Scotland will mark the Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III and Her Majesty Queen Camilla with a series of events in Edinburgh today.
The King, accompanied by The Queen, will be presented with the Honours of Scotland – Scotland’s crown jewels – at a National Service of Thanksgiving and Dedication at St Giles’ Cathedral.
The service will be preceded by a ‘People’s Procession’ of 100 people representing different aspects of Scottish life, which will travel from Edinburgh Castle to St Giles’ Cathedral, and the Royal Procession, which will travel to the Cathedral from the Palace of Holyroodhouse.
Public opportunities will be available along the Royal Mile to view the procession, and the accompanying military bands and escorts.
The St Giles’ Service will be followed by a 21-Gun Salute fired from Edinburgh Castle and a flypast down the Royal Mile by the RAF Red Arrows.
The First Minister, Humza Yousaf, who is a republican, said: “Scotland will mark the visit of The King and Queen this week with a series of events to celebrate the Coronation, and I’m looking forward to representing the people of Scotland at today’s historic service at St Giles’ Cathedral.
“Those who wish to be involved will be able to follow TV or radio coverage of the proceedings, or view events in person along the Royal Mile. Space will be limited and a number of roads in the area will be closed, so I strongly encourage anyone attending to arrive early, use public transport if possible, and come prepared for whatever the weather may hold.”
Lord Lieutenant Robert Aldridge said:“The eyes of the world will be upon us once again as we mark the Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III and Her Majesty Queen Camilla. I’m quite sure it will be another proud day for the Capital.
“Given the scale and significance of these ceremonial events, we have to be prepared for disruption across the city, but particularly in the Old Town. We’re working with our partners to manage this as best we can and to keep residents, businesses and visitors updated on the events.
“For those who wish to enjoy the Royal and People’s Processions, I urge you to please plan ahead and keep an eye on our website and social media channels for the latest advice and guidance.”
New laws will allow government to set minimum levels of service which must be met during strikes ‘to ensure the safety of the public and their access to public services’
New laws will allow government to set minimum levels of service which must be met during strikes to ensure the safety of the public and their access to public services
the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill will ensure crucial public services such as rail, ambulances, and fire services maintain a minimum service during industrial action, reducing risk to life and ensuring the public can still get to work
Business Secretary Grant Shapps said in Parliament today: “We do not want to have to use this legislation unless we have to, but we must ensure the safety of the British public.”
Millions of ‘hard-working’ people across the UK will be protected from disruptive strikes thanks to new laws introduced yesterday, which will allow employers in critical public sectors to maintain minimum levels of service during strikes.
The government is introducing this legislation to ensure that striking workers don’t put the public’s lives at risk and prevent people getting to work, accessing healthcare, and safely going about their daily lives.
The government will first consult on minimum service levels for fire, ambulance, and rail services, recognising the severe disruption that the public faces when these services are impacted by strikes, especially the immediate risk to public safety when blue light services are disrupted.
The government hopes to not have to use these powers for other sectors included in the Bill, such as education, other transport services, border security, other health services and nuclear decommissioning.
The government expects parties in these sectors to reach a sensible and voluntary agreement between each other on delivering a reasonable level of service when there is strike action. This will, however, be kept under review and the Bill gives the government the power to step in and set minimum service levels should that become necessary.
Business Secretary Grant Shapps said: “The first job of any government is to keep the public safe. Because whilst we absolutely believe in the ability to strike, we are duty-bound to protect the lives and livelihoods of the British people.
“I am introducing a bill that will give government the power to ensure that vital public services will have to maintain a basic function, by delivering minimum safety levels ensuring that lives and livelihoods are not lost.
“We do not want to have to use this legislation unless we have to, but we must ensure the safety of the British public.”
The sectors the legislation includes are:
health services
education services
fire and rescue services
transport services
decommissioning of nuclear installations and management of radioactive waste and spent fuel
border security
This principle is already recognised in many countries across the world, such as Italy and Spain, where systems for applying minimum levels during strikes are in place for services the public depend on.
