Local government umbrella body COSLA is to launch a social media campaign entitled #BudgetReality which will lay out in detail the real budget Councils have been given for next year. The campaign will also highlight the impact of this reduction in specific service areas. Continue reading Councils spell out #BudgetReality
To mark the national day against slavery on October 18, International Development Secretary Priti Patel outlined an increase in support for women and girl refugees in Jordan, Iraq and Lebanon, and for vulnerable people at risk of trafficking on migration routes in North Africa and Europe. The Scottish Government also launched a consultation on human trafficking last week. Continue reading UK steps up to support global fight against slavery and child exploitation
‘The Big Brother scheme is history’
Judges at the UK’s highest court have ruled against the Scottish government’s Named Person scheme. The Scottish Government says it will act swiftly to make the necessary amendments to ensure ‘the service will be implemented at the earliest possible date’ but opponents of the controversial legislation have hailed the judgement as a victory for families. Continue reading Setback for Scottish Government as Supreme Court rules against Named Person legislation
Theresa May delivered her first statement as Prime Minister in Downing Street last night:
I have just been to Buckingham Palace, where Her Majesty The Queen has asked me to form a new government, and I accepted.
In David Cameron, I follow in the footsteps of a great, modern Prime Minister. Under David’s leadership, the government stabilised the economy, reduced the budget deficit, and helped more people into work than ever before.
But David’s true legacy is not about the economy but about social justice. From the introduction of same-sex marriage, to taking people on low wages out of income tax altogether; David Cameron has led a one-nation government, and it is in that spirit that I also plan to lead.
Because not everybody knows this, but the full title of my party is the Conservative and Unionist Party, and that word ‘unionist’ is very important to me.
It means we believe in the Union: the precious, precious bond between England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. But it means something else that is just as important; it means we believe in a union not just between the nations of the United Kingdom but between all of our citizens, every one of us, whoever we are and wherever we’re from.
That means fighting against the burning injustice that, if you’re born poor, you will die on average 9 years earlier than others.
If you’re black, you’re treated more harshly by the criminal justice system than if you’re white.
If you’re a white, working-class boy, you’re less likely than anybody else in Britain to go to university.
If you’re at a state school, you’re less likely to reach the top professions than if you’re educated privately.
If you’re a woman, you will earn less than a man. If you suffer from mental health problems, there’s not enough help to hand.
If you’re young, you’ll find it harder than ever before to own your own home.
But the mission to make Britain a country that works for everyone means more than fighting these injustices. If you’re from an ordinary working class family, life is much harder than many people in Westminster realise. You have a job but you don’t always have job security. You have your own home, but you worry about paying a mortgage. You can just about manage but you worry about the cost of living and getting your kids into a good school.
If you’re one of those families, if you’re just managing, I want to address you directly.
I know you’re working around the clock, I know you’re doing your best, and I know that sometimes life can be a struggle. The government I lead will be driven not by the interests of the privileged few, but by yours.
We will do everything we can to give you more control over your lives. When we take the big calls, we’ll think not of the powerful, but you. When we pass new laws, we’ll listen not to the mighty but to you. When it comes to taxes, we’ll prioritise not the wealthy, but you. When it comes to opportunity, we won’t entrench the advantages of the fortunate few. We will do everything we can to help anybody, whatever your background, to go as far as your talents will take you.
We are living through an important moment in our country’s history. Following the referendum, we face a time of great national change.
And I know because we’re Great Britain, that we will rise to the challenge. As we leave the European Union, we will forge a bold new positive role for ourselves in the world, and we will make Britain a country that works not for a privileged few, but for every one of us.
That will be the mission of the government I lead, and together we will build a better Britain.
First Minister hails progress in EU talks but it’s a ‘non’ from France – so much for the Auld Alliance – and Spain
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon held a series of positive meetings with senior figures in Brussels yesterday, but it’s clear there will be many obstacles to overcome if Scotland is to play an active role in Europe following the referendum result. Continue reading Open Doors, Open Minds?
