Scottish Labour MSP Foysol Choudhury yesterday (9th January 2024) raised concerns in the Scottish Parliament about the “catastrophic miscarriage of justice” that is the Post Office Horizon scandal.
Between 1999 and 2015, more than 700 sub-postmasters and sub-postmistresses were convicted after Fujitsu’s faulty Horizon software used by the Post Office made it look like money was missing.
Many maintained their innocence and after decades of campaigning, won the right for their cases to be reconsidered. The scandal is now back in the public spotlight after an ITV drama depicted the case.
In 2020, the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission (SCCRC) wrote to at least 73 potential victims of the Horizon scandal in Scotland. However, as of the end of 2023, reportedly only 16 of those had come forward to ask for a review of their conviction.
Mr Choudhury questioned the Cabinet Secretary for Justice, Angela Constance, on how the Scottish Government will ensure that all others potentially wrongfully convicted are supported in coming forward if they wish for their conviction to be overturned.
Mr Choudhury said afterwards: “There are many people potentially affected by wrongful convictions in this scandal who have not yet come forward to ask for a reconsideration.
“There are many more who were not convicted but for whom the false accusations severely impacted their reputation, career, relationships and mental health.
“The Scottish Government must continue to liaise with the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) regarding the number of people in Scotland who were prosecuted and how a Scotland-specific response can be established by COPFS, who hold sole responsibility for prosecutions in Scotland .
“When I asked the Cabinet Secretary today, she dodged the question about whether the Scottish Government expects to be liable for the compensation costs, instead referring to the UK Government compensation scheme.
“The Scottish Government must urgently consider what liability Scottish authorities hold for victims in Scotland who were wrongfully prosecuted.“
Mr Choudhury also asked the Scottish Government if it has held discussions with the UK Government regarding the responsibility of Fujitsu in this scandal, highlighting that Fujitsu have not faced any financial repercussions and have reportedly been awarded more than 150 Government contracts since the scandal.
The Lothian list Labour MSP says he will continue to fight for justice on behalf of his affected constituents.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak says the government will bring in a new law to “swiftly” exonerate and compensate victims of the Post Office scandal.
He told MPs at PMQs today that, as part of this, there will be a new up-front payment of £75,000 for 555 former postmasters who brought a group lawsuit.
NEW analysis by Scottish Labour has revealed that the parcels delivered by foodbanks in the City of Edinburgh has soared by 89% since 2018, with a shocking 94% rise in the number of parcels issued for children in the City of Edinburgh.
For West Lothian, there has been an increase in parcels of 81% since 2018, and a rise of 77% for parcels issued for children.
In the six months from 1 April to 30 September 2023 alone, there was a shocking 16,038 parcels distributed in the City of Edinburgh Council and 4,250 in West Lothian.
Foysol Choudhury, a Labour list MSP for Lothian, has raised concerns about the level of foodbank use and says that more urgency is needed to tackle food poverty in Edinburgh, Lothian and the rest of Scotland.
Mr Choudhury, alongside Scottish Labour, has raised concerns that the Scottish Government recently delayed the implementation of the Good Food Nations Act by half a year.
Scottish Labour also says the Scottish Government has repeatedly failed to set out a timeline for enshrining a legal Right to Food in Scots law – something Scottish Labour MSP Rhoda Grant is pursuing in a Member’s Bill.
Mr Choudhury said: “The levels of food poverty in Scotland are scandalous and the Scottish Government must act urgently.
“We should not have people in Scotland going hungry, cutting back, choosing between heating and eating or relying on foodbanks.
“I have met with so many brilliant organisations who work tirelessly to support those in food poverty-organisations like Empty Kitchens, Full Hearts and The Larder. However, they shouldn’t have to fill the gap where legislation and political leadership should be.
“We need real leadership from both of our governments – but the Tories and the SNP are both missing in action.
“The Lothian region deserves better than these two failing and out-of-touch governments – we need action at every level to tackle this shameful food poverty crisis and enshrine in law a legal Right to Food.”
On Monday (18th September), the 7th Annual Asian Restaurant Awards Scotland, held at The Sheraton Grand Hotel in Edinburgh by the Asian Catering Foundation, saw over 70 of Scotland’s most loved Asian Restaurants and Takeaways battle it out for awards decided by over 10, 000 people’s votes.
This much anticipated night, hosted by BBC News anchor Samantha Simmonds, was a celebration of some of the best restaurants serving some of the finest food in Scotland.
Speaking following event, Foysol Choudhury MSP said: “The work these restaurants are doing in challenging circumstances is exemplary and I would like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to them all.