As is the case currently a union will lose its legal protection from damages if it does not comply with the obligations set for them within the legislation.
Yesterday’s reforms come as government ministers are meeting trade unions to discuss fair and affordable public sector pay settlements for 2023 to 2024.
TUC to hold national ‘protect the right to strike’ day on February 1
Union body says it will fight new anti-strike legislation “every step of the way”
The TUC will hold a national ‘protect the right to strike’ day on Wednesday 1 February.
The announcement comes following a meeting of trade union leaders yesterday.
Events will take place in different parts of the country against the Conservative’s new anti-strike legislation.
Members of the public will be invited to show their support for workers taking action to defend their pay and conditions.
More information will be provided in the coming weeks about planned activities.
The TUC has vowed to fight the new strike curbs “every step of the way” – including through parliament and the courts.The union body says the government’s new anti-strike plans are unworkable and almost certainly in breach of international law.
TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak said: “The right to strike is a fundamental British liberty – but the government is attacking it in broad daylight.
“These draconian new curbs will tilt the balance of power even more in favour of bad bosses and make it harder for people to win better pay and conditions.
“Nobody should lose their job if they take lawful action to win a better deal. But ministers have gone from clapping our key workers to threatening them with the sack.
“Unions will fights these plans every step of the way – including through parliament and through the courts.
“On February the 1st will we hold events across the country against this spiteful new bill – which is unworkable and almost certainly illegal.
“We will call on the general public to show support for workers taking action to defend their pay and conditions, to defend our public services and to protect the fundamental right to strike.”
On the need for the government to follow the example of the private sector, Paul Nowak added: “The government should be following the example of many employers in the private sector who have sat down with unions and agreed fair pay deals.
“But instead ministers are drawing up plans that will succeed only in escalating disputes and driving workers away from wanting to work in our public services.”
TUC polling published in last year revealed that 1 in 3 public servants were taking active steps to leave their professions.
Analysis published by the union body shows:
Nurses have lost £42,000 in real earnings since 2008 – the equivalent of £3,000 a year
Midwives have lost £56,000 in real earnings since 2008 – the equivalent of £4,000 a year
Paramedics have lost £56,000 in real earnings since 2008 – the equivalent of £4,000 a year
And if the government does not improve its pay offer for public servants, public sector pay will fall, on average, by over £100 a month in real terms in 2023.
Flooding continues to affect parts of Scotland, particularly in the North East, as heavy rain caused disruption across the country following an amber warning from the Met Office.
Parts of Aberdeenshire and Angus were given severe flood warnings by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) – the highest level of risk indicating danger to life. SEPA and local resilience partners are working with responders on the ground to deploy flood defences and help focus support to those communities who will need it most. Local rest centres have been set up to support people in affected areas.
The amber warning for rain covered Grampian, Tayside, Central and Fife and stayed in place until 9pm. A yellow warning for rain was inplace for a large part of eastern Scotland, inclusing Edinburgh, with disruption likely to continue into the weekend.
Across Scotland heavy rain is causing disruption to the transport network. Surface water and reduced visibility is leading to difficult driving conditions, a number of rail lines are currently closed and some ferry services are cancelled or delayed.
Advice remains to check with your operator to see if your service is affected. Traffic Scotland provides regular updates on the trunk road network and Police Scotland continue to warn of a high risk of disruption.
Justice Secretary and lead Minister for resilience Keith Brown chaired a meeting of the Scottish Government’s resilience committee last night (Friday 18 November).
Mr Brown said: “The high rainfall currently being experienced in many areas is causing significant issues in some parts of the country, and is now likely to cause potentially damaging and dangerous risk of flooding in some areas.
“Flooding could happen quickly, even in areas not usually prone to flooding. Local resilience partners are working with emergency services to ensure those communities most at risk are kept safe, and urgently get the support they need.
“Please take extra care if you are out and about and do not attempt to walk or drive through flood water. The conditions have already caused disruption to the transport network, with further disruption expected – so it’s important people plan their journeys before they set off – particularly if they are looking to use the trunk roads or travel by rail.
