and the first year with an average temperature exceeding 1.5°C above the pre-industrial level. January 2025 was the warmest January on record, surprising scientists who had expected it to be cooler due to transition from El Niño to La Niña conditions.
Sally Clark, divestment campaigner at Friends of the Earth Scotland, said: “Pension funds are in charge of our savings, they are responsible for our futures – but if they keep investing in fossil fuels, we won’t have a liveable planet or positive future to retire into.
“The money moved away from fossil fuels could instead be invested in ways that support local communities and protect the planet for everyone, like renewable energy, warm homes and social housing.”
The campaigners demand that pension fund leaders face the climate risks and urgently:
conduct robust climate risk assessments
divest from fossil fuel companies, and;
advocate with governments for policy changes to accelerate the transition.
Young carers take open top bus to Westminster on Young Carers Action Day to call on MPs and decision-makers for more support
Almost a quarter of young carers say no one else can provide the care they do
Two-fifths worry too much about the person they care for to take a break
72% miss out on the school holidays, nearly half miss out on friendships and almost one in five say they’re missing time out of their education
More than half of young carers can’t get a regular break from caring, while almost a quarter say there’s no one else to provide the care they do, an alarming survey has found.
The findings have been released by Carers Trust for Young Carers Action Day on 12 March. The time young carers spend on their caring role mean young carers often miss out on education, friendships, holidays and many other things their classmates take for granted, the survey showed.
The survey of 423 young and young adult carers found nearly one in five rarely or never get a break (17%), while 40% said they got one only some of the time. Just 15% said they could take a break whenever they wanted.
Asked what stopped them getting a break, almost a quarter (23%) said there was no one else to provide the care they give. Two-fifths (40%) said they worried too much about the person they care for to take time out from looking after them.
One young carer said:“I feel bad for taking breaks and when I have time for myself I’m always thinking that I could be doing something else to help out. It’s isolating because I can’t meet up with friends. I can text but it’s just not the same. Everyone’s planning their holidays and trips but I know I can’t go on holiday.”
Almost three-quarters of young carers (72%) said they miss out on the holidays because they provide care, the survey showed.
Many also felt they were shut out of a lot of the things most other children get to do. Nearly half (49%) miss out on friendships, and 46% on hobbies. Almost two-thirds (65%) said they lacked time to themselves and nearly one in five (19%) felt they were missing their education.
Young Carers Action Day is an annual campaign organised by Carers Trust with its network of local carer organisations.
It aims to highlight the challenges faced by the UK’s one million young carers (under-18s) and the hundreds of thousands of young adult carers aged 18-25. At least 16,000 young carers in the UK, some just five years old, are caring for 50 hours a week or more, according to the most recent census data.
This year the theme of Young Carers Action Day is “Give Me A Break”. It was chosen by young carers themselves to show their need for respite but also to be given a chance in life by schools, employers and politicians.
Carers Trust is calling on the UK Government to ensure all young carers have access to a properly funded break from their caring role. Politicians, education providers, employers and other organisations are also being asked to sign the Young Carers Covenant, a pledge to help young carers improve their lives.
Kirsty McHugh, Carers Trust’s CEO, said: “Across the UK, children as young as five are spending huge amounts of their free time caring for others. We know this can have a devastating effect on their education, wellbeing and future prospects. It is simply wrong that, as a country, we are asking so many children to take on so much.
“Those in power need to give young carers a break. If we want young people to thrive, as well as those for which they care, we need to give these young people the chance to take time out from their caring duties.”
The Children’s Commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza said:“As Children’s Commissioner, I know from speaking to young carers that they provide essential support to their family members and take on extra responsibilities to look after their loved ones, sometimes at a cost to their own education.
“Young carers often have to navigate extremely challenging circumstances alone without extra support, which can have a big impact on their lives and wellbeing.”
“I am collecting evidence from schools and colleges about how they support young carers in their own settings, to build a national picture of how these children’s extra responsibilities are being recognised. We should be no less ambitious for young carers than we are for all children.”
On Young Carers Action Day, Carers Trust will be giving a group of young carers a break by taking them on an open top bus tour in London. The bus will be stopping at Westminster where politicians are being invited to hop aboard, meet the children and hear their concerns directly.
The day before, young carers from Hartlepool Carers Centre will hand in a letter to 10 Downing Street. It will ask for the Prime Minister’s support for the Young Carers Covenant and cross-government action to improve opportunities for young and young adult carers.