“I’d like to thank all winners and nominees for their participation in the night. We were treated to a great night with fantastic performances and food which showed the diversity of our wonderful catering industry. I would also like to put on record my thanks to ACF Chairman Yawar Khan for organising the event, in addition to the staff at the Sheraton Grand Hotel who helped the night run smoothly.”
The Lothians Labour list MSP also expressed concern at the lack of government support to tackle the long-term problems affecting the industry: ““Asian restaurants are a crucial part of the hospitality scene in Scotland, with their cuisine enjoyed by thousands of patrons every week.
“However, the challenges these restaurants face are unprecedented. Just as they were recovering from damage the Covid-19 pandemic inflicted on their businesses, they were struck with a drastic rise in energy prices and a cost-of-living crisis.”
“It’s also no secret that hospitality venues have struggled with staffing for a long time now.
“The UK and Scottish Governments must act now to support these businesses on issues old and new and ensure these restaurants and takeaways continue to thrive for many years to come.”
Responding after the Save Our Pools debate at the Scottish Parliament, Foysol Choudhury MSP said:“At the Save Our Pools debate recently, the Scottish Government attacked partly-Labour led West Lothian Council for being forced into closing swimming pools because of inadequate Scottish Government funding.
“Many other Councils across Scotland are having to make difficult decisions about closures because they are cash-strapped, including partly-SNP led Aberdeen Council.
“Yet, the Minister did not seem to want to admit that and failed to answer my question when I asked her about closures elsewhere in Scotland, choosing instead to attack Labour for decisions that, actually, councillors all across Scotland, including SNP councillors, are having to make.
“It’s time the Scottish Government take this issue seriously and start providing more funding to councils within Scotland, instead of deflecting questions to compare Scotland to England or to attack the opposition.
“When I previously asked to meet with the Minister to discuss this important matter of swimming pool closures she said she had no time, yet, I have now come to learn that she has time to meet with her SNP colleague Fiona Hyslop MSP to discuss this issue.
“The Scottish Government should urgently begin to work with colleagues across the Chamber for the sake of our shared constituents, to ensure they have access to the vital health, safety and social resources which are our swimming pools.
“Will this SNP administration stop being insular and work with all elected officials for the sake of our communities?”
On Wednesday 6th September 2023, the Scottish Parliament debated a Save Our Pools motion brought forwarded by Liz Smith MSP.
The motion and debate recognised the importance of Scottish Swimming’s ‘Save Our Pool’ campaign, which has been fighting to secure long-term financial investment from the Government, in order to sustain swimming pools threatened with inflationary energy costs, staff shortages and, ultimately, closure.
Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, has been heavily involved in the campaign after West Lothian Leisure closed three swimming pools in his region.
Speaking following his participation in the debate, Foysol Choudhury said: “Swimming pools are community lifelines for people to exercise, socialise and learn water safety.
“However, these vital community resources are under threat due to lack of Scottish Government funding to local councils.
“That’s why it was so important for me to share my constituent’s stories in the Chamber – to highlight how Scottish Government funding decisions leave people with ‘sleepless nights’ ”
Mr Choudhury also highlighted in the debate how swimming is an important life skill and how these closures will mean even less children have the ability to learn to swim: “Evidence shows that children from certain social and economic backgrounds are already at a disadvantage in terms of learning to swim.
“Are we really going to make that worse by removing community swimming pools altogether?”
Mr Choudhury says he wrote to the Minister for Social Care, Mental Well-being and Sport and was told there was no time available to meet.
This lack of engagement from the Scottish Government, he says, was also evident in Wednesday’s debate when Mr Choudhury says his question to the Minister on swimming pool closures across the whole of Scotland was not fully answered by the Minister.
Mr Choudhury also wrote to the First Minister with colleague Neil Bibby MSP. He has not, however, received a response.
Mr Choudhury says that action from the Scottish Government and increased funding must be prioritised this term: “The Scottish Government are responsible for funding local authorities and a lack of funding have meant that local authorities have had to make difficult decisions.
“The UK Government recently announced funding of £63 million to be directly invested into leisure centres with swimming facilities. When I questioned the Scottish Government on this, they confirmed that the consequentials from that funding have been added to the overall Scottish bloc, but nothing further has been earmarked for swimming pools at this time.
“This is funding that should have been directly allocated to local authorities to fund leisure centres with pools.
“It is deeply disappointing that there is no mention of swimming pools in the new programme for government.
