Record 73 bands enter national schools championships

A record 73 schools bands will take centre stage at the 10th Scottish Schools Pipe Band Championships on 10th March.

The Championships, the largest event of its kind in the world, sees schools pipe bands, freestyle groups and quartets gather to celebrate young musical talent.

Alex Duncan, CEO of the organising charity, said: “The Championships has been going from strength to strength since the start in 2013.  There is something for every level; quartets for beginners right up to Juvenile grade for bands at the top of their game.

“The freestyle competition is very popular where any style of music and any combination of instruments go, as long as they include the pipes.  This year sees 17 freestyle bands ready to battle it out in March.”

The event will take place on Sunday, March 10, 2024 at the William McIlvanney Campus in Kilmarnock.

David Johnston, Convenor of the SSPDT, said: “The Championships are one of the highlights of many schools’ calendars and we can’t wait to welcome everyone.  Also, anyone wanting to start a pipe band in their school is also very welcome to come and see what can be achieved.

“It’s always a special day at the Championships.  The team at East Ayrshire Council which is hosting the event at the William McIlvanney campus are superb and will help make it a very enjoyable day.

“Pipe bands build confidence, resilience, friendships, perseverance and other skills that help young people succeed in life.  Teachers are still seeing the effects of the pandemic on young people, and more than ever recognise how pipe bands support wellbeing and wider achievement.”

The Championship is independently organised by the Scottish Schools Pipes and Drums Trust (SSPDT). It carries the support of the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association (RSPBA) but is not a RSPBA competition.

Provost Jim Todd, East Ayrshire Council said: “The pipes will be calling us to Kilmarnock Academy at the William McIlvanney Campus on Sunday 10 March for the Scottish Schools Pipe Band Championships.

“It is a real honour to be hosting the competition, which is now in its tenth year, and to welcome young people and their families from all over Scotland to East Ayrshire.

“I will be there to enjoy the music and cheer on our young people. The standard of performance last year was exceptional and I can’t wait to celebrate the wealth of talent that I am sure will be taking to the stage this year.”

The Scottish Schools Pipes and Drums Trust was formed with the belief that pipe bands are much more than a musical pastime; they develop life and employability skills such as teamwork, resilience and perseverance, self-confidence, camaraderie and a sense of discipline and dress.

The charity also recognises that in parts of Scotland the pipes and drums are not taught in state schools and where community pipe bands have disappeared too, the fragile cycle of teaching and learning traditional music is being lost.  

The charity awards grants to towards tuition and other band-related costs, lends bagpipes and concert chanters free of charge, and runs paid apprenticeships for aspiring tutors.

For more information on the Scottish Schools Pipe Band Championships, visit http://www.thechampionships.org.uk/

For more information on the Scottish Schools Pipes and Drums Trust, visit:

 www.sspdt.org.uk

Focus on the future as Holyrood sets out its plans to mark 25 years

Reflecting on 25 years of the Scottish Parliament as well as a focus on the future will be the central themes of plans announced today to mark the Parliament’s institutions’ quarter century. 

The Scottish Parliament plans include a year-long programme of engagement designed to involve people throughout Scotland in a conversation that both reflects on devolution and considers how we can shape the Parliament in future.  

A special event will take place on Saturday 29 June at the Scottish Parliament which people across Scotland will be invited to join. Further details  will be announced in the coming weeks.

The Presiding Officer will also visit regions all over Scotland, meeting people from all walks of life to hear their views and ideas for the future. These activities, together with other events to be announced, will enable communities up and down the country to help shape the Parliament of the future.

The Presiding Officer, the Rt Hon Alison Johnstone MSP said: “This year we will reflect on the Parliament’s record and the significant political events during 25 years of devolution.  While that reflection is welcome, I also want the Parliament’s focus to be firmly on the future.

“I want to use this milestone as an opportunity to engage people all over country about their aspirations for their Parliament.

“I want to continue to build on and strengthen that relationship between people and Parliament and modernise Holyrood to ensure it meets Scotland’s needs for the coming years.”

Further details for our 25th anniversary will be announced throughout the year.

A special 25th anniversary themed Festival of Politics will take place in the Scottish Parliament in August.

The 25th anniversary year will also explore several themes from the Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee’s report on public participation.

This work identified a gap in our activities around making the Parliament visible in and engaged with local communities.

Have your say on Victoria Park’s bowling greens

🌿 Victoria Park’s Bowling Greens Consultation Workshop! 🌳

Come and talk with us at our in-person workshop at the Pollock Pavilion, The Boys’ Brigade, located at 227 Ferry Road, EH6 4SP, on Monday 26th February from 6pm to 8pm.

