From trust in public institutions to the impact of social media, democracy is facing new challenges and raising important questions about how we communicate and make decisions together.
This year’s Festival of Politics will bring together leading voices to explore some of the issues shaping public life today, including:
‘Brexit – ten years on’ – A look back at a decade of political and economic change, and where the UK’s relationship with Europe stands today.
‘Trust in public institutions’ – How can confidence be rebuilt after major public scandals?
‘Why social media abuse towards women in politics is damaging democracy’ – Exploring how online abuse and misinformation can affect political participation and representation.
‘When does free speech become hate speech?’ – Where should the line be drawn, and what role do social media platforms play?
‘The evolution of devolution’ – How has devolution changed decision-making across the UK, and what impact has it had over the years?
‘In conversation with Brenda Hale, Baroness Hale of Richmond’ – Hear from one of the UK’s most influential legal figures as she reflects on her career and discusses her latest book, With the Law on Our Side.
Scottish Liberal Democrat MSP for Edinburgh Northern Sanne Dijkstra-Downie yesterday questioned the Scottish Government on its commitment to tackling issues affecting heat networks throughout the constituency.
Heat networks are a manner of heating buildings that use a central source of hot water which is then pumped to various different homes or buildings.
The Liberal Democrat MSP has asked the Scottish Government to comment on when the Buildings (Heating and Energy Performance) Bill and any associated Heat Network legislation will be introduced, and how the proposals will differ from those previously consulted on.
Sanne has also questioned the government on if assessments have been carried out to properly document the benefits that heat networks can provide toward lowering fuel poverty, improving energy efficiency and lowering emissions.
The introduction of comprehensive legislation on heat networks will ensure that the people of Edinburgh Northern have better access to cheaper and more efficient energy methods.
However, for this to happen, the Scottish Government must be proactive in facilitating not only the deployment of heat networks, but also in engaging with local authorities and developers to ensure that any future heat networks are correctly implemented.
Commenting Sanne Dijkstra-Downie MSP said: “Heat networks have the potential to play an extremely important role in delivering cleaner, more secure and more affordable heating for communities across Edinburgh Northern.
“However, this success depends on providing certainty for local authorities, investors and the consumers of heat networks.
“The questions that I have asked aim to establish the Scottish Government’s timetable, funding commitments and legislative intentions regarding heat network deployment.
“This will allow both parliament, constituents and those in the industry to have a clear understanding of how heat network deployment will be taken forward.”
With the Scottish Government aiming to deliver average savings of £0.5bn a year to public services over the next three years, Holyrood’s Public Service Reform Committee is seeking views on how achievable the proposed public sector reforms are.
The Committee has today launched a consultation asking how barriers to progress with reform can be overcome; how preventative approaches to spending can be promoted; and how the delivery of public services can be simplified.
As part of its pre-budget scrutiny work, the Committee will also consider whether there is sufficient clarity around how front-line roles, which are to be protected, are defined.
Speaking as the call for views launched, Committee Convener Bob Doris MSP, said: “A Spending Review demanding £1.5bn worth of public sector efficiencies, lays bare the need for us to understand the detail of how these savings are to be made and fundamentally, how they will shape public service delivery.
“Funds designated for prevention must also be put to good use and the simplification of services must lead to positive outcomes for both the provision of services and expenditure.
“We’d like to hear from those who lead, deliver, and rely on public services about what steps can be taken to remove barriers to more progress with reform, support preventative approaches, and ensure that efficiencies do not undermine frontline delivery.
“Our scrutiny will help shape the Scottish Budget before it is finalised, so contributions at this stage are especially valuable.”
The Committee is keen to hear from leaders in the public sector; community planning partnerships; trade unions; academics and think tanks; third sector representatives and staff who deliver services within or on behalf of the public sector.
The call for views closes on Friday 14 August 2026 after which the Committee plans to take oral evidence, before reporting to Parliament late October/early November this year.
The Scottish Government aims to deliver on average £0.5 billion in savings through efficiencies per year for the next three years (2026-27 to 2028-29):
To what extent are these savings achievable, and how will they shape public service delivery?
What progress is being made towards achieving these efficiencies?
What are the barriers to achieving greater efficiency and how can these be addressed?