“I will continue working with the Council, Scottish Swimming, Ministers and all interested parties where possible to ensure that this devastating lack of Scottish Government funding does not destroy our swimming pools and other aspects of our Natural Health Service.”
Foysol Choudhury MSP’s speech can be watched here:
The 2023 Edinburgh Festival Fringe drew to a close yesterday, (Monday 28 August 2023), having brought together artists, arts industry, media and audiences from nearly 170 countries, with 2,445,609 tickets issued across the festival.
288 venues hosted a diverse selection of work from Scotland, the UK and the rest of the world, with 67 countries represented, and performance showcases from 17 countries. They were joined by nearly 500 of the world’s finest street performers, buskers and street artists, who brought vibrancy and joy to the Mound and Royal Mile as part of the Fringe street events.
As the largest performing arts festival and expo market for professional development in the world, this year’s Fringe also attracted nearly 1,400 accredited producers, programmers, bookers, talent agencies, festivals and others from 49 countries, who come to Edinburgh looking to find talent and shows, providing touring and onward opportunities for artists well beyond August.
In addition, 840 of the world’s media accredited for this year’s festival through the Fringe Society, with the number of reviewers up 10% on last year, and who in total generated 25% more reviews for artists at the Fringe than in 2022.
The themes and issues tackled by artists in the 2023 programme included mental health and wellbeing, disability, queer lives, working-class representation and the climate crisis; with emerging talent showcased alongside big names and ground-breaking international work.
To help audiences discover work among the 3,553* shows featured in this year’s programme, the Fringe Society launched a new Fringe app for 2023. Using the app, audiences could ‘shake to search’, generating a random show suggestion simply by shaking their phone, while the ‘nearby now’ function let app users find shows starting soon in close proximity.
Since its launch in July, the app has been downloaded nearly 80,000 times, with over 400,000 tickets issued through it.
Ensuring artists remain at the core of what the Fringe Society does, the Fringe Central: Artist Hub welcomed more than 1,500 artists and hosted a programme of over 40 events, working with 30 external partners including Health in Mind, Nouveau Riche, Birds of Paradise and World Fringe.
The Fringe Society has made a long-term commitment to community engagement and access. Key initiatives this year included loaning out 320 sensory resources for autistic children and adults, BSL interpretation of the street events in partnership with Deaf Action on three dates during August, and a dedicated Changing Places toilet located near George Square. This year the number of access bookings increased by around 35% compared to 2022.
35 local schools, charities and community groups took part in the Fringe Days Out scheme, which offers free Fringe vouchers and Lothian bus tickets to people who wouldn’t normally get to experience the Fringe. In addition, over 800 schoolchildren and teachers came to the festival as part of the Fringe Society’s schools outreach work.
Shona McCarthy, Chief Executive of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, said: “This year’s Fringe has been one that’s felt fresh, brave and energetic, and has sparked joy, discussion and provocation in equal measure, tackling the prevalent issues of our times and looking at them afresh through the creative lens and ingenuity of the performing artists.
“People come from all over the world to perform here, to see shows and to commission work. This festival remains a beacon for people to share and discuss ideas – I want to express my heartfelt thanks and admiration to everyone who makes it happen.
“Congratulations to the whole Fringe community of Fringe 2023; we will be relentless in our ongoing work to ensure that the Edinburgh Fringe lives up to its mantra – to give anyone a stage and everyone a seat.”
Benny Higgins, Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society Chair, added: “The discussions and debates held at this year’s festival have made it one of the most vital and memorable – and one of the loudest conversations was the one around affordability.
“Certainly artists are facing some of the most severe challenges ever, and while the Fringe Society will continue to do everything in its collective power to support artists, this will become harder and harder without finding support commensurate with its contribution to the economy.
“We will continue to make the case for funding, to protect what the Fringe represents – an unrivalled outpouring of creative expression.”
By Monday afternoon, with hundreds of performances still to take place, the Fringe Society can confirm that just under a quarter of a million people attended Fringe shows this year. 33% of attendees came from Edinburgh, 15% from the rest of Scotland and 10% from overseas, highlighting the continued appeal of the Fringe for locals and visitors alike.
Over 800,000 tickets were issued to ticket-buyers with EH postcodes, and 611 shows came from Edinburgh and the Lothians.
CHOUDHURY: Support needed beyond the Fringe
Scottish Labour MSP and Shadow Minister for Culture, Europe, and International Development Foysol Choudhury has raised concerns about the need for increased investment in local arts and culture groups all year round.
