Tag: Holyrood

Cubes of Perpetual Light coming to Edinburgh

The Cubes of Perpetual Light will play new music commissions inspired by the themes of sustainability and growth during the Festival of Politics and Edinburgh International Book Festival

Specially designed ‘Cubes of Perpetual Light’ will come together in the Capital this summer to create a striking music installation featuring programmable light and quadraphonic sound.

The unique installation will appear in the iconic surroundings of the Parliament Garden in the Scottish Parliament, open to the public during the Festival of Politics, August 11-13 and Edinburgh International Culture Summit August 26-28.

A second installation will be installed during Edinburgh International Book Festival, 13–29 August.

The installation forms part of Dandelion, a major creative programme demonstrating the power of collective action through an ambitious ‘grow your own’ initiative that aims to reach communities across Scotland this summer.

Commissioned by EventScotland and funded by the Scottish Government,  Dandelion is Scotland’s contribution to UNBOXED: Creativity in the UK.

At the centre of Dandelion, is a meeting of art and science through the creation of hundreds of unique miniature ‘growing cubes’, called the ‘Cubes of Perpetual Light’. The 1m x 1m cubes are designed to foster accelerated plant growing and have been developed to grow hundreds of seedlings under LED light, combining design craft, traditional horticultural expertise and technological innovation.

The Cubes aren’t just miniature growing laboratories however, they’re also the inspiration for new music which people are being invited to experience at festivals and venues across Scotland this summer, now arriving in Edinburgh.

The special installations are each unique, featuring a collection of cubes, with immersive lighting integrated with stunning quadraphonic speaker systems designed to best showcase the new music compositions playing ‘from’ the cubes. This is the only opportunity to hear these unique compositions in their entirety.

For those unable to visit the cube installations in Edinburgh, they will also be visiting Inverness Botanic Gardens, 15–29 August, and on display at V&A Dundee until 30 August. This activity forms part of a summer-long programme of art, music, food and science for everyone to enjoy.

Leading musicians from Scotland and beyond have created 13 new music commissions for the Cubes of Perpetual Light, all inspired by themes of nature and sustainability.

The aim of the commissions, which can only be heard at the installations, is to encourage listeners to think more deeply about how, where and why plants grow. Each new music piece is commissioned by Dandelion with additional support for international work from British Council Scotland.

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The Edinburgh installation includes 13 tracks of new music from artists:

