The Scottish Government’s failure to include a Learning Disabilities, Autism and Neurodivergence (LDAN) Bill in its Programme for Government is hugely disappointing.
A recent Scottish Parliament committee report highlighted the stark reality facing families, with children and adults frequently waiting years for ADHD and autism assessments. It called for urgent action to ensure clear and consistent pathways to support across Scotland.
Yet the Government has failed to introduce the legislation that could help deliver this. An LDAN Bill could tackle inequalities through national and local strategies and mandatory training for health, social care and education staff.
After years of discussion and consultation, warm words are no longer enough. Thousands of children, adults and families need action.
Service improvements are welcome, but without clear targets and timescales there is no guarantee they will deliver the lasting change that children, adults and families desperately need.
The Government itself acknowledges that legislation can drive accountability and change. It should therefore set clear, measurable timescales for improvement – and commit to introducing an LDAN Bill if these are not met.
Some of life’s best moments come with a soundtrack – whether it’s at a music event, a festival or a night out with friends. It’s how many people connect, celebrate, and make memories. To keep it that way it’s really important to protect your hearing health.
Our new research found that a startling 83% of young people aged 20-29 have experienced ringing, buzzing or muffled hearing after listening to loud music or attending an event, and 10% experience it regularly. This could be you, your children or your grandchildren.
While these effects can initially be temporary, repeated exposure to loud sounds can risk hearing damage becoming permanent, leaving people to manage hearing loss or invasive tinnitus for the rest of their lives.
Despite this, only 7% of young people said they wore earplugs at music events in the last 12 months, and just one in five said they wear them often.
The good news is that protecting your hearing doesn’t have to be complicated. Small actions such as wearing good quality earplugs, which also make a thoughtful gift for festival lovers, stepping away from the speakers, or taking listening breaks can make a big difference and improve their experience.
By following these simple steps, you can enjoy music more safely while keeping sound quality clear.
RNID’s ‘Don’t Lose the Music’ campaign is helping music lovers understand the risks of loud music and take simple steps to look after their hearing.
With the summer holiday season coming to an end, many of us will be familiar with the strict rules on what we can bring home to the UK from a foreign trip. Whether it’s cheese from France or exotic fruits from more far-flung countries, there are a host of restrictions on what travellers can bring through customs.
So it may come as a shock to readers that hunting trophies – made from the body parts of hunted animals like lions, elephants and cheetahs – can still be legally bought into the country simply by being granted a licence by Government.
This is despite repeated promises from the Government to ban hunting trophy imports, and research consistently showing that more than four in five Brits believe hunting trophy imports should be illegal*.
Whether they live in our gardens or on another continent, wild animals belong in the wild, not on display as souvenirs. That’s why we’re calling on the Government to finally bring in a ban on trophy hunting imports so we can make 2026 the last summer this abhorrent practice is allowed.
Readers can help by signing up to support the campaign being run by Humane World for Animals UK, Born Free and Four Paws UK at:
The NHS is one of Britain’s greatest achievements (writes FOYSOL CHOUDHURY MBE). Every day, it cares for millions of people regardless of who they are, where they come from or what they believe. It is built on the principles of compassion, dignity and equality.
Yet new research has once again exposed an uncomfortable truth. Too many NHS staff continue to experience unacceptable levels of racism and discrimination.
That should concern every one of us.
The NHS depends on the dedication and professionalism of staff from Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities. They are our doctors, nurses, consultants, pharmacists, porters, receptionists, cleaners, ambulance crews and carers. They work around the clock, often under immense pressure, caring for patients with compassion and professionalism.
Quite simply, without them, our NHS would not function.
Yet many continue to face racist abuse from patients, discrimination from colleagues and barriers to career progression. No one should ever have to endure abuse because of the colour of their skin, their ethnicity, their faith or their background while simply doing the job they were trained to do.
The recent findings reported by Sky News should serve as a wake-up call. Racism in our public services is not just unacceptable. It damages lives, harms staff wellbeing, affects recruitment and retention, and ultimately impacts the quality of care patients receive. When talented professionals feel isolated, undervalued or forced to leave because they are not treated fairly, we all lose.
This is an issue I have dedicated much of my public life to addressing.
As a former Member of the Scottish Parliament, I consistently used my platform to challenge racism, promote equality and press for stronger action against discrimination. I spoke in parliamentary debates on race equality, hate crime and community cohesion, worked with ministers and colleagues across political parties, and supported organisations committed to building a fairer Scotland.
Alongside my parliamentary work, I have been proud to work with the Edinburgh and Lothians Regional Equality Council (ELREC), an organisation that has spent decades supporting people who experience discrimination, promoting good relations between communities and helping employers and public bodies become more inclusive. Through ELREC, I have worked with schools, local authorities, Police Scotland, NHS organisations, universities, charities, faith groups and community organisations to tackle racism, challenge prejudice and promote equality.
Throughout my career, I have firmly