“The crowds that our festivals attract from all over the world show great levels of support for the arts from members of the public. However, additional support needs to be provided, all year round, to ensure these can be sustained for the public to enjoy.
“As the Scottish Government continues to waste money on the establishment of a new Independence Minister, Scotland’s culture and arts sector is suffering from a lack of investment.
“The closure of the beloved Edinburgh Filmhouse is testament to this, after it was forced to close its doors despite being known as a community lifeline for many.
“We also sadly see other much-loved venues facing challenges. Action is needed now before we lose these integral arts and culture venues for good.”
The 2023 Edinburgh Fringe Festival ran from the 4th – 28th of August 2023 and the Edinburgh International Festival ran from the 4th– 27th of August 2023.
There are some reports that there has been a drop in the number of shows taking place across the Edinburgh Fringe, with the 2023 Festival reportedly having less shows than the 2019 festival.
Noting this apparent decline in participants in the Fringe festival, Mr Choudhury says he will continue to pursue support for the arts and culture sector, so that Scotland’s vibrant cultural scene can flourish and is supported out of the COVID-19 pandemic and cost-of-living crisis.
Next year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe will run from 02 – 26 August 2024.
YESTERDAY (Wednesday 9th August), the Scottish Parliament in partnership with the Cross-Party Group (CPG) on Bangladesh held a panel discussion on the ‘Urgency of climate change and justice in vulnerable low-lying countries ahead of COP28.’
The event, chaired by Member of Scottish Parliament and Convener of CPG Bangladesh Foysol Choudhury, is part of the 19th Festival of Politics hosted by the Scottish Parliament and Edinburgh International Festival between 9th – 11th August.
The panel on climate justice featured experts on climate advocacy, including Ben Wilson, Advocacy Manager at the Scottish International Catholic Aid Fund (SCIAF); Jelina Berlow-Rahman, Senior Director of Berlow Rahman Hassan Ltd. Solicitors in Glasgow; Dr Elizabeth Cripps, Senior Lecturer in Political Theory at the University of Edinburgh and Professor Saleemul Huq, Director of the International Centre for Climate Change in Bangladesh.
Among the guests were the Consul General of India in Edinburgh; Turkish-Scottish Chamber of Commerce and academics from Scotland and Bangladesh.
The event centred on the theme of the unequal impact of global climate change on low-lying countries such as Bangladesh, Maldives, and Small Island Developing States (SIDS).
Panellists engaged in discussions about climate change as a moral and human rights issue, and how countries can mobilise long-term climate adaptation plans to tackle emerging challenges such as climate migration.
They further deliberated on the loss and damage fund established at COP27 and how the international community can best continue supporting local actors at the frontline of climate disasters ahead of COP28 this year.
Speaking after the event, Foysol Choudhury MSP said: “Today’s discussion reaffirmed that Scotland must reinvigorate its commitments to net zero emissions, as well as its targets to ensure climate justice elsewhere in the world, before COP28.
“Failure to meet climate goals will have, and is having, a devastating impact on low-lying countries, who have contributed the least to the climate change which is devastating them.
“We have already seen an increase in extreme weather in countries vulnerable to climate change, such as the floods in Pakistan and Bangladesh.
“Scotland needs to urgently engage in a multifaceted response comprising of climate mitigation, adaptation, and support, to ensure that climate justice for all countries can be realised on our path to net-zero.
“I hope this discussion offers insight into the urgency of the situation and reinvigorates the drive for change.
“We cannot afford to wait any longer before doing so.”
The panel event can be viewed on the following link:
Against the backdrop of the world’s biggest cycling event in history, discussions are taking place which aim to further boost equality, diversity and inclusion across Scotland’s world-renowned events sector.
The 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships has seen competitions for disabled and non-disabled athletes taking place alongside each other. This inclusive approach has helped to showcase and raise awareness of Para sport.
Yesterday in Glasgow Culture Secretary Angus Robertson hosted a roundtable with partners representing people with protected characteristics, such as race and young people, to explore ways to strengthen the approach to the planning, delivery and legacy of major events.
Along with a public consultation and stakeholder workshops held earlier in 2023, this will inform the refreshed National Events Strategy for 2025-2035.
Mr Robertson said: “It’s important that collectively we make most of the many benefits events can bring to the lives of diverse communities right across Scotland.
“The UCI Cycling World Championships are a great example of how mega events like this can showcase our cultural diversity, boost accessibility and extend a warm welcome to all communities.
“The inclusion of Para sports in the Cycling World Championships has contributed significantly to the atmosphere. The competitive spirit and level of skill and dedication demonstrated by all athletes taking part side by side has been inspirational and an important part of the success of the event.