  • amiina & Kathleen MacInnes: A gorgeous collaboration bridging the mighty North Atlantic, from the Outer Hebrides to Iceland. South Uist native Kathleen MacInnes, one of Scotland’s finest Gaelic folk singers comes together with amiina, from Reykjavik – a strings-and-electronica quartet whose packed portfolio includes many collaborations with Sigur Rós. This unique recording for Dandelion features Gaelic lullabies Crodh Chailein, Dhachaidh along with amiina composition blauwber’.
  • Arooj Aftab & Maeve Gilchrist: Arooj Aftab’s music is a breath-taking blend of Sufi mysticism, contemporary classical, jazz, ambient and much more – and this year, she became the first Pakistani woman to win a Grammy. Her stunning new album Vulture Prince features Edinburgh-born harper, composer and producer Maeve Gilchrist, and the pair are teaming up again to create new music for Dandelion.
  • Claire M Singer: Claire M Singer is an acclaimed Scottish composer and performer whose acoustic and electronic music draws inspiration from the dramatic landscapes of her native country. The Director of Organ Reframed, a festival of new music that reimagines the epic sound of the organ, she’s created a new multi-channel work featuring organs recorded in Aberdeenshire, Inverness, Stonehaven and Glasgow.
  • Vedanth Bharadwaj : Vedanth is a vocalist and composer born in Mumbai, India who trained in Classical music around the age of four, under Neyveli Santhanagopalan. He recorded two beautiful songs for Dandelion featuring himself on vocals, banjo and guitar along with Gurupriya Atreya on vocals. ‘Vrukshan Se Mati Le’ is a song written by Surdas (an Indian mystic poet from the 16th century). He writes about how one ought to learn compassion from trees. Trees neither love you more when you water them, nor do they hate you if you cut them down. It provides us shade, while bearing all the heat from the sun on its own head. If you throw a stone at it, it gives you a fruit! Lucky are we, to live in a world among trees. Surdas pleads to us to learn compassion from trees, or at least, from the indigenous people.
  • Craig Armstrong & Steve Jones: Craig Armstrong is a BAFTA, Golden Globe and Grammy-winning Scottish born composer.  Through his orchestral writing, electronic music and wide-ranging artistic collaborations in classical and film music, Craig Armstrong’s distinct compositional voice has received worldwide acclaim. For Dandelion he created ‘Endless (Study 1)’ with guitarist Steve Jones along with School of Scottish Studies field recordings from the 1960s to create a sense of limitless space and time for the listener.
  • Fergus McCreadie: Fergus McCreadie is one of the UK’s most exciting jazz musicians. Combining vital jazz sounds with influences drawn from Scottish traditional music, his brilliant third album Forest Floor came out in April to universal acclaim and has been nominated for the Mercury Music Prize. His specially recorded Dandelion work ‘Life Cycle’ features piano and strings from Seonaid Aitken, Emma Pantel, Sarah Leonard & Juliette Lemoine.
  • Jason Singh: Jason Singh is a remarkable sound artist, beatboxer, producer and performer whose music is inspired by the natural world. Nicknamed “The Human Sampler” by Cerys Matthews, he’s worked with everyone from Sir David Attenborough to Talvin Singh. His composition for Dandelion, Droop, is a lament in response to our climate crisis. It is a collaboration between plant, humans and technology and has been created by converting the electrical signals generated by the Camellia plant into musical notes played through analogue and digital synthesisers.
  • Maya Youssef: Syria’s Maya Youssef is the ‘Queen of the Qanun’, an extraordinary 78-stringed Middle Eastern plucked zither. Her life-affirming music is rooted in the Arabic classical tradition but forges into jazz, Western classical and Latin music – as heard at the BBC Proms, WOMAD and now here on this special work for Dandelion: Back to Earth, Barley Blessing & Eastern Wind featuring Maya with Scottish musicians Innes White, Catriona Price, Craig Baxter, Alice Allen, Ciorstaidh Beaton and Arabic Nay player Moslem Rahal
  • Ravi Bandhu: Hailing from Sri Lanka, this acclaimed drummer, dancer and choreographer has taken his magnificent drum ensemble to stages as far afield as WOMAD in Reading and the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC.
  • Trio Da Kali: In a unique African / Scots collaboration Trio Da Kali brings together Hawa Kassé Mady Diabaté, Lassana Diabaté and Mamadou Kouyaté – three of the best new griot musicians from the Mandé culture of Mali – along with award winning Scots vocalist Kim Carnie & piper Ross Ainslie – to bring a fresh creative vibe to ancient traditions. These songs continue with the long-time folk culture of telling old stories from the past that pay tribute to the people who do good things for the community and talk about the importance of living in the present and enjoying what happens now.
  • Brian d’Souza: An award-winning sound artist aka Auntie Flo, DJ, producer and performer from Glasgow via Goa, Brian makes magic from a blend of electronic sounds and influences from around the globe. Winner of the 2019 Scottish Album of the Year Award for Radio Highlife, he recently debuted immersive installation The Soniferous Forest and for Dandelion has composed ’Spring Symphony (Sage, Basil, Mint and Lavender)’ – a biophilic soundscape that harnesses the power of nature through sound. It was created by using a Plant Wave device to pick up electromagnetic activity from the different plants which translated each into MIDI notes. These notes then literally ‘played’ samples of various traditional instruments from the Hebrides – including Clarsarch, Whistle, Flute, Pipes and Fiddle.”I then let the plants play… totally naturally to produce a kind of ‘acoustic ecology”.
  • Manu Delago: There’s no sound in music quite like the hang, a melodic percussion instrument invented only 20 years ago – and there’s no better exponent of it than Manu Delago, who’s performed with the likes of Björk, the Cinematic Orchestra, Ólafur Arnalds, Nitin Sawhney and Anoushka Shankar while making a succession of brilliant solo records.
  • Pàdruig Morrison: Accordionist Pàdruig Morrison was brought up surrounded by the culture, the music and the language of the Gaels. After bedding in the first Cube of Perpetual Light on the remote Hebridean island of Heisgeir, where his grandparents set up a pioneering experiment in sustainable living, Pàdruig is now making new music to help them grow.