Scottish Green MSPs will use this afternoon’s (1 June) Holyrood debate on Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform to push the Scottish Government to be bolder on community energy, fracking and democratic ownership of land. Continue reading Be bolder, urge Greens
‘They will not succeed’ – First Minister Nicola Sturgeon
Both Westminster and Holyrood governments reacted swiftly to news of the terrorist atrocities in Brussels yesterday. Continue reading Brussels outrage: UK governments respond
Defence Secretary Michael Fallon visited North Edinburgh on Friday to meet with leading locally-based companies that are bringing cutting edge technology to the front line. Continue reading Defence Secretary visits North Edinburgh
Prime Minister hosts first meeting of new Community Engagement Forum today
The Prime Minister will today host the first meeting of the new Community Engagement Forum to discuss countering extremism. He will announce that for the first time, police forces in England and Wales will be asked to record anti-Muslim hate crimes as a specific category in the recorded crime statistics, bringing them in line with reporting of anti-Semitic attacks.
In 2013-14 police recorded crime statistics showed religious hate crimes increased by 45% and race hate crime by 4%. New statistics being published by the Home Office this morning are expected to show further rises. Creating a separate category will enable police, prosecutors, local authorities and the communities they serve to have a better understanding of the prevalence of anti-Muslim hate crime and allocate resources accordingly. It will provide the first accurate picture of the extent of anti-Muslim hate crime in England and Wales.
The Prime Minister will also say that new funding will be made available for the security of all faith establishments, including mosques.
This issue will be covered at today’s meeting in Downing Street, which the Prime Minister announced he would convene in his speech in Birmingham earlier this year. The Forum will principally discuss the themes and objectives of the forthcoming counter-extremism strategy including mobilising a national coalition to challenge and speak out against extremism in all its forms. It will also consider what more government can do across the board to help support young British Muslims to reach their full potential.
Prime Minister David Cameron said:
As I said last week, I want this government to be as bold in delivering social reform as we have been in economic – and a big social problem we need to tackle to rebuild Britain as an even greater country is extremism.
We all have a role to play in confronting extremism. That’s why I have invited important Muslim and non-Muslim figures to join the new Community Engagement Forum so I can hear directly about their work in our communities, the challenges they face and so that they can be part of our one nation strategy to defeat it.
I want to build a national coalition to challenge and speak out against extremists and the poison they peddle. I want British Muslims to know we will back them to stand against those who spread hate and to counter the narrative which says Muslims do not feel British. And I want police to take more action against those who persecute others simply because of their religion.
Home Secretary Theresa May said:
Hate crime has no place in Britain and I am determined to make further progress to ensure we can eradicate this deplorable act.
Working with police to provide a breakdown in religious-based hate crime data will help forces to build community trust, target their resources and enable the public to hold them to account.
Our counter-extremism strategy will be published later this month and will introduce a wide range of measures to defeat all forms of extremism. These will empower communities to confront extremist ideologies, and build more cohesive communities where everyone feels able to succeed.
The Forum will initially include around 30 multi-faith representatives from across the country and is an opportunity for the Prime Minister to hear directly from those taking a leading role challenging extremism in our communities. They will also be consulted on how best to improve the security of faith institutions and their recommendations will be considered as part of the wider work of the Prime Minister’s Extremism Taskforce.
We bailed it out and basically bought it – and now we can can buy it all over again!
HM Treasury has announced today that a retail sale of Lloyds shares will be launched next spring, with applications available online and by post.
The taxpayer – you and me – saved Lloyds from collapsing at the height of the financial crisis in 2008 with a £20.5bn bailout, leaving the UK government with a 43% stake.
The Treasury has since recouped almost three-quarters of public funds used to rescue the bank by selling shares to institutional investors, and now it has announced plans for a public sell-off.
In a statement, HM Treasury said: “It is the government’s intention to fully exit from its Lloyds shareholding in the coming months, and as part of this at least £2bn of shares will be sold to retail investors. Members of the public will be offered a discount of 5% of the market price, with a bonus share for every 10 shares for those who hold their investment for more than a year. The value of the bonus share incentive will be capped at £200 per investor. People applying for investments of less than £1,000 will be prioritised.
All proceeds from share sales are used to pay down the national debt.
Military personnel and their spouses stationed overseas will be able to participate in the sale, where possible. This is in line with the government’s armed forces covenant, which ensures that members of the armed forces should not face disadvantage in the provision of public services.
HM Treasury has also launched a dedicated campaign webpage for potential investors, where members of the public can pre-register and receive email updates about the sale. This can be found at www.gov.uk/lloydsshares.
As always, share sales are dependent on market conditions.”