“The Scottish Government’s resilience arrangements have been activated to ensure preparations and appropriate measures are in place, and we will continue to monitor the situation over the course of the weekend.
“We are in close contact with resilience partners, local authorities and the emergency services to ensure people in the affected areas receive the latest information, advice and support where needed.”
Vincent Fitzsimons, Flood Duty Manager for the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), said: “Heavy and persistent rain overnight has led to significant increases in river levels across the east of Scotland.
“We have seen almost a month’s worth of rain in some parts already this week and we are expecting around the same again over the course of Friday and Saturday in parts of Northeast Scotland.
“The highest risk is to riverside communities in parts of Aberdeenshire and Angus, with Severe Flood Warnings already issued. The worst impacts will occur between early Friday afternoon and early Saturday morning. We are working 24/7 with the Met Office and with information from SEPA’s gauge network to review the flood predictions for these communities and others. This will continue until the risk is over.
“SEPA is working with emergency response partners in the areas most at risk to help them prepare and to focus support to those communities who need it most. People living and working in affected areas are advised to plan their essential journeys and consider the steps they need to take now to be prepared and to stay safe. They can also keep updated on floodline.sepa.org.uk.”
Responding to reports of extreme flooding and transport disruption across Edinburgh and Scotland yesterday (18th November 2022), Foysol Choudhury MSP said:“The rainfall we are experiencing today is causing major disruption-to trains, to roads, to pedestrians.
“We cannot, of course, control the weather. However, we unfortunately can expect more and more extreme weather patterns such as this in the future due to the devastating impact of climate change.
“The Scottish and UK Government must have plans in place to deal with this weather, in order to protect our countryside and town and city infrastructure.
“It was only last week that I held a meeting with Scottish Water and local elected representatives to discuss how impactful rain and flooding can be on constituents, and to urge them to provide an easily accessible helpline for constituents affected by flooding.
“Unfortunately, we have seen today just why this helpline is so necessary.
“As a result of my meeting with Scottish Water, I also lodged two parliamentary questions to ask the Scottish Government about whether it would allocate more funding to Scottish Water to prevent and tackle flooding and heavy rainfall.
“I understand the impact that today’s weather will have on my constituents and I want you all to know that I understand the difficulties you will be facing this weekend and I am here to help.
“I’ve already urged The City of Edinburgh Council to help unblock drains which are causing extreme flooding at the junction between Ferry Road and West Granton Access in Edinburgh (pictured top).
“If you have any issues with flooding over the weekend, I’d urge you to contact your local council to get urgent help.
“Going into the future, I will be continuing to take action on this issue – today has only strengthened my resolve that action is needed, now.”
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) issues flood alerts and warnings for Scotland. View the latest updates on their website.
The historic London Road clock has returned home after 15 years in storage and following its full restoration, as part of the Trams to Newhaven project.
The clock, which began life on Waverley Bridge in 1857 before being moved to the West End in 1896, was eventually placed at the roundabout on London Road in 1955. It was removed in 2007 during the original tram project and is now being replaced as Trams to Newhaven nears completion.
Specialist clockmakers Smith of Derby have carefully restored the clock, which has involved dismantling it, priming and repainting all parts, hand painting ornate features in gold and repairing the Coat of Arms of Edinburgh, including casting a new deer from aluminium.
The timepiece was returned to Elm Row on Tuesday (16 August) as part of improvements to the public space at Elm Row.
Councillor Scott Arthur, Transport and Environment Convener, said:“I’m sure the return of the London Road clock will be welcome news to many, and thanks to its full restoration it will add a striking finishing touch to the area’s transformation.
“It has a rich history, and I’m sure the clock has witnessed many amazing scenes in Edinburgh.”
John Lawson, City Archaeologist, said: “It has been fascinating to work with Smith of Derby in restoring this iconic clock back to its original condition and with a new striking paint scheme reflecting what we believe to be close to its original Victorian look.