This follows Dandelion’s latest project taking the Cubes of Perpetual Light on tour across Scotland throughout the month of August, traveling on specially designed electric cargo bikes.

The tour visits schools, parks, venues and Dandelion Unexpected Gardens where the commissioned music can be heard.

Music Director for Dandelion, Donald Shaw said: “Just as plants can grow from tiny seeds, great music can grow from small ideas that we nourish till they bloom into full art forms. 

“The cubes can demonstrate accelerated growing in a wide range of settings, both the expected and unexpected. Placed in a particular environment they create a micro-world within a world, allowing musicians and listeners to imagine a sonic landscape that surrounds us, providing a space for contemplation and for us to imagine a future where we sow, grow and share differently.”

The Rt Hon Alison Johnstone MSP, Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament said: “The Festival of Politics is all about opening the doors of the Scottish Parliament to people across the country with a variety of things on offer – from debate and discussion to exhibitions and music.

“The cubes of perpetual light is an example of how sustainability and art can come together to grab people’s attention and make people stop and think. I hope many people will take the opportunity to join us.”  

Marie Christie, Head of Development, Events Industry at VisitScotland said: “It’s fantastic to see so many incredible artists create new music inspired by Dandelion’s urgent themes of sustainability and our connection to the natural world.

“By fusing new music and new technologies, the cubes create unique ways for audiences to engage and connect with these issues. It’s wonderful to see the cubes travel to Edinburgh to be part of the city’s world-leading festivals, where audiences from Scotland and all over the world can experience them.”

Martin Green, Chief Creative Officer, UNBOXED said: “Dandelion is a brilliant coming together of artists, designers, technologists and scientists to make something special and important about what we eat, how it grows and how everyone can get involved in growing, wherever they live.

“Through the growing cubes, music and many opportunities to participate in growing initiatives, Dandelion is designed to inspire people to create a sustainable future. Dandelion is one of five UNBOXED projects taking place in Scotland this year as part UNBOXED: Creativity in the UK – a year-long celebration of creativity across the four nations.”

Dandelion is a joyous Scotland-wide celebration of sowing, growing and sharing. Commissioned by EventScotland and funded by the Scottish Government it is part of UNBOXED: Creativity in the UK. Dandelion reimagines our relationship with food and the planet and the way we celebrate it together. 

Citizens’ panel to help shape how the Parliament engages with the people of Scotland

People from across Scotland will be invited to join a Citizens’ Panel which will look to improve how the Parliament works with people across Scotland. 
The 24-person panel, to be selected at random, will broadly reflect the demographic make-up of Scotland. The Citizens’ Panel on Participation will give members of the public a direct opportunity to influence change.  

They will report to the Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee who recently launched an inquiry into public participation.

The panel is just one of the many ways the Committee is gathering views that will help inform how the Parliament involves, reflects and meets the needs of all the communities it represents, with a focus on improving engagement for those currently under-represented.  

Participants do not need any prior knowledge to take part and the panel will receive support throughout the sessions, which will hear from speakers who are passionate about democracy and public participation, to help facilitate discussion and inform findings. 

Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Convener, Jackson Carlaw MSP, said: “This is a unique opportunity to help shape the way the Scottish Parliament works with the people of Scotland and I would encourage everyone who receives an invitation over the coming weeks to register and get involved.  

“We know that the Parliament doesn’t hear enough from some groups and communities and this Citizens’ Panel will bring together a diverse range of voices to make recommendations over how Holyrood can better connect and reflect the views of the people MSPs are here to represent. 

“If selected, your views could help to directly shape the future of the way the Scottish Parliament engages with communities across Scotland and improve public participation in decision making across the board.” 

World’s best photojournalism to go on display at the Scottish Parliament

An exhibition showcasing some of the most thought-provoking photographs produced over the last year will go on display at the Scottish Parliament.

The World Press Photo exhibition will feature over 120 images illustrating some of the major issues facing the world today. From the effects of the climate crisis to civil rights movements, access to education and preserving indigenous practices and identities.

The free exhibition will be displayed in the Scottish Parliament’s Main Hall from Thursday 28 July until Saturday 27 August. 

Scottish Parliament Presiding Officer, the Rt Hon Alison Johnstone MSP, said: “This exhibition connects people to the stories that matter.  