How should the Scottish Government best present the extent of any realised efficiencies in the annual budget publication, including providing clarity on whether these are expected to be recurring savings?
The Fiscal Sustainability Delivery Plan aims to achieve an average reduction of the public sector workforce of 0.5% per year over five years.
To what extent is this target achievable and how will it shape public service delivery?
What progress is being made towards achieving this target?
What actions can the Scottish Government take to ensure these workforce reductions are delivered in a managed way which best supports effective government and public service delivery?
The PSR strategy states that it will protect frontline services. To what extent is there sufficient clarity about how frontline roles are defined and how efficiencies in back-office functions can be delivered in a way that minimises impact on the delivery of public services?
Beyond the financial benefits that the Public Sector Reform (PSR) Strategy aims to achieve, what are the key outcomes that reform should be aiming for?
The PSR Strategy includes 18 different workstreams which aim to remove barriers to reform. One workstream focuses on “simplification”, recognising that “complexity of processes, structures and reporting requirements is a key barrier to effective and efficient service delivery”. “Prevention” is one of three pillars providing structure to the Strategy.
What should the Scottish Government’s priorities be under its simplification workstream and what level of savings can be achieved through this approach?
What progress has been made to date with preventative budgeting?
How should the forthcoming Budget support greater progress towards preventative budgeting across the devolved public sector? Please set out any barriers and how these can be addressed.
What changes to the Scottish Government’s approach to budget-setting are needed to effectively deliver public service reform?
The Scottish Government included an upfront Invest to Save Fund of around £30 million in the 2025-26 and 2026-27 Scottish Budgets for reform projects that will deliver ongoing savings and support the delivery of the PSR strategy.
To what extent is the Invest to Save Fund delivering projects that achieve ongoing savings?
How are successful outcomes from this Fund being shared more widely across the public sector?
A new inquiry into the affordability and sustainability of Scotland’s tax and spending plans has been launched. It is the first Holyrood parliamentary inquiry from the newly formed Finance and Public Administration Committee.
In particular, the investigation will assess the viability of the Scottish Government’s plans to bridge the anticipated £4.77 billion fiscal gap by 2029-30.
The Committee will also consider how the Government’s approach to taxation fits in with its wider plans to ensure the sustainability of public finances.
The Committee’s ‘pre-budget scrutiny’ inquiry is intended to influence the government’s budget preparations later this year.
A call for views is open now.
Finance and Public Administration Committee convener Clare Haughey MSP said: “Our first inquiry of the new parliamentary session involves asking fundamental questions about Scotland’s public finances.
“Are the government’s tax and spending plans affordable and sustainable? How will Ministers bridge the £4.77 billion fiscal gap that’s anticipated by 2029-30. And how will the government respond to inflationary pressures on the Scottish Budget, including in relation to the cost of living?”
“We’ll also want to look at how the Scottish Government should use its financial flexibilities – such as borrowing, bonds, the ‘mutual finance model’ and the Scotland Reserve – to manage budget pressures.
“Our job is to influence the government’s budget preparations and ensure Parliament has transparency on Scotland’s tax and spending plans.”
The committee has launched a call for views asking 11 questions to inform written evidence for its new inquiry.
The call for views opened on 29 June and runs until 14 August 2026.
The programme for the Opening Ceremony of the Scottish Parliament, taking place on Saturday 27 June, has been announced today.
Their Majesties The King and Queen attended the Opening Ceremony of the Scottish Parliament yesterday, formally marking the beginning of the Seventh Session of the Holyrood Parliament.
The day start with The Crown of Scotland being escorted from Edinburgh Castle. Along with the Elizabeth Sword, the Crown of Scotland was processed into the Scottish Parliament through a guard of honour made up of young people from across Scotland.
Following the arrival of The King and Queen, the event in Holyrood’s Debating Chamber began with the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland Brass Ensemble performing a Fanfare composed by Sir James McMillan KT CBE and conducted by John Logan.
The Mace was carried by Robert White, an administrator at the Scottish Parliament. Three Team Scotland athletes who are competing in the 2026 Glasgow Commonwealth Games were also be part of the procession.
Boxer Nicholas Devlin will carry the Elizabeth Sword accompanied by para-athlete Joanna Robertson who will be racing on the athletics track and Beth Riva who is competing in Bowls.