The process has proved more complex than first thought. What was thought to be a simple iron casting in four parts has been revealed by Smith’s conservation work to be a more intricate design, with individual detailed castings added separately to the main column. Along with the Elm Row pigeons, we hope the historic London Road Clock will be enjoyed by all and add to the area’s history.”
Trams to Newhaven remains on schedule for completion by spring 2023 and within the £207.3m budget, with all major construction anticipated to be complete by the end of 2022 ahead of a testing and commissioning period.
The main construction works between Montgomery Street/Annandale Street and Pilrig Street were completed last month (July). Main construction works are also complete on several other sections, including Ocean Terminal to Rennie’s Isle and between Tower Street and Constitution Place and Tower Street and Baltic Street.
Amongst the progress made to date, 93% of track slab has been laid (over 4km), all the necessary utility diversions have been carried out and main construction work is complete on four new tram stops at Constitution Street, McDonald Road, Ocean Terminal and Foot of the Walk, with works progressing well on the Balfour Street and Port of Leith stops.
Several other monuments and public artwork pieces have been refurbished and replaced as part of the project, including the Robert Burns statute at Bernard Street, which was restored and unveiled earlier this year.
In addition, the eight bronze pigeons will be returned to Elm Row this autumn, while work is ongoing to identify an appropriate location for Pilrig Cable Wheels discovered on Leith Walk.
A meeting of the Scottish Government Resilience Room (SGoRR) has been told of the impact of UK-wide rail strikes on Scotland.
Deputy First Minister John Swinney was joined by Ministers including Transport Secretary Michael Matheson and Transport Minister Jenny Gilruth to hear of the latest situation.
The Transport Minister yesterday wrote to the UK Government calling for a swift resolution to the dispute.
Tuesday marked the first of three days of strike action this week, with more planned for Thursday and Saturday with the possibility of further action over the summer. Due to shift patterns the entire week is being disrupted, rather than just the three selected dates.
SGoRR has been up and running since this morning and will be in operation until Sunday evening to monitor impacts and oversee and co-ordinate the response from Ministers.
The meeting also heard about extra preparedness around major events such as the Royal Highland Show, freight mitigation plans from major retailers to keep supermarkets stocked as much as possible, and wider resilience plans.
Speaking after chairing the meeting, Mr Swinney said: “With a busy summer upon us, there needs to be more urgency from UK Ministers and the Department for Transport to get this situation fixed – and fast. The lack of action being taken by the UK Government is a dereliction of duty.
“We have had our own issues in Scotland but the difference between our approach and that of the UK Government could not be more stark. We have sought dialogue, compromise and agreement, whereas the UK Government has deliberately inflamed the situation causing misery for the travelling public.
“This afternoon’s meeting was an opportunity to hear from agencies and responders about the plans that are in place, and I am confident that the mitigations we can take are being taken, but we heard of the serious impact it is having on many areas and sectors of Scotland such as tourism, freight and major events.
“I am grateful to the travelling public for their considerable patience and for checking ahead, seeking alternatives, and working flexibly, where possible. Our resilience arrangements will remain in place for the rest of the week, however I am in no doubt that this situation can and should be addressed by the UK Government.
“The public have suffered enough and our major events organisers need to be able to look and plan ahead with certainty.”
Police Scotland is ready to deliver one of the largest policing operations undertaken in Britain as extensive planning for the COP26 climate conference reaches the final stages.
Around 10,000 officers will be deployed each day to support the safety and security of the event in Glasgow next month, at which around 120 world leaders and heads of state are expected to attend.
The planning operation, which has been under way for almost two years, has been the largest undertaken by Police Scotland.
Officers will be drafted from every division and department in Police Scotland, supported by a substantial number of colleagues from other UK police services as part of mutual aid arrangements. Deployments will include specialist resources such as firearms officers, dog handlers, mounted branch, search teams and the marine unit.
COP26, the United Nations 26th Conference of the Parties, is an annual summit organised by the UN where world leaders and thousands of delegates come together to tackle climate change issues.
This year’s event takes place from 31 October to 12 November at the Scottish Event Campus in Glasgow.