“Year after year, World Press Photo highlights the significant contribution of photojournalism to our understanding of the stories and people that make the headlines.  

“The Scottish Parliament is the only venue in the UK to host this global exhibition. I hope many of you get the opportunity to come to the Parliament to see this striking display.” 

This year the winners were chosen out of 64,823 photographs and open format entries, by 4,066 photographers from 130 countries.

Some of the other images featured in the exhibition include: 

  • World Press Photo of the year by Amber Bracken for the New York Times. Red dresses hung on crosses along a roadside commemorate children who died at the Kamloops Indian Residential School, an institution created to assimilate Indigenous children, following the detection of as many as 215 unmarked graves, Kamloops, British Columbia;  
  • Antonella poses for her photograph in the kitchen at home, while in strict lockdown in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on the day she made her promise not to cut her hair till she could resume person-to-person classes, taken by Irina Werning, Pulitzer Center; 
  • Police agents arrest a man while his wife and family resist, during evictions of people from the San Isidro settlement, in Puerto Caldas, Risaralda, Colombia, taken by Vladimir Encina; 
  • A protestor throws back a tear-gas canister that had been fired by security forces, during a march demanding an end to military rule in Khartoum, Sudan, taken by Faiz Abubakr Mohamed. 

‘Pandemic-level response’ is needed to address the energy bills crisis, says Holyrood’s Net Zero Committee

A targeted emergency response, on a par with action taken during the pandemic, is needed to address the energy bills crisis, says Holyrood’s Net Zero, Energy & Transport Committee in a report published today.  

The report, which lays out the Committee’s findings following an inquiry into rising energy prices, says the Scottish and UK Governments must provide more immediate, carefully targeted support to those struggling with increasing fuel bills.

The report highlights three areas where the Committee believe immediate action and targeted support for the most vulnerable could be improved. These include additional financial help for households, better energy education and advice services and acceleration of programmes to retrofit and insulate homes.

It also says that medium and long-term plans and strategies must accelerate to reduce future exposure to volatile energy prices and help meet net zero targets.

Dean Lockhart MSP, Convener of the Committee, said: “This is a crisis unfolding in real time and one which we are told threatens ‘a catastrophic loss of life’ if swift action is not taken.

“We recognise some of the actions taken by the UK and Scottish Governments even over the short period of our inquiry, but more can and must be done now and in a more targeted way to get help to those most in need.

“Over the medium to longer term, it is also clear that we need to escape dependence on volatile international energy markets and accelerate all our efforts to enable this.

“For now, our message is clear: the Scottish Government must demonstrate a targeted emergency response to this crisis, on a par with action taken during the pandemic, to ensure the least well off are not vulnerable to death or serious ill-health due to rising energy costs and associated cost of living expenses.”

In the report, the Committee agrees with the Scottish Government on the need to take action through available welfare provisions but asks them to set out how social security and other assistance will be targeted specifically at lower-paid families with young children, those with disabilities and health conditions, older people, and those identified as experiencing or at risk of experiencing fuel poverty.

The report says that a national publicity campaign – akin to those used during the pandemic – and increased support and funding for those providing advice and advocacy at a local level is needed, so that everyone in Scotland looking for help can find it. 

The Committee also recommends that plans for a programme of home heating and insulation, towards which the Scottish Government has committed an investment of £1.8bn, be accelerated and targeted at those most in need.

The Committee is writing separately to the Minister of State for the UK Government, Greg Hands MP, calling for similar urgent action in relation to matters for which he is responsible. 

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Festival of Politics: Holyrood 2022 programme unveiled

The big issues facing people in Scotland will feature at the Festival of Politics, with the programme for the event being unveiled today.

Taking place over three days from Thursday 11 until Saturday 13 August, the Festival features a number of online and in-person events taking place in the iconic surroundings of the Scottish Parliament.

Themes such as end of life choices, the state of the UK union, cost of living crisis, our climate, migration and equality will all feature. Alongside distinguished panel guests drawn from all walks of life across Scotland and beyond, sessions will allow festivalgoers to share their own experiences and ask questions. 

The Debating Chamber will also see well-known figures address the audience in a series of ‘in conversation’ style events.  On Thursday, philosopher Professor A.C. Grayling will talk about the three most urgent challenges facing the world today: climate change, technology and justice. On Friday, well-known footballer John Barnes will talk about his experiences of racism and what needs to be done to tackle this in modern society. 