The Officers of Arms was accompanied by young people from Young Scot, the Scottish Youth Parliament, RNIB Scotland (Haggeye), the John Smith Centre Parliamentary Internship Programme, sportscotland’s Young People’s Sport panel and the Young Women’s movement.
The Crown of Scotland will be borne by the Duke of Hamilton and Brandon escorted by the Lord Lyon King of Arms.
The event, which was broadcast live, included opening remarks from the Presiding Officer, Kenneth Gibson MSP. His Majesty The King then make an address to the Chamber and First Minister John Swinney MSP responded to His Majesty’s address.
The event also celebrated the special anniversaries of two of Scotland’s cultural organisations with specially commissioned performances.
The National Youth Choir of Scotland (NYCOS) is celebrating its 30th anniversary, and members of the NYCOS Edinburgh Regional Choir and NYCOS BSL Youth Choir performed Sarah Quartel’s The Beat of a Different Drum.
National Theatre of Scotland presented As Others See Us written and directed by Martin O’Connor, incorporating a poem to celebrate their 20th anniversary and an excerpt from their acclaimed production Through the Shortbread Tin and performed by members of The Lyceum Youth Theatre.
Scotland’s Makar Pàdraig MacAoidh [Peter Mackay] also delivered a poem in Gaelic called Let This Hall be Full of Noises.
Ae Fond Kiss, by Robert Burns was be performed by Rachel Groves (clarsach) and Ellie Beaton (vocalist), who are the current and previous winners of the BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year.
The Parliament’s piper Stuart McMillan MSP then played Bonnie Dundee and A Hundred Pipers from the Members’ Garden to close the event.
Their Majesties then went on to meet Local Heroes, who have been nominated by MSPs for their extraordinary contribution to their local communities.
The King and Queen departed the Scottish Parliament through a Guard of Honour made up of young people.
Hope Keating, 5, from Girlguiding Scotland presented a posy to The Queen.
Their Majesties The King and Queen will join MSPs at the official opening of the Scottish Parliament, taking place on Saturday 27 June.
The Opening Ceremony will include an address by His Majesty, to formally open the Parliament’s Seventh Session.
The event will also include several performances that celebrate Scotland and our rich culture and heritage. They include aspecially commissioned poem for the day delivered by Scotland’s national poet, Makar Pàdraig MacAoidh.
The poem Let This Hall Be Full of Noises will be read by the Makar in Gaelic with an English translation. The National Theatre of Scotland and the NYCOS BSL Youth Choir will also perform.
Their Majesties will then join a reception to meet with “local heroes” who have been chosen to represent constituencies and regions across the country.
Our “local heroes” have been nominated to attend as a special guest of their MSP for making an extraordinary contribution to their community.
Presiding Officer Kenneth Gibson MSP said: “The start of a new Parliament is all about optimism, hope and a renewal of what the Parliament means to the people of Scotland.
“Their Majesties’ support for this institution has been steadfast.
“It’s an honour to have The King and The Queen join us at the start of that journey alongside people from across Scotland, who are at the centre of our plans to commemorate this milestone.
“I look forward to celebrating the very best of Scotland, reflecting on our heritage, acknowledging our traditions but most importantly with a focus on our future.”
Young people from across Scotland will also be represented in various roles throughout the day.
Further details of what to expect from the Opening Ceremony and all those who will be contributing to the event will be announced shortly.
Two by-elections will be held in the Southside/Newington and Portobello/Craigmillar wards following the resignations of Councillors Simita Kumar and Kate Campbell.
Residents will go to the polls on Thursday 3 September to elect one new councillor in each ward. The current electorate is 24,304 for Southside/Newington and 27,347 for Portobello/Craigmillar.
SNP councillors Campbell and Kumar were elected to the Scottish Parliament in May’s elections.
Green councillor Kayleigh Kinross-O’Neill, was also elected to Holyrood through the list system but she has decided to ‘double up’, serving as an MSP whilst also remaining a councillor in Forth ward until next year’s council elections.
On 15 July the formal Notice of Election will be published, and the Election Timetable, Election Notices and Nomination Papers will all be accessible on the Council website.