Deputy Chief Constable Will Kerr said: “Police Scotland is ready and well prepared to deliver this operation which will involve one of the biggest mobilisation of police assets the UK has ever seen.
“With around 120 world leaders and heads of state attending, along with thousands of delegates and those who wish to protest, the scale of the security operation cannot be overstated. It is a huge challenge but one we are ready to deal with.
“Police Scotland has an enviable reputation throughout the world for the policing of major events and I am confident that we will once again deliver a response which helps deliver a safe and secure conference.”
Police Scotland’s style and tone of policing will be friendly, fair and accommodating for anyone wishing to protest during the event.
All mutual aid officers will be under the command and control of the Chief Constable of Police Scotland and will receive detailed briefings on the style and tone of policing ahead of being deployed.
DCC Kerr said: “Police Scotland is a rights-based organisation and has a duty under the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) to protect the rights of people who wish to peacefully protest or counter-protest, balanced against the rights of the wider community.
“We will provide a proportionate policing response to any protests and have been engaging with known protest groups for some time to ensure their rights to peaceful assembly and protest are met.
“Those wishing to protest have a responsibility to do so within the law and I would remind the small minority of people who may be intent on violent disorder or causing damage that we will deal with them swiftly and robustly.
“The policing of protests is a particularly difficult balancing act when they are non-violent and peaceful but highly disruptive or unlawful.
“People at protests sometimes break the law in a number of ways that aren’t linked to violence or disorder, such as blocking roads.
“Some disruption is inevitable during the event, if someone is causing significant disruption by wilfully obstructing a main traffic route then officers may move through the various stages of our graduated response more quickly than they would during instances which are causing minimum disruption.
“A considerable part of our planning for COP26 has been to ensure that the communities of Scotland continue to receive the same high standard of service from policing that they have come to expect.
“Policing, so often the service of first and last resort, will never step away from people in crisis.
“There are pressures which exist across many other services, agencies and sectors, and when the health service, local authorities and other key partners come under significant strain, demand is diverted to policing.
“However, Police Scotland prioritises emergency 999 calls and these are answered within less than 10 seconds, on average. Our non-emergency response times continue to be affected by high demand.
“While an event the size of COP26 places considerable demands on policing, we already have contingencies in place and are taking steps to boost those over the coming weeks.
“Although there is potential for further disruption should pressure on other agencies and services persist and become more acute, particularly as the country prepares for COP26, I can reassure the public that if they need an emergency response from us they will get it.”
Detectives from Edinburgh have made a number of arrests in a day of action aimed at disrupting “country lines” drug supplies into the city.
Six men, aged 38, 30, 29, 24, 22 and 21, were arrested in Edinburgh and Wolverhampton today (Wednesday, 21 July) and charged in connection with various drug offences.
All are expected to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court in due course.
Small quantities of crack cocaine, heroin and cannabis, along with a four figure sum of cash recovered during the operation.
Detective Inspector Kevin Tait said: “We are committed to identifying the supply chain which brings drugs into Edinburgh and disrupting the activity of people intent on bringing harm to our communities.
“The county lines model shows crime does not respect borders. “Activity such as this cross border operation shows the benefit of working closely with partner agencies in response to concerns raised by local communities.
“Intelligence is the lifeblood of investigations such as this. Communities should not have to tolerate the damage caused by drugs and I would urge anyone with information which can help us deal with those responsible to pass this on.”
“If anyone has any concerns regarding the abuse of controlled drugs, or anyone who may be involved in the supply of controlled drugs, they are urged to contact Police on 101 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.”
The current trade disruption between the UK and the EU is the result of ignoring expert advice and a chaotic information campaign, which must urgently be solved in three steps, says leading London accountancy firm Blick Rothenberg.
Alex Altmann, a partner and head of the firm’s Brexit advisory group, says: “We warned about serious disruptions many months ago and advised the Government to introduce an implementation phase for businesses to cope with the new customs formalities.
“The foolishness and amateurism of the Government’s approach has created existential threats to many businesses on both sides that currently struggle to trade with each other. The disruptions must urgently be solved in three steps.