In Scotland, there will be a mass gathering of young carers at Holyrood where they will meet MSPs, share their experiences and call for more support.
There will also be a roundtable discussion with decision-makers about better access to breaks for young carers. A Young Carer Action Day Parliamentary Debate will take place in the Scottish Parliament Chamber with over 100 young carers in attendance.
In Wales, Carers Trust’s Youth Council of young carers supported by local carer organisations across the country will join together at the Senedd.
They’ll be quizzing MSs about how they can work towards a country where young carers are supported to access the short breaks they need and they’ll have a chance to hear from former young carers about the breaks they’ve had in life in their careers and education.
For the fifth year in a row, creative arts charity Create and Carers Trust are partnering for a special showcase of artwork made by young carers during four Young Carers Action Day 2025 projects. These have taken place across the four nations of the UK.
The online showcase is on the “Give Me a Break” theme and highlights the importance of giving young carers time off from their caring responsibilities to look after their own wellbeing.
This year’s showcase will feature puppetry, photography, prints and collages specifically created for the day by young people in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
The first tenants have moved into ‘net zero ready’ affordable homes delivered by the Council at Western Villages in Granton Waterfront.Once fully occupied the site will deliver 388 affordable homes, a mixture of social rent and mid-market rent.
Housing Convener Lezley Marion Cameron and Housing Minister Paul Mclennan visited the partially completed affordable housing development yesterday.
This follows the first tenants moving into Granton Station View where 75 energy efficient homes for social rent and mid-market rent were delivered in October last year. Work is also well underway to deliver a further 143 affordable ‘net zero ready’ homes at nearby Silverlea.
A housing emergency was declared in Edinburgh in November 2023 and so the affordable homes at Western Villages built by CCG (Scotland) Ltd on behalf of the Council are much needed.
The homes at Western Villages consist of one, two, and three-bedroom apartments, including wheelchair-accessible ground-floor dwellings that will each benefit from stunning parkland and sea views.
To achieve net zero carbon, the homes were constructed using advanced construction methods to improve thermal performance (and reduce heat loss).
Delivered with an on-site energy centre containing air-source heat pumps and renewable technologies such as solar PV panels, this low carbon heat system and zero emissions strategy was supported by £4.1m of funding from the Scottish Government’s Low Carbon Infrastructure Transition Programme.
Sustainability credentials will be further enhanced by limited cark parking spaces within the development, provision of Electric Vehicle charging and an increased emphasis on active travel, all in a bid to promote the use of more sustainable modes of transport.
Other innovative features in the development include an underground waste collection system, cycle parking twice the capacity of the residents living there and links to existing and established walking, cycling and wheeling routes.
This housing forms part of the council’s wider £1.3bn regeneration of Granton Waterfront.
The next stage of delivery will get underway later this year with plans for a further 847 net zero ready homes, a new primary school, a low carbon heat network, commercial and retail space and new and upgraded active travel network.
A grant of almost £16m was announced by the Scottish Government last week from their Housing Infrastructure Fund to help part fund some of the upfront site wide infrastructure and enabling required for the next phase.
Housing Convener Cllr Lezley Marion Cameron said:“We’re in the midst of a housing emergency so I’m delighted to see real progress being made to address it with these much-needed homes being delivered in Granton.
“These homes will not only ease our housing shortage, but they will provide individuals and families with comfortable modern homes using the very latest technology to keep energy bills down.
“I wish everyone moving into Western Villages well. It’s encouraging to know that hundreds of other individuals and families will be moving into these new homes at Granton Waterfront in the months ahead.”
Housing Minister Paul McLennan said:“It was good to see the first residents at Western Villages moving into their new highly energy efficient social and mid-market rent homes. These have been supported with over £15 million in funding since 2020 from our Affordable Housing Supply Programme.
“As the First Minister announced last week, a further £15.86 million grant to the City of Edinburgh Council will be provided from our Housing Infrastructure Fund to help support the building of net zero homes at Granton Waterfront in further phases.
“Since 2007, we have delivered more than 135,000 affordable homes including 95,000 for social rent and 26,306 council homes.
“Furthermore, our budget of £768 million for 2025–26 will help to tackle the housing emergency as well as move towards our target of providing 110,000 affordable homes by 2032.”