This is a fantastic opportunity to delve deeper into proposals discussed at our previous event, share your valuable ideas, and actively contribute to the thriving green spaces in Victoria Park.

Agenda:

🗒Review of previous proposals

💡Brainstorming and idea-sharing session

💬Comprehensive discussion

📧Confirm your attendance by sending an email to: thrivinggreenspaces@edinburgh.gov.uk.

The City of Edinburgh Council

Boyack slams Scottish Government over ‘disgraceful’ treatment of Lothians heart patients

Labour Lothians MSP, Sarah Boyack today slammed the Scottish Government for failing patients suffering with heart and circulatory disease.

Stats given to Ms Boyack by British Heart Foundation Scotland revealed there has been a 71% increase in people in the Lothians, waiting for an echocardiogram since 2021.

This is compared to an increase in 16% for Scotland as a whole.

Seven individuals have been revealed to be waiting over a year for the scan.

The concerning figures also stretch to outpatient cardiology appointments, where it was revealed in September 2023, that 55% of people were wating longer than the 12-week Scottish Government target.

These statistics come as it was revealed by NHS Lothian Board papers that NHS Lothian must make savings of 7%.

The papers also highlighted that the Scottish Budget also provided “no additional resource to cover inflationary costs and other new and emerging cost pressures”

Commenting on these statistics, SARAH BOYACK said: “These figures highlight the Scottish Government’s disgraceful failures in regard to heart and circulatory disease patients.

“It is even more troubling that while the situation is getting worse, the Scottish Government will not provide any additional resource to NHS Lothian.

“This is particularly worrying given Lothian’s population growth.

“If the Scottish Government does not act urgently, then this situation will continue to spiral into an emergency.

“People suffering heart and circulatory diseases deserve the top notch care our NHS is supposed to deliver.

“Instead, they are forced to endure unacceptable delays due to the Scottish Government’s lack of investment.

“If the Scottish Government doesn’t deliver additional funding soon, they will be letting down heart condition patients across the Lothians.”

John Cooper Clarke comes to Edinburgh for 2024 National Tour

  • John Cooper Clarke celebrates 50 years in showbiz with the Get Him While He’s Alive Tour 
  • Tour coming to Queens Hall in Edinburgh on 12th & 13th April 2024
  • John Cooper Clarke released brand new poetry collection -”What” published by Picador on 8th Feb 2024

Literary phenomenon John Cooper Clarke is back and better than ever, returning with a brand new tour and poetry collection this 2024. John will be performing at Queens Hall in Edinburgh on 12th & 13th April 2024. 

John’s new show will take fans on a completely one-of-a-kind journey through poetry and comedy. John’s live touring career has gone from strength to strength, with John recently returning from an epic North America tour in September 2023.

This year he’s back on home turf, as he continues to sell out theatres and halls across the UK, with a stretch of shows in Ireland also recently added. 

It’s a chance to see one of the world’s most important and entertaining spoken word artists at his bold and brilliant best. 

‘WHAT’ is the new collection from Britain’s “Poet Laureate of Punk” and will be published on 8th February to coincide with John’s 2024 national theatre tour celebrating 50 years of showbiz.

Venues for the “Get Him While He’s Alive” tour include the Edinburgh Queens Hall, a reunion show with very special guest Linton Kwesi Johnson at the London Palladium and three nights at Salford’s Lowry Theatre.

John’s new collection “What”, which will be published by Picador, is full of John’s much-loved sardonic wit and hilarious ponderings on modern life and follows on from John’s bestselling  The Luckiest Guy Alive. 

The original people’s poet, John’s cultural influence spans literature, music, and fashion, and his unique poetry and delivery style transcends generations. 

From creating some of the most iconic poetry of the modern era, including  “I Wanna Be Yours” (recently celebrating over a billion streams in its incarnation as a hit record by the Arctic Monkeys) to sharing his life story through his 120k selling memoir of the same name, John is still as relevant as he was when he shot to prominence in the 1970s.” 

Tickets for the Get Him Whilst He’s Alive Tour are available from https://www.aegpresents.co.uk/events/detail/dr-john-cooper-clarke or
www.johncooperclarke.com.

Picador will publish What on 8th February 2024 priced £16.99

Scottish Government slammed for making vision impaired play ‘tactile paving roulette’

Sight Scotland launches ‘Pave the Way’ campaign to have tactile paving installed in every train station in Scotland

Sight Scotland, and Sight Scotland Veterans, have slammed the Scottish Government for placing lives at risk by forcing blind and partially sighted people to play tactile paving roulette in train stations across the country.  