This year the Festival will also feature a rehearsed reading of Holding / Holding On from the National Theatre of Scotland scripted by Nicola McCartney in collaboration with care-experienced people and those within the care system.  A powerful reading that has, at its heart, the intersection where care, class and poverty meet. 

The Rt Hon Alison Johnstone MSP, Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament, said: “This programme that has been unveiled today captures the topics of conversations that are happening all over Scotland with family and friends around kitchen tables, on social media, in newspapers and on television. 

“We wanted to bring together those issues that are important to people and allow them to hear different perspectives drawn from people across civic society about how we can make a difference. 

“I really do hope that there is something for everyone in this programme and I’m delighted to be welcoming people back into the Parliament for this event.” 

Book tickets now at www.festivalofpolitics.scot  

In partnership with Scotland’s Futures Forum

Consultation: What impact has COVID-19 had on the Scottish labour market?

The COVID-19 Recovery Committee is to analyse the impact of the pandemic on the Scottish labour market, including how long Covid, long-term sickness and early retirement is affecting the number of those in work.

Submit your views – Road to recovery: impact of the pandemic on the Scottish labour market

As the country starts the process of recovery from the pandemic, a key issue that has emerged is a persistently high number of people no longer part of the workforce, termed ‘economically inactive’. 

A blog by the Fraser of Allander Institute concluded in April 2022 that: “More worrying for the outlook for the Scottish labour market is the fact that we now have over 20,000 more people economically inactive because of long-term sickness than we had pre-pandemic.”

The Committee will investigate the reasons behind these high numbers, including the emergence of above average numbers of long-term sick.

They want to understand if this is this due to pre-existing conditions, or new conditions, such as long COVID, or other factors, such as stress brought on by pandemic experiences. The Committee will also look at whether early retirement is one of the drivers behind this change in the labour market.

COVID-19 Recovery Committee Convener Siobhian Brown MSP said: “Unlike previous economic shocks, where the labour force numbers recovered much more quickly, we are seeing concerning persistent numbers of long term economically inactive people.

“We want to find out why this has happened and what needs to be done to encourage these people back into the work place.

“We are keen to learn more about the labour market impact of the pandemic on people with pre-existing health conditions, what influenced people to take early retirement and whether specific groups of society or areas of the country have been impacted more than others.

“There is no doubt that the reasons behind this will be complex but in order to address this issue we must first understand why people are no longer working.”  

Let the Committee know your views:

Road to recovery: impact of the pandemic on the Scottish labour market

The call for views closes on 9 September.

Hybrid parliament here to stay, says Holyrood Committee

A modern parliament that is committed to embracing technology and change to become more accessible and inclusive for the people it serves. That is the vision for the Scottish Parliament in a new report published yesterday by Holyrood’s Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee.

The report makes it clear that the hybrid parliament, where Members and committee witnesses can take part virtually, should be here to stay. But this must be supported by on-going investment in technology and infrastructure.

The report follows an inquiry by the Committee which looked at ways in which scrutiny and debate can be conducted in hybrid format as well as exploring wider changes to procedures to improve scrutiny.

Measures in the report include a recommendation to introduce proxy voting for those on parental leave or ill.

Speaking as the report published, Committee Convener Martin Whitfield MSP said: “Parliament cannot stand still. During the pandemic we saw a huge amount of change across the country.

“Working from home, zoom video calls and remote learning became the norm for many of us, including Parliament. It is important we continue to evolve and take advantage of the technology around us.

“But these changes need to be about more than just technology. Our practices and procedures should be fit for the Scotland of today and ready for the Scotland of tomorrow. We must challenge ourselves to innovate and introduce new measures and be willing to look closely at how we work

“Our report recommends the introduction of a proxy voting pilot scheme for MSPs.  This will ensure your MSP can still represent you even when circumstances rightly mean they cannot cast their vote.”

Deputy Convener Bob Doris MSP said: “This Parliament was founded on principles of accountability, equality and accessibility and we heard throughout our inquiry about the benefits of having a hybrid system which allows a broader range of people to engage with their Parliament, including those who may have been previously excluded.