CCG Director Calum Murray said: “It was a pleasure to welcome the Housing Minister to Western Villages today, Scotland’s largest net-zero ready residential development.
“Not only is the project a flagship for sustainable, all-tenure housing delivery in Edinburgh – including the city’s first-ever, net-zero ready homes for sale by CCG Homes – but it is also a leading example of what can be achieved through collaboration and partnership working.
“With the use of pioneering construction standards and a legacy of jobs and training, the positive impact of Western Villages will transcend the Granton Waterfront Regeneration, and we look forward to the weeks ahead as we welcome tenants and homeowners alike to this new, coastal community.”
The birth of rugby in Edinburgh: how the handling code captivated the city and led to the first international in 1871.
Edinburgh is right at the heart of rugby history, with the world’s first rugby international played at Raeburn Place in 1871, between Scotland and England.
Rugby was the dominant code of football for the city’s schools from the 1850s onwards and Andy Mitchell will detail the series of events that led to the carrying game gaining the upper hand, explaining why young men in Scotland’s capital played rugby football almost exclusively until association football finally made a breakthrough in the 1870s.
The pioneers created a legacy that remains with us today as rugby continues to be a thriving sport at school, club and international levels.
Andy Mitchell is a Scottish sports historian who runs a dedicated sports history website and has written several books including a Who’s Who of Scotland footballers and the story of the first international match.
He was brought up in Edinburgh and when he went to his first football match in 1970 – an Edinburgh derby, no less – he was immediately hooked on the game despite attending a rugby-playing school.
He was fortunate enough to have spent most of his career in the media working in football, as Head of Communications at the Scottish Football Association and as a freelance media officer for UEFA. Now retired, he lives in Portobello and is researching sports history as vigorously as ever.
Edinburgh is 900 Years Old!
In 1124 King David I introduced a new system of local government into Scotland by creating royal burghs as part of his efforts to reform the nation’s economic and political structures.
Edinburgh was one of his first royal burghs, along with Berwick, Dunfermline, Roxburgh and Stirling.
While there is no surviving founding Edinburgh charter, an 1127 Dunfermline Abbey royal charter refers to ‘my burgh of Edinburgh’. In 1128, Canongate Burgh was created for Holyrood Abbey.
After the Reformation, Edinburgh spent considerable effort acquiring the former abbey’s lands over the following 200 years. It acquired Canongate then created a new burgh for South Leith in 1636.
The burghs of Broughton, Calton and Portsburgh were also acquired and run by Edinburgh. This complex system of governance was abolished in 1856 when all burghs under the management of Edinburgh were merged into a single burgh.
In 1833, Portobello and Leith were made independent parliamentary burghs under the Burgh Reform Act. They ran their own affairs until amalgamated into an expanded Edinburgh in 1896 and 1920, respectively. 1975 saw the last expansion of the city’s boundaries, including Queensferry, which had been made a royal burgh in 1636.
Edinburgh has selected 2024 to mark the start of the 900th anniversary of our city, and to tell the story of Edinburgh’s journey through the centuries from the 12th century City of David right up to the 21st century, the City of Diversity.
Our talks at the City Art Centre will celebrate the 10 themes and will span a period of summer 2024 until August 2025.
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Tax admin changes to mean up to 300,000 taxpayers will no longer be required to file a tax return
Easier access to tax relief on temporarily imported fine art and antiques often shown in galleries and exhibitions announced, boosting the sector’s international competitiveness.
UK’s tax minister expected to announce these alongside a raft of other measures to help HMRC deliver Plan for Change through securing tax revenue and creating the conditions for growth in speech later today (11 March)
Up to 300,000 people, including those with side hustles, will no longer need to file a Self-Assessment tax return, tax minister James Murray is expected to announce in a speech later today.
This includes people trading clothes online, dog-walking or gardening on the side, driving a taxi, or creating content online.
As part of a bold new package to transform HMRC into a quicker, fairer and more modern body the minister is expected to announce plans to increase the Income Tax Self Assessment (ITSA) reporting threshold for trading income, from £1,000 to £3,000 gross within this parliament.
This will help deliver the Plan for Change by freeing up time for taxpayers helping to create the conditions for economic growth.
This will benefit around 300,000 taxpayers. An estimated 90,000 of them will have no tax to pay and no reason to report their trading income to HMRC in the future at all. Others will be able to pay any tax they owe through a new simple online service. The changes reflect the government’s commitment to driving forward efficiency reform, a key component of its Plan for Change.