“We want our portfolio of world-class events to deliver positive economic, social, cultural and environmental benefits for everyone in Scotland.”
Scottish Labour’s Shadow Minister for Culture Foysol Choudhury MSP said that championships as such are an excellent opportunity to get more people into sports and showcase all that Scotland has to offer to the world.
The Lothians list MSP said: “With our fantastic landscape and cities as backdrops for the event, it’s been great to show the world exactly why so many of us are proud to call Scotland our home.
“Not only that, but it’s really helped to encourage sport, amongst young people and adults alike.
“We not only have breath-taking scenery if you want to cycle outdoors, but we also have excellent velodromes for indoor cycling.
“This is a great opportunity to embrace active travel as part of a healthy lifestyle and start cycling again-I know I’ve definitely been inspired to get back into the habit!”
As part of the build-up to the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships, an £8 million Cycling Facilities Fund has been jointly invested by the Scottish Government and Sportscotland to support cycling communities and club facilities across Scotland.
Mr Choudhury continued: “To encourage active travel and sport, we need to make sure that everybody has access to the equipment and facilities needed to participate. That’s why funding to community and club facilities is so important.
“I would like to congratulate two projects from West Lothian – Balbardie Park Pump Track and West Lothian Cycle Circuit, Linlithgow – who have received awards of £45,433 and £636,011, respectively.
“I hope that my constituents can make use of the benefits that these funds can bring.
“Let’s all get inspired by the Championships this summer and join in to feel the Power Of The Bike! “
Passengers rely on good connectivity through our train network, whether it be for work or leisure (writes Lothians Labour MSP FOYSOL CHOUDHURY).
What’s more, many passengers rely on ticket offices in stations to guide them through a journey and help them with buying tickets for a stress-free experience. This is especially true of older people or those without digital connectivity, who might not have the ability to book tickets on their phone.
They are also a massive resource for tourists, such as the thousands who visit Scotland, to help them enjoy trips in what might be an unfamiliar environment.
That’s why the plans to remove, or reduce the opening hours of, ticket offices for many train operators would be so catastrophic. Not only will this affect passengers on train services leaving Scotland – for example, the Avanti West Coast services leaving Glasgow – but it will also affect the huge numbers of passengers who wish to buy tickets in England to travel up to Scotland.
Just the other week, I was travelling back home to Scotland from England and had difficulties buying tickets on my phone in the station due to connection issues, so much so that I missed the train I wanted to get on.
If this was difficult for me, I can only imagine how difficult it would be for somebody who was less able to use a smartphone or navigate the complex booking and payment process online.
Without ticket offices, passenger service could be drastically worsened due to poor accessibility, restricted access to best value tickets and a devastating lack of support for ease of journeys. This will also lead to a de-staffing of stations, which could worsen passenger safety, security and experience.
This is why we must save our ticket offices. You can have your say by responding to the Transport Focus consultation by 1st September 2023.
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) have announced a programme of £11 million worth of cuts for 2023-24, which could lead to catastrophic removals of equipment and firefighter positions at fire stations.
Crewe Toll Fire Station in Edinburgh is due to be affected, with the potential loss of the station’s Turntable Ladder, the piece of equipment which allows rescues from height.
If the equipment is removed from the station, and if no other height appliance was available to attend, there would be no external rescue possible from above the fourth floor in a building.
Foysol Choudhury MSP this week visited Crewe Toll Fire Station to discuss the impact that these cuts would have on the firefighters and their ability to do their job safely.
Following the visit, Mr Choudhury said: “Firefighters risk their lives doing their jobs to save us, and our buildings, from fire.
“They depend on vital equipment to help them do this safely and so I am incredibly concerned that this equipment could be removed, meaning that rescues from height will not be possible.
“With over 50 buildings above four floors in the surrounding area, this proposal makes no sense.
“If there is a fire in a block of flats in the area surrounding Crewe Toll, what will happen?
“These cuts should not be made, knowing the dangers that fires can cause and the tragedies they lead to.
“You can sign the petition to help Crewe Toll Fire Station retain their height appliance here: https://chng.it/CJncjdvty7”
The Labour list MSP is supporting FBU Scotland’s #CutsLeaveScars campaign, which is calling for a reverse to the decision to cut £11million from services.
Mr Choudhury is also calling on the Scottish Government to urgently review their funding arrangements with the SFRS, so that these cuts are not forced and so that both firefighters and the public can be kept safe by a fully resourced fire and rescue service.