In August of last year, the Minister for Transport confirmed that tactile paving was installed in eighteen train stations around the country and said that all the remaining one hundred and forty-eight stations owned and managed by Scotland’s Railway will have tactile paving installed by the end of 2023. Unfortunately, this promise has been reneged on.  

For most people living with a visual impairment, public transport is the only means they have to make journeys around the country. Tactile paving is a system of textured ground surface indicators that are primarily designed to assist individuals with visual impairments.

These tactile indicators typically consist of raised patterns or distinctive surfaces that can be felt underfoot or with a mobility aid, such as a cane. At a railway station, without tactile paving to indicate where the platform ends, visually impaired people face a serious risk to their safety and could fall onto the train tracks. 

Craig Spalding, Chief Executive of Sight Scotland and Sight Scotland Veterans, explains: “We are launching this campaign as a lack of tactile paving at railway stations poses serious safety risks for many blind and partially sighted people.

“While we welcome the completion of phase 1 to upgrade the eighteen high priority stations, the Scottish Government’s deadline has been and gone for the remaining one hundred and forty-eight train stations without tactile paving.

“This is completely unacceptable and as a result many people with vision impairment are having to play tactile paving roulette, as they do not know what to expect from one station to the next.  

“This is not scaremongering, or an over exaggeration; without tactile paving to indicate where the platform ends, visually impaired people face a serious risk of falling onto train tracks. We’re calling on the Minister for Transport to urgently upgrade all train stations in Scotland with tactile paving so that blind and partially sighted people can use our railways safely.”  

Samantha Gough, a visually impaired athlete from Edinburgh, who recently had an horrendous experience whilst travelling by rail, is backing the campaign and says action needs to be taken before a serious accident occurs. 

“I recently travelled to England by train and needed to change at Doncaster. Unfortunately, no-one was there to help me, and the station did not have tactile paving. It was a nightmare, a horrendous situation to be in, fast trains were screaming past with the wind hitting me and despite screaming on the platform for help, no one heard. People have died falling on the tracks before and I thought it was about to happen to me.”   

Please support Sight Scotland and Sight Scotland Veterans’ Pave the Way campaign by writing to the Transport Minister to demand that tactile paving is installed on all stations in Scotland: https://sightscotland.eaction.org.uk/tactile-paving-now  

For more information visit: sightscotland.org.uk or sightscotlandveterans.org.uk  

Alcohol: Minimum Unit Pricing rise

Proposal to continue policy and increase level to 65p

Plans to continue setting a minimum price per unit of alcohol and to increase it by 15p will go before the Scottish Parliament for approval.

As part of a ‘sunset clause’ when Minimum Unit Pricing (MUP) legislation was introduced in 2018, it will end on 30 April this year unless Parliament votes to keep it.

A price increase is required to counteract the effects of inflation and 65p has been selected as the Scottish Government seeks to increase the positive effects of the policy.

If Parliament agrees, it will take effect on 30 September 2024.

Deputy First Minister Shona Robison said: “Research commended by internationally-renowned public health experts estimated that our world-leading Minimum Unit Pricing (MUP) policy has saved hundreds of lives, likely averted hundreds of alcohol-attributable hospital admissions and contributed to reducing health inequalities.

“Despite this progress, deaths caused specifically by alcohol rose last year – and my sympathy goes out to all those who have lost a loved one.

“We believe the proposals, which are supported by Scotland’s Chief Medical Officer, strike a reasonable balance between public health benefits and any effects on the alcoholic drinks market and impact on consumers.

“Evidence suggests there has not been a significant impact on business and industry as a whole.

“Alongside MUP, we will continue to invest in treatment and a wide range of other measures, including funding for Alcohol and Drug Partnerships which rose to £112 million in 2023-24.”

CAMRA: Action plan needed to save Scottish pubs from permanent closure after MUP announcement

The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) says ministers need to value the role of local pubs as part of Scotland’s social fabric and protect them from closure. 

CAMRA is calling on the Scottish Government to come up with an action plan to save the nation’s pubs following today’s announcement on increasing the minimum unit price for alcohol to 65p from 30 September. 

Representing pubgoers, the consumer group believes that policies like Minimum Unit Pricing (MUP) – and a cut in tax specifically on pints served in pubs, which it is calling for ahead of the UK Government’s Budget in March – can encourage people to drink in the regulated setting of the pub instead of drinking cheaper supermarket alcohol at home. 

But the Campaign fears that uprating MUP won’t have an impact on its own to encourage pub-going and to safeguard the future of hundreds of community locals at risk of permanent closure due to crippling business rates and a possible return of Scottish Government plans to ban alcohol advertising. 