Returning Officer for Edinburgh, Paul Lawrence said: “I’d like to thank Councillors Kumar and Campbell for their service as elected members and I wish them all the best in their new roles at Holyrood.
“We’ll now begin preparing for these by-elections to make sure our residents are able to make their voices heard and elect their new representatives to the City Chambers.
“I’d urge everyone in these wards to make sure they are registered to vote and to check that they have asked for a postal or proxy vote if that is what they need.”
Nomination papers can be submitted from 10am on 16 July until 4pm on 31 July to the Returning Officer in the City Chambers.
Candidates will be confirmed after nominations close on 31 July.
Polling stations will be open from 7am to 10pm on Thursday 3 September.
The election will use the Single Transferable Vote (STV) system where voters rank candidates in order of preference rather than using a single cross. Voters can rank as many or as few candidates as they like.
The deadline to register to vote in these by-elections is 18 August. For new postal vote applications, it’s 19 August and for new proxy votes it’s 26 August.
School learning environments across Scotland will become phone free under measures announced by Education Secretary Màiri McAllan yesterday.
Highlighting the damage phones can cause to pupils’ wellbeing and education, Ms McAllan confirmed forthcoming legislation to restrict their use in all of Scotland’s schools. A consultation will be launched within the new government’s first 100 days, with refreshed guidance published this summer to further encourage schools to bring in their own restrictions in advance of the law change.
A public health campaign will also be developed for young people and their parents, raising awareness of online harms while providing advice on how to stay safe on the internet.
The Scottish Government aims to build on strong foundations, delivering a phased and evidence-based public health approach to tackling online harms, informed by children and young people.
We are helping schools create better environments for learning.
Education Secretary @MairiMcAllan visited James Gillespie’s High School to hear about their phone free policy.
The Education Secretary said: “We will shortly publish a consultation on laws to make our learning environments phone free, meeting our commitment to do so in the first 100 days of this government.
“Legislation is the way for us to mandate phone-free learning, but if head teachers want to take action themselves they do not have to wait, and nor should they.
“While we prepare legislation, we are working with education authorities to refresh the current guidance by the end of June, to support schools to consider their approach from the next term.
“Our schools and learning environments should be safe and nurturing environments for our children and young people, where they can learn free from the distractions of mobile phones.”
In response to the Ministerial Statement on phone-free classrooms made yesterday, Mary Glasgow, Chief Executive of Children First said: “The strong commitment from the Scottish Government to set clear, consistent limits on mobile phone use in schools as part of a wider public health response to protect children from online harm is a crucial step in tackling the national childhood emergency of our time.
“The proposed guidance for schools must include firm boundaries for working with technology providers, so children’s data is protected and they are never exposed to advertising, addictive design or harmful content.
“Children are experiencing online harm on an unprecedented scale which must be matched by an unprecedented level of leadership and commitment. That’s why we’re calling on the Government to establish an independent online harm reduction unit within the first 100 days of the new Parliament.
“The unit would bring together expertise from across sectors to better understand risk, support parents, carers and professionals and challenge harmful and exploitative practices by tech companies.”
Any parent or carer worried about their child can contact Children First’s support line on 08000 28 22 33 or visit www.childrenfirst.org.uk/supportline for expert practical and emotional support.
Autistic people and their families across Scotland continue to face significant barriers, including long waiting times for diagnosis, a lack of support in schools and low employment rates.
Too often, children are missing out on education or are excluded from the classroom, while many people are left without support until they reach crisis point.
We and others have long campaigned for the Learning Disabilities, Autism and Neurodivergence (LDAN) Bill – a Bill which the SNP committed to as far back as 2021. This would provide an opportunity to address the challenges facing autistic people and deliver real change.
Legally binding national and local strategies would improve support and accountability, while mandatory training across public services such as health, education and criminal justice would ensure autistic people’s needs are recognised and supported earlier.
Years of consultation have shaped these proposals, with many in the autistic community sharing difficult and traumatic experiences in the hope of having their voices heard.
As part of the Act Now for Autistic Rights campaign, our charity has launched a petition urging the First Minister, John Swinney, to include the LDAN Bill in September’s Programme for Government, which will set out the Scottish Government’s key priorities and legislative programme for the coming year.