Mr Murray, the minister responsible for HMRC, will announce this reform to tax experts hosted by the Chartered Institute of Taxation and the Institute of Chartered Accountants for England and Wales in a speech to mark the 20th anniversary of HMRC.
He will also detail future simplifications to the government’s Temporary Admission customs procedure, to make this relief for temporary imports easier for a range of sectors to use, including art and antiques, often showcased in exhibitions across the UK.
A new digital pilot with the United States to test ways to speed up trade processes for U.S. and UK businesses is also expected to be announced. This pilot will look to make the communications between HMRC, the U.S. and businesses more seamless through better use of digital credentials and secure real-time data transfers. It will look to make it easier and quicker for businesses to request trade benefits from each country.
Minister Murray will also update on the work HMRC is doing to tackle phoenixism – where company directors go insolvent to avoid tax – as well as announcing a new reward scheme to encourage informants to come forward to HMRC about tax fraud.
Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury James Murray said: “From trading old games to creating content on social media, we are changing the way HMRC works to make it easier for Brits to make the very most of their entrepreneurial spirit.
“Taking hundreds of thousands of people out of filing tax returns means less time filling out forms and more time for them to grow their side-hustle.
“We are going further and faster to overhaul the way HMRC works to make sure it delivers the Plan for Change that will help put more money in people’s pockets.”
Improving HMRC customer services
Since taking office, Murray has been taking teams of senior HMRC officials to meet firms including NatWest, Octopus Energy, Barclays, John Lewis, and Centrica to learn best practice and innovative approaches to modernising and digiting customer service from the private sector.
This includes the use of generative AI and ‘test and learn’ approaches to improving customer service. HMRC is trialling the use of generative AI to point taxpayers to the advice they need on GOV.UK.
In line with practice from banks and other private sector businesses, Murray will announce that HMRC has begun trialling a system where customers can use their voice as their password, to pass security checks faster and more securely.
Following an evaluation of the trial, it is expected to be rolled out across HMRC over the rest of this year. Voice Biometrics strengthen security, safeguard customer data, and reduce call times. Customers’ voice recordings are converted into encrypted biometric data, a voice print, and stored securely in a data centre.
As reforms got underway to automate and digitise its services, HMRC met its target of 85 per cent of calls handled between October and December 2024 and is expected to meet its customer service standards in 2025-26.
As part of this government’s commitment to partner and learn from industry, HMRC will launch a new service to provide an escalation route for agents with Self Assessment and PAYE queries which are over 4 weeks old. A dedicated team of experienced technicians and advisers will adopt a ‘once and done’ approach, taking end-to-end ownership of cases and maintaining regular communication with agents.
Closing the Tax Gap – phoenixism and informants
Since becoming chair of HMRC’s board last year, Exchequer Secretary James Murray has steered the UK tax authority to go further and faster to close the tax gap, in order to raise the revenue required to fund public services and investment projects.
Following the Autumn Budget’s announcement of future work to tackle phoenixism – where rogue directors avoid payment of company tax by going insolvent – Mr Murray will update on the work in his speech. He will lay out how HMRC and the Insolvency Service have agreed a joint plan, which includes an increase to the use of securities, where HMRC asks for upfront payment of tax from new companies, making more rogue directors personally liable for the taxes of their company.
Murray will also announce a new reward scheme for informants to be launched later this year. This will look to target serious non-compliance in large corporates, wealthy individuals, offshore and avoidance schemes. The scheme will take inspiration from the successful US and Canadian ‘whistleblower’ models and will complement the existing HMRC rewards scheme.
Informants could take home a significant amount of compensation. This will be equal to a proportion of the tax take, ensuring that the scheme raises more money that it costs. Work is ongoing within the government regarding what percentage this could be. Further details will be set out in due course.
At the Budget in October, the Chancellor announced an injection of over £1.5bn in HMRC to recruit and fund an additional 5,000 new compliance caseworkers and 1,800 debt collection officers. Minister Murray will announce in his speech that an additional 600 new compliance staff will start work this month. Investment in AI is expected to improve the targeting of compliance work and help make HMRC staff more productive.
This, alongside investment to modernise HMRC systems and legislation to tackle non-compliant tax avoidance and prevent non-compliance will raise £6.5bn per year by 2029/30.
This will help deliver the Plan for Change by securing tax revenue to help fund investment projects to boost growth.