Commenting on the MUP increase, CAMRA’s Scotland Director Stuart McMahon said: “Our pubs and social clubs are a vital part of our social fabric, bringing people together and helping to tackle loneliness and social isolation. But too many are being forced to close due to crippling costs, with pubs in Scotland shutting up shop at a higher rate than elsewhere in the UK. 

“Sadly, the Scottish Government doesn’t seem to understand the importance of protecting our local pubs as community meeting places and as a safe, regulated place to enjoy a pint with friends and family, with all the wellbeing benefits that go with it. Once our pubs have closed down, or have been converted into flats or shops, or demolished altogether, it is too late to get them back for the communities they once served. 

“That’s why we are calling on the Scottish Government to bring forward an action plan to protect and promote pubs as a force for good in our society and to recognise the mental health and wellbeing benefits of drinking responsibly in your local. 

“CAMRA urgently wants to see a rethink on help for pubs with business rates, the closing of loopholes in the planning system that allow pubs to be demolished by developers without the need for planning permission and a commitment not to cripple valued local pubs and independent breweries by bringing back draconian measures to ban alcohol advertising and sponsorship.” 

GMB Scotland responds to ministerial announcement on Minimum Unit Pricing

GMB Scotland has urged the Scottish Government to urgently reconsider plans to increase minimum unit pricing (MUP) for alcohol by 30%.

The union, with members across the drinks industry, warned the policy is already risking jobs and investment while its health benefits remain unproven.

Deputy first minister Shona Robison today revealed the government’s intention to continue the policy beyond its initial five years while increasing the MUP from 50p to 65p.

David Hume, GMB Scotland organiser in the drinks industry, said: “The case for continuing with MUP never mind increasing it gets weaker with every piece of research published.

“Ministers must be guided by reliable research and data not wishful thinking and good intentions.

“The potential consequences of this policy are too damaging for it to be justified with anecdote, hunches and hope.

“Five years ago, we were told this policy would help save lives of problem drinkers. Now we are told it is about curbing the intake of moderate drinkers but there is no substantive evidence to suggest it does either.”

“The health benefits of this policy remain theoretical at best but the risk of undermining one of Scotland’s most successful industries threatening investment and jobs could not be more real.

“It is reckless to consider extending this policy and increasing MUP when there is no substantive evidence that it does any good.”

The union polled workers across the brewing, whisky and spirits last year when 64% said MUP should be scrapped because it needlessly risked jobs and investment while doing nothing to discourage problem drinking while a third said it should remain at 50p or be reduced.

TUC: UK government must change course to support peace in Palestine, Israel and the Middle East

On 7 February, the TUC wrote to Lord Cameron, Secretary of State for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) on the escalating violence in Gaza, Israel and the Middle East.

We have long-standing policy in support of Palestinian rights and ending the occupation of Palestinian territory:

This letter follows on from the TUC’s General Council statement unequivocally condemning the shocking attacks on Israeli civilians by Hamas, calling for the immediate, unconditional release of all hostages unharmed, and calling for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza.

In our letter to Lord Cameron, we’ve expressed disappointment that the UK government has so far failed to call for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza, or support resolutions calling for one at the United Nations. We recognise that a ceasefire must be accompanied by a political process.

Our government has also failed to publicly condemn the siege of Gaza and called for it to end, even though it is causing immense human suffering and international humanitarian law prohibits the use of starvation, including attacking objects indispensable to the survival of the civilian population and denying or impeding access to humanitarian aid, as a method of warfare.

UNRWA is carrying out lifesaving humanitarian work in Gaza, providing shelter, food and water. We’ve called on the UK government to resume its funding to UNRWA while an investigation into allegations by the Israeli government that several UNRWA staff were involved in the 7 October attacks – is carried out. Ten countries have suspended funding to UNRWA, but the organisation’s head has said that if the funding remains suspended, it will most likely have to shut down its operations in Gaza and across the region by the end of February.

We’ve also raised our concerns that reportedly more than 27,000 Palestinians, mainly women and children, have been killed in operations launched by Israeli forces since 7 October, and that more than 66,000 have been injured. Workers are at the forefront of this violence – with at least 330 health workers, 120 journalists and 150 UN staff killed since 7 October.

We’re supporting calls by the Palestinian General Federation of Trade Unions (PGFTU) for the immediate release of at least 260 Palestinian workers who remain in Israeli detention.

The TUC has called on the UK government and international community to act to ensure that international law is upheld and applied consistently. We’re alarmed that at least 1.7 million civilians, 75 per cent of Gaza’s population, have been forcibly displaced according to the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), and reportedly, that a member of Israel’s security cabinet described Gaza Strip residents evacuating south on IDF orders as, “…rolling out a Gaza Nakba”.