“First, the Government must temporarily relax the requirement for EU traders to have an office in the UK to import goods, and subsequently ask the EU commission to do the same. The most serious problem today is that businesses without a presence in the other market cannot import their goods without appointing a customs agent.
“ This is how the new customs rules have been designed by the UK and the EU as part of the Brexit deal. This is a serious flaw. Customs agents are rare and very expensive and the UK currently requires about 20,000 more agents to meet demand. The Government should take this step very urgently to avoid a major supply chain disaster in the weeks ahead.”
Altmann added: “Second, the Government needs to admit that their expensive Brexit information campaign has not prepared businesses well enough for the new trade relationship with the EU. The guidance provided by the UK Government contains conflicting information, not enough detail, and to some extent, wrong advice.
“This has become particularly apparent with regards to the new border situation with Northern Ireland. It has become clear that the Government’s guidance has not been drafted by trade and customs experts, which is a serious shortcoming.
“The Government must take a step back now and relax the rules for the time being, while redrafting guidance and advisory papers based on the final Brexit deal arrangements. This is the only way to overcome the misinformation and provide traders and freight carriers with the confidence they need to sell cross-border.”
Altmann, who is also a Chairman at the British Chamber of Commerce in Germany said: “ “Thirdly, there are some serious flaws in the Brexit trade deal that the Government must put high up on the agenda to clarify and potentially renegotiate with the EU.
“ One area that continues to create confusion among traders and their freight carriers is the new rules of origin provision. The Government presented the Brexit deal as a tariff and quota free agreement. This is only partly true. Tariffs still apply in the normal way for manufactured goods which contain more than 40 percent of ingredients with origins outside the UK or EU.
“There is no guidance of how businesses should calculate and document the origin analysis. This is causing major disruptions to supply chains. Again, we recommend that the new rules of origin are temporarily paused until there is sufficient guidance and expertise available to work this out.”
A voucher scheme encouraging people to visit shops, cafes and restaurants on Leith Walk will launch on Monday (24 August) as part of the Trams to Newhaven project, the city council has announced.
The council is offering shoppers and diners £10 for the price of £5 to spend in a range of participating venues through the itison deal, which is part of our £2.4m Support for Business measures during construction works.
They will also be relaunching the offer for businesses on Constitution Street next month, where vouchers sold out within days when they were first introduced in November 2019.
Main Trams to Newhaven construction work began on Leith Walk in June, following a pause to comply with Government guidance and to protect the safety of workers and residents during the coronavirus outbreak.
The council says they have worked closely with local traders along the route to develop the Support for Business package, which aims to maintain the area’s appeal, drive footfall and minimise disruption throughout construction.
This includes logistics hubs to help businesses get goods into and out of their premises, on-street customer service staff providing advice to customers and businesses and a digital ‘Open for Business’ marketing campaign. They are also working with Sustrans to introduce cargo bikes for service deliveries and moving goods around.
Transport and Environment Vice Convener Councillor Karen Doran said: “We’re excited to be launching this phase of the itison voucher scheme, which will give an added incentive to visit the range of independent shops, cafes, bars and restaurants on offer in the area.
“We know that any disruption can be challenging for businesses, particularly paired with the trying circumstances in which we find ourselves in now. We want to do everything we can to help them to continue to operate, and flourish, over the years to come.
“This project is critical for the city’s carbon neutral future, where transport is sustainable, connected and accessible. We want its benefits to be felt by everyone and we’re working hard to make this happen.”
Over 70 Leith Walk bars, restaurants, cafes and shops have signed up to the itison voucher scheme, which lasts until 31 August. Customers can buy up to three vouchers at a time to use in any of the participating businesses. Vouchers for Constitution Street must be bought separately, and for specific businesses.
Lothian MSP Miles Briggs said:“This is an excellent initiative to encourage customers to continue visiting businesses on Leith Walk and promote trade.
“Shops on the walk have been hit hard by the double blow of lockdown and the tram extensions, so making efforts to support businesses is very welcome.
“I encourage everyone to make the most of this offer and support local businesses.”