“We cannot shy away from embracing change which makes us a more accessible and reflective Parliament of the people of Scotland.  However, we must also ensure that the Parliament itself remains a place to come together, share ideas and debate the issues of the day.

“This is why our report makes clear that we must continue to invest to in technology that supports the Members in their work.”

Cost of living crisis: Holyrood’s Finance Committee launches inquiry

How will the rising cost of living affect the Scottish Budget in 2023-24? Will the Scottish Government’s proposals for reforming the public service deliver the efficiencies expected?

These and other key questions are the focus of the Finance and Public Administration Committee’s inquiry that begins today.

The committee is seeking views from organisations and the public to inform its pre-budget scrutiny work, prior to the Scottish Government publishing its 2023/24 budget later this year. 

Committee Convener Kenneth Gibson MSP said: “The next Scottish Budget will be challenging as the current cost-of-living crisis impacts on Scotland.

The Committee is therefore keen to hear from organisations and individuals how the Scottish Government’s Budget in 2023-24 should respond to this crisis.  

“We also want to hear views on how the government’s proposed reform of the public service will support its future spending plans.” 

Mr Gibson concluded: “Using the government’s resource spending review announced in May, we will focus our pre-budget scrutiny on the proposals for reforming the public service, the impact of the cost of living crisis on the Scottish Budget, and how spending priorities might affect the delivery of national outcomes.”

UK Bill of Rights condemned

‘Freedom of speech and the views of elected lawmakers will be given greater weight in law’ under a Bill of Rights introduced to the Westminster Parliament yesterday. The Bill has been condemned by the Scottish Government, who say the proposals are ‘shocking and unnecessary’.

  • Freedom of speech to be given greater weight in law
  • New permission stage in court to prevent trivial legal claims wasting taxpayers’ money
  • Allows future laws to make it harder for foreign criminals to frustrate deportation process

The Bill will ensure courts cannot interpret laws in ways that were never intended by Parliament and will empower people to express their views freely.

At the same time, it will help prevent trivial human rights claims from wasting judges’ time and taxpayer money. A permission stage in court will be introduced requiring people to show they have suffered a significant disadvantage before their claim can go ahead.

The Bill will also reinforce in law the principle that responsibilities to society are as important as personal rights. It will do this by ensuring courts consider a claimant’s relevant conduct, like a prisoner’s violent or criminal behaviour, when awarding damages.

The Bill will make clear that the UK Supreme Court is the ultimate judicial decision-maker on human rights issues and that the case law of the European Court of Human Rights does not always need to be followed by UK courts.

Deputy Prime Minister, Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, Dominic Raab said: “The Bill of Rights will strengthen our UK tradition of freedom whilst injecting a healthy dose of common sense into the system.

“These reforms will reinforce freedom of speech, enable us to deport more foreign offenders and better protect the public from dangerous criminals.”

The Bill of Rights will make it easier to deport foreign criminals by allowing future laws to restrict the circumstances in which their right to family life would trump public safety and the need to remove them.

It will mean that under future immigration laws, to evade removal a foreign criminal would have to prove that a child or dependent would come to overwhelming, unavoidable harm if they were deported.

As a result, any new laws will curb the abuse of the system that has seen those convicted of hurting their own partners and children evade removal by claiming it would breach their right to family life in the UK.

The Bill of Rights will also:

  • Boost freedom of the press and freedom of expression by introducing a stronger test for courts to consider before they can order journalists to disclose their sources.
  • Prevent courts from placing new costly obligations on public authorities to actively protect someone’s human rights and limit the circumstances in which current obligations apply, for example, police forces having to notify gang members of threats towards them from other gangs.
  • Insulate the Government’s plans to increase the use of prison Separation Centres against legal challenge from extremist offenders claiming ‘a right to socialise’.
  • Recognise that trial by jury is a fundamental component of fair trials in the UK.
  • Prevent human rights from being used as a way to bring claims on overseas military operations once alternative options are provided by upcoming legislation.
  • Confirm that interim measures from the European Court of Human Rights under Rule 39, such as the one issued last week which prevented the removal flight to Rwanda, are not binding on UK courts.

This will be achieved while retaining the UK’s fundamental commitment to the European Convention on Human Rights.

UK BILL OF RIGHTS CONDEMNED

Call for Scottish Parliament to be consulted

Proposals to repeal the Human Rights Act are a “shocking and unnecessary” attempt to remove safeguards afforded to every member of society, Equalities Minister Christina McKelvie has said.