In the lead up to the recent election in Scotland, more than 5,500 letters were sent by supporters urging party leaders to commit to this legislation. This momentum must now be matched with action. Without a clear commitment from the First Minister, autistic people risk being left behind.
Rob Holland, Director of the National Autistic Society Scotland, said: “Our campaign had a fantastic response during the election period. Thousands of letters were sent urging all parties to commit to the Learning Disabilities, Autism and Neurodivergence (LDAN) Bill, demonstrating a significant level of support for legislation long overdue in helping secure the rights of autistic people and their families.
The importance of the LDAN Bill in tackling the inequalities faced by autistic people and their families cannot be underestimated and this legislation is a vital opportunity to improve outcomes and recognise the rights of some of our most marginalised communities.
“With the election behind us and attention now turning to the first Programme for Government, we need everyone who wants to see urgent change to sign our petition and ensure this vital piece of legislation is introduced as early as possible in the new term.”
Becca, NAS Scotland Campaigner, said: “The LDAN bill is vital for the wellbeing, safety and equality of autistic and neurodivergent people in Scotland.
“Access must be granted, training must be given and voices must be heard to ensure that autistic and neurodivergent people have equal access and opportunity as anybody else.
“The LDAN bill must be included in the Programme for Government to ensure this change happens and lives are improved.
“As an autistic person, it is a struggle to ensure my voice is heard and my opinions are taken into account, so by committing to the inclusion of the LDAN Bill in the Programme for Government, I matter.
“My voice and many others across the country matter.“
You can call on the First Minister to Act Now for Autistic Rights by signing the petition here.
A day after World No Tobacco Day, and a full year after the ban on selling single-use vapes in Scotland came into force, environmental and health organisations and campaigners are calling for further action to protect people and our environment.
While a positive decrease in littered vapes has been recorded in Scotland, alongside a 9% decrease across the UK, there is little data available to identify whether the ban has helped reduce youth vaping. And, the ongoing challenges of disposing of vapes safely, capturing precious resources via recycling, alongside tackling the ever present and harmful issue of smoking-related litter remains.
Climate Action Secretary Gillian Martin said: “Before taking action on disposable vapes, it was estimated that over half of disposable vapes were incorrectly disposed of each year in Scotland – creating a fire risk and littering our beautiful environment.
“These findings are a welcome demonstration of the success the single-use vape ban has had in its first year in tackling the threat they pose to our environment as well as to our public health.”
Alongside the Marine Conservation Society, health charity ASH Scotland and environmental scientist, campaigner and ambassador to our charity Laura Anderson (Young), we first liaised with Scottish Ministers to call for a ban on the sale of single-use vapes in 2022 after highlighting how vapes undermine the principles of a circular economy, cause harm to Scotland’s environment and damage people’s health.
Now a year-on from the ban the coalition is calling for further action, to build on the momentum and take further steps to address smoking-related litter and health impacts in children and young people – you can read the letter we sent to Scottish Ministers – calling for more action – below.
The coalition will continue to work collaboratively to tackle vapes and smoking related litter and build on its commitment to a cleaner, healthier Scotland.
THE LETTER READS:
Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Rural Affairs Minister for Mental Wellbeing, Public Health, Sport, Alcohol and Drugs Scottish Government St Andrew’s House Edinburgh EH1 3DG 21st May 2026
Dear Ministers,
We would like to take this opportunity to congratulate you on your appointments as Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Rural Affairs, and Minister for Mental Wellbeing, Public Health, Sport, Alcohol and Drugs. As a coalition of organisations and individuals working to protect and improve Scotland’s environmental and public health, we look forward to working with you on tobacco and nicotine related litter.
Marking progress: disposable vapes ban anniversary
As we approach the anniversary of Scotland’s ban on single-use disposable vapes, we wanted to recognise the brilliant cross government working that led to the legislation coming into force, and the role Scotland played in pioneering the introduction of the ban
Laura Anderson (nee Young), also known as Less Waste Laura, is an environmental campaigner and a signatory to this letter. She catapulted the issue of littered single-use vapes to the forefront of public awareness in 2022. Since then, she has inspired politicians, charities and councils to take action to tackle Scotland’s fastest growing litter item.