Simplifying Tax Admin and Modernising HMRC
A simple and modern tax and customs system is vital to create the conditions to grow the economy.
Following the commitment in the Autumn to bring forward measures in the Spring to simplify the tax and customs system, the government will today go further to reduce the time businesses spend managing their tax, so they can focus on what matters most to them: growing and being productive.
The minister will announce a future digital pilot with U.S. Customs and Border Protection to test ways to speed up trade processes for UK and U.S. businesses. In 2024, UK-U.S. goods trade was worth a combined £115bn.
The aim is to make supply chains between UK and U.S. businesses more efficient through modernising how HMRC systems, international partners and businesses communicate with each other. The pilot will look to make the communications between HMRC, the U.S. and businesses more seamless through better use of digital credentials and real-time data.
The pilot will include testing the ability to issue and share digital trusted trader credentials between UK and U.S. systems. This would speed up processes for trusted U.S. and UK businesses trading with each other including by making it more easy and efficient to request trade benefits from each country.
Susan S. Thomas, acting Executive Assistant Commissioner of the U.S. CBP’s Office of Trade said: “Modernizing trade processes is essential if we are going to keep pace with today’s trading environment.
“We are taking our operations to the next level, bridging gaps between systems, creating a new era of supply chain transparency and data system flexibility.”
James Murray will announce changes to simplify the tax system. The ITSA trading income reporting threshold will increase from £1,000 to £3,000 gross within this parliament, aligning with the new reporting thresholds for property and “other taxable” income.
This means that up to 300,000 taxpayers will not need to file a tax return. This ranges from people trading vintage clothes, dog-walking or gardening on the side, to driving a taxi or creating content online This will help cut waste, avoid unnecessary worry for customers and improve the conditions needed for them to grow.
Murray will also highlight simplifications to the customs regime to reduce burdens for traders. These include improvements to the Temporary Admission procedure, which relieves import duties for eligible goods that are imported temporarily. For example, the usual time limit for fine art and antiques will increase from 2 to 4 years.
Ellen Milner, Director of Public Policy, Chartered Institute of Taxation said:“We welcome the government’s focus on simplifying the tax system and improving customer service – rightly two key priorities for HMRC as the tax authority heads into its third decade.
“A more straightforward, easy to navigate tax system could free up business owners and managers to focus on growing their businesses, rather than spending their days overcoming bureaucratic hurdles.
“We especially welcome the announcement of a new approach to dealing with slow-moving income tax queries from agents. Hopefully, in due course, this can be expanded to unrepresented taxpayers and to other taxes.”
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Foysol Choudhury MSP is backing a health charity’s national No Smoking Day campaign, urging Lothian residents who smoke to make attempts to stop and win through improvements in their physical health, mental wellbeing and finances.
The MSP is supporting ASH Scotland’s ‘Quit and Win’ campaign, which is highlighting that giving up smoking increases opportunities to live a healthier life through improving mental health and decreasing the risks of developing coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes, dementia and some cancers.
The charity advises that an average smoker who gives up tobacco on No Smoking Day (Wednesday 12 March) would save £3,332 within 12 months, money that could be better spent on a holiday or something special for themselves or their loved ones.
Alan Dalziel, Senior Policy Manager for ASH Scotland, said: “Tobacco is still the biggest cause of preventable death in Scotland but people across Lothian can have a brighter future by quitting smoking, and we’re delighted Foysol Choudhury MSP is backing our campaign to raise awareness of the free help that is available on the NHS.
“Most people in Scotland who give up smoking do so without quit aids but, for those who need support, nicotine replacement patches, gums or lozenges that are backed by established evidence and safety controls can help your chances of success, along with free specialist health advice from Quit Your Way services.
“Reach out to Quit Your Way today as their personalised support to give up smoking could be vital in helping you to improve your physical health, mental wellbeing and personal finances.”
Commenting, Foysol Choudhury MSP stated:“I am pleased to be supporting ASH Scotland’s ‘Quit and Win’ campaign and encourage my constituents who smoke but want to give up to try for the first time, or try again, to quit smoking and gain a range of health benefits as well as the chance to save your money when you live a tobacco-free life.”