Putting on record the Scottish Government’s unequivocal opposition to the UK Government’s Bill of Rights, published today, Ms McKelvie stressed that the Scottish Parliament would have to agree to any changes affecting the devolution settlement.

Ms McKelvie said: “This shocking and unnecessary legislation seeks to put UK Ministers above some of the most fundamental checks and balances that underpin our democracy.

“The fact remains that we do not need a new Bill of Rights. The Human Rights Act is one of the most important laws passed by the UK Parliament. For more than 20 years it has delivered fairness and justice – protecting our rights to privacy and liberty, freedom of expression and peaceful protest. It has prevented discrimination, inhumanity and the abuse of power.

“The UK Government’s Rwanda policy has been challenged in the European Court of Human Rights. This legislation appears to be part of its response – an attempt to remove safeguards protecting every member of our society.

“As a founding signatory of the European Convention on Human Rights, the UK Government should be championing international human rights standards and the rule of law. Instead its Ministers appear intent on damaging the UK’s global reputation.

“I would urge them to stop this act of vandalism which will have an impact on public bodies that must adhere to it. The UK Government must also remain fully committed to the European Convention on Human Rights and to membership of the Council of Europe.

“The Human Rights Act is built into the heart of the devolution settlement, and any legislation that breaches the Act has no force in law. Let me make clear that it would therefore be wholly unacceptable to make changes affecting Scotland without the explicit agreement of the Scottish Parliament.

“I am proud that the Scottish Government is treading a different path, showing human rights leadership by protecting and enhancing our rights and freedoms, with plans for future Scottish legislation to extend devolved human rights safeguards even further.”

In March the Scottish and Welsh Governments issued a joint statement on Human Rights Act reform.

Last year’s Independent Human Rights Act Review, set up by the UK Government, concluded that there was no case for radical changes to the Act.

Miners’ Strike Pardon Bill passed – but no compensation

Scotland has become the first of the home nations to pardon former miners convicted of certain offences related to strike action in the 1980s.

The historic legislation passed by MSPs ensures a collective and automatic pardon for miners involved in strike action which extends to members of a miner’s household and other close family members who may also have been convicted.

The legislation was recommended by an independent review, led by John Scott QC, into the impact of policing on Scottish communities during the industrial dispute.

Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Veterans Keith Brown described the legislation as ‘ground-breaking’ and said the UK Government should now give consideration to a UK-wide public inquiry into the strike and compensating former miners.

He said: “The miners’ strike was one of the most bitter and divisive industrial disputes in living memory. This landmark moment will go some way to aid reconciliation – and to help heal wounds within Scotland’s mining communities.

“This ground-breaking legislation will restore dignity to those convicted, provide comfort to their families and, I hope, bring some closure to the sense of injustice members of mining communities may continue to feel.

“I very much sympathise with miners who lost out on redundancy payments and pension rights as a result of being sacked by the National Coal Board after being arrested or convicted for actions while participating in the strike.

“By securing this pardon, we have done what we can within our powers to restore dignity to individuals who meet the qualifying criteria and their families.

“It is now right that the UK Government recognises the passing of this historic legislation and gives further consideration to a UK-wide public inquiry and the payment of compensation to former miners. I have written to the Home Secretary this week urging her to reconsider her position given the strong support for this landmark Bill.”

Professor Jim Murdoch of the School of Law at Glasgow University who worked with Mr Scott QC on the independent review said: “As members of the independent review, our task was primarily to listen: to show that those affected by the miners’ strike had a voice more than a third of a century later.  

“At each of the meetings we held, it was clear that the pain felt by former miners and their families was still raw.  

“The response to the miners’ strike at the time left a deep scar on too many communities. Their stories showed without doubt that the criminal justice system all too often reacted in an arbitrary and disproportionate manner.

“Our task was to seek to promote a sense of reconciliation, and we are pleased that our report and its recommendation have received clear support today in the Scottish Parliament.”

Nicky Wilson, President of the National Union of Mineworkers (Scotland), said: “The NUM welcomes the passing of the Miners’ Pardon Bill. It removes the stigma of a criminal record given to miners who were striking to save their industry, jobs and communities which led to their convictions and sacking in some cases.”