The Marine Conservation Society, Keep Scotland Beautiful and ASH Scotland worked closely with Laura and others to raise awareness of this issue and call for the ban on both environmental and public health grounds which came into force on the 1st June 2025.
The ban has been an important step in raising awareness of, and tackling litter that pollutes our landscapes, communities and marine environment. Early indications in litter data from Keep Scotland Beautiful and the Marine Conservation Society show a decline in littered single-use vapes.
Initial Source to Sea litter data from the Marine Conservation Society demonstrates a 9% decrease in the presence of vapes across the UK.
Keep Scotland Beautiful has seen a decrease in the percentage of sites recording a presence of littered vapes – with vapes found on just 5% of Scottish sites.
As there has been no robust data about children’s use of vapes since the 2021/22 Health and Wellbeing Census, it is currently not possible to identify whether the ban on single-use vapes has been impactful in tackling youth vaping.
The ongoing challenge of smoking-related litter
Smoking-related litter — particularly cigarette butts — continues to be one of the most commonly discarded items in Scotland’s streets, green spaces and coastlines. Keep Scotland Beautiful auditors counted almost 20,000 cigarette butts nationally in 2025/2026.
Marine Conservation Society Beachwatch data from 2025 highlighted over 2000 smoking related litter items were found on Scottish beaches and Keep Scotland Beautiful found 60% of sites nationally were polluted by cigarette butts. These contain plastics and harmful chemicals that persist in the environment, pollute waterways and pose risks to wildlife.
Cigarette filters do not reduce health harm but mislead people who smoke into perceiving cigarettes to be safer and discourage attempts to quit smoking.
In the recent passing of the Tobacco and Vapes Act, which had a four nations approach, and the associated Legislative Consent Motions, we were pleased to see the extension of provisions to ban some or all cigarette filters in the future. Local authorities, communities and volunteers bear a significant burden in clearing this waste, yet prevention remains the most effective and sustainable solution.
Opportunities for further action
We believe there is a clear opportunity to build on the momentum of the single use vape ban and take further steps to address smoking-related litter.
We believe the following steps would help to achieve this:
1. Introduce an Extended Producer Responsibility scheme (EPR) for tobacco and nicotine waste not covered by market restrictions. 2. Increase awareness and tighten up the enforcement of existing Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) and the Waste Batteries Regulations for producers, distributors and retailers of vapes including disposal and recycling. 3. Ban the sale and manufacture of single-use cigarette filters which offer no health benefits and exacerbate environmental damage. 4. Require businesses to report on the number of vapes (as a percentage sold) that are returned for recycling under WEEE. 5. Routinely publish robust data on children in Scotland’s use of tobacco and nicotine products.
Taking forward these measures would deliver clear environmental, social and economic benefits—supporting cleaner communities, healthier ecosystems, and reduced clean-up costs.
A shared ambition
Our organisations share a commitment to a cleaner, healthier Scotland. We would welcome the opportunity to meet with you and your officials to discuss how we can work collaboratively to tackle vapes and smoking-related litter and build on Scotland’s leadership in this area.
We are planning on issuing a press release on Wednesday 27th May focusing on this statistical information and our collaborative asks, under embargo for 1st June. We invite comments from both of you to include to highlight the successes and further opportunities.
We wish you every success, and look forward to engaging with you in the months ahead.
Yours sincerely,
Less Waste Laura Marine Conservation Society Keep Scotland Beautiful ASH Scotland
‘Brexit – ten years on’ – A look back at a decade of political and economic change, and where the UK’s relationship with Europe stands today.
‘Trust in public institutions’ – How can confidence be rebuilt after major public scandals?
‘Why social media abuse towards women in politics is damaging democracy’ – Exploring how online abuse and misinformation can affect political participation and representation.
‘When does free speech become hate speech?’ – Where should the line be drawn, and what role do social media platforms play?
‘The evolution of devolution’ – How has devolution changed decision-making across the UK, and what impact has it had over the years?
‘In conversation with Brenda Hale, Baroness Hale of Richmond’ – Hear from one of the UK’s most influential legal figures as she reflects on her career and discusses her latest book, With the Law on Our Side.
27-28 August
Browse the full programme and book tickets: https://ow.ly/oM8e50ZlaMr