European Movement in Scotland:- Politicians from SNP, Labour, Scottish Greens and Scottish LibDems unite to show support for Ukraine at EMiS AGM
MOVEMENT GROWING IN NUMBERS AND STRENGTH, SAYS CHAIR
Senior figures from across the mainstream Scottish political spectrum united to propose a motion of support for Ukraine to the AGM of the European Movement in Scotland (EMiS), held in Edinburgh on 8th March.
The motion, which was passed unanimously by the meeting, reads:
“The European Movement in Scotland unequivocally supports the sovereign right of the people of Ukraine to decide their future and have full enjoyment of their democratic freedoms, system of government, land and assets, free from invasion, intimidation and coercion by foreign powers.
“Ukraine’s freedom and security must include its right to democratically decide if it wishes to join international organisations such as the European Union and NATO.”
MSPs Sarah Boyack (Labour), Patrick Harvie (Scottish Greens) and Willie Rennie (Scottish Liberal Democrats) joined former SNP MP Alyn Smith in tabling the motion.
David Clarke, who was re-elected chair of EMiS, says: ““Today, leading figures from rival parties have demonstrated political maturity and responsibility by proposing a message of heartfelt support from the membership of the European Movement in Scotland for Ukraine’s wish to live in peace and security and be master of its own future.
“Ukraine has been attacked by Russia, its soldiers killed and injured. Its people scattered. Its economy devastated, but still, it fights on. It is fighting for freedoms that since the end of WW2 we have taken for granted. Their fight is our fight.”
David Clarke told the AGM that EMiS had a successful year in 2024, increasing its membership, income and range of activities: “The Scottish public is firm in its opinion that Scotland is better off in Europe.
“Scotland is leading UK opinion and has been central to delivering the message that our future security and prosperity will be much more certain only if we return to being a full member of the EU family.”
TICKETS REDUCED TO £5 FOR ALL FILMS, ALL DAY, ONLY IN IMAX
OFFER VALID ACROSS ALL IMAX CINEWORLD SITES IN THE UK & IRELAND
Cineworld, the UK’s leading cinema chain, will be holding its eighth annual IMAX Film Fest on Saturday 15th March 2025 with tickets on sale now!
IMAX is the world’s most immersive cinematic experience and the special one-day event will give film fans across the nation the chance to catch some of last year’s best movies in IMAX. Tickets are available for only £5 (or €5 in Ireland) while Cineworld Unlimited members will be able to enjoy these blockbusters for only £3.
The festival will give guests the chance to experience their favourite star-studded blockbusters with the IMAX difference, where crystal clear images and pulse raising audio will make you feel like you’re in the film.
For one day only, Cineworld will bring back some of 2024’s biggest hitters including:
The Wild Robot – A heartwarming tale that’s perfect for the whole family with an all-star cast of voice actors including Bill Nighy, Mark Hamill and Lupita Nyong’o. IMAX captures the lush landscapes and emotional depth of this animated adventure to deliver each frame as a work of art.
Wicked – Let IMAX’s expansive screen sweep you into the magical world of Oz, where every vibrant colour and spellbinding song resonates with breathtaking clarity so you can join the characters on a whirlwind journey.
Gladiator II – Feel every clash of swords and thunderous roar of the Colosseum in vivid IMAX detail, where the scale of ancient Rome unfolds before your eyes and the action from the all-star cast of Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal and Denzel Washington blows you away.
Deadpool & Wolverine – Ryan Reynold’s Deadpool teams up with Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine for this hilarious superhero blockbuster with IMAX making every scene larger than life so you can feel every explosive moment.
With 26 IMAX cinemas across the UK and Ireland, Cineworld is the biggest IMAX partner in the UK, delivering stunning images and powerful, immersive audio to transport audiences into films like never before.
IMAX’s remastering process fully transforms every frame of a film to produce the best possible version of a filmmaker’s vision while the IMAX auditoriums are equipped with a perfectly tuned integrated sound and speaker system for heart-pounding audio that will truly blow you away.
IMAX’s unique aspect ratio (1.90:1 versus anamorphic widescreen’s 2.39:1) expands the cinematic environment to craft a truly overwhelming experience.
Casey Cohen, Head of Marketing at Cineworld, said: “IMAX is where cinema truly comes alive. We’re thrilled to bring back Cineworld’s IMAX Film Fest for its eighth year, giving audiences the chance to see these epic films the way they were meant to be seen – on the biggest screens possible, with towering visuals, thunderous sound, and unparalleled immersion.”
Tickets for this incredible experience can now be purchased from the Cineworld website or the Cineworld app.