We’re also deeply concerned that Prime Minister Netanyahu has rejected the creation of a State of Palestine, and therefore of a two-state solution as a possible path to peace. The TUC has welcomed Lord Cameron’s recent statement that the UK government would consider the swift recognition of a Palestinian State and we’ve urged the government to make this a priority.

In calling for international law to be upheld, we’ve welcomed the decision of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to issue binding provisional measures in the case of the application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in the Gaza Strip (South Africa v. Israel).

Our letter stresses our concern that since 7 October, at least 360 Palestinians have reportedly been killed in attacks involving Israeli forces and/or settlers in the West Bank including East Jerusalem. OCHA has recorded nearly 500 settler attacks, and over 1,200 Palestinians have been displaced in the West Bank amid such settler violence and access restrictions.

We’re worried about the escalation of this violence to the wider Middle East and the impacts this could have, including on workers in the region. The current escalation of violence to the Red Sea, Straits of Hormuz and the eastern Mediterranean is impacting on seafarers’ safety. All parties must respect the safety and welfare of seafarers, including the need for shipping employers to respect the right of seafarers to choose not to work in and around what is now a designated war zone.

We are urging the UK government to do more to bring about an end to this escalating violence and support a just peace by:

  • calling for an immediate and lasting ceasefire to prevent further loss of life and enable prompt and effective access to humanitarian aid
  • taking action alongside the international community to ensure that international law is upheld and applied consistently – this includes ending the occupation of Palestinian territory
  • insisting that Israel complies, in full, with the binding provisional measures issued by the ICJ
  • taking action to ensure that it is not complicit in any war crimes or crimes against humanity that could be found to be committed
  • restoring funding to UNRWA and support the ILO’s Emergency Response Programme
  • ending arms sales and military collaboration with Israel, and ending the UK’s trade in settlement goods
  • withdrawing the Economic Activities of Public Bodies Bill
  • recognising the State of Palestine and support genuine efforts towards a just, lasting and comprehensive peace that is consistent with international law, and is based on a two-state solution, which promotes equality, democracy and respect for human and labour rights.

First Minister confirms new government appointments

Reshuffle combines Economy, Net Zero and Energy in a new portfolio

Unleashing Scotland’s renewable potential and building Scotland’s economy will be overseen by a single portfolio headed by Màiri McAllan as Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Net Zero and Energy.

Setting out portfolio changes to the Scottish Government, First Minister Humza Yousaf has appointed Neil Gray as Cabinet Secretary for NHS Recovery, Health and Social Care, while Transport becomes a standalone portfolio at Cabinet level, with Fiona Hyslop as Cabinet Secretary.

The reshaped Cabinet of ten – the same number as before – will include seven women, believed to be the highest proportion of any government in the world.

Kaukab Stewart becomes the first Woman of Colour to enter the Scottish Government as Minister for Culture, Europe and International Development, in place of Christina McKelvie, who has been appointed as Minister for Drugs and Alcohol Policy.

Jim Fairlie will also join the government as Minister for Agriculture and Connectivity.

Parliament will be asked to approve the new appointments of Fiona Hyslop, Kaukab Stewart and Jim Fairlie after recess.

The First Minister said: “The new, green economy is a massive economic opportunity for Scotland. If we grasp it, we can help the world tackle climate change while delivering well-paid jobs and sustainable growth in Scotland for generations to come.

“That’s why we will now bring these two portfolios together, and Màiri McAllan is the right person to drive it forward.

“As Economy Secretary, Neil Gray has been widely praised for resetting the relationship with business. Now at the helm of the NHS – our most precious institution – and social care, Neil will be charged with continuing its recovery from Covid, driving down waiting times, and reforming the service to improve outcomes for patients.

“I am elevating Transport to a Cabinet level post in its own right, given the importance of the issues within this portfolio. Fiona Hyslop is one of the most experienced and accomplished ministers in government. I am deeply proud of the fact this means Cabinet will become world-leading with seven out of ten women in it.

“I am proud to bring the first ever Woman of Colour into government in Scotland – I believe another sign of the progress we are making as a nation, with the appointment of Kaukab Stewart as Minister for Culture, Europe and International Development. Kaukab takes this role on from Christina McKelvie, who will now report directly to me as Minister for Drugs and Alcohol Policy.

“And I am delighted to welcome Jim Fairlie to government, who brings a wealth of business and rural knowledge to his new role as Minister for Agriculture and Connectivity.

“These new appointments reflect this government’s priorities and the missions that drive them – equality, opportunity and community – and I look forward to working with them as we continue to deliver for the people of Scotland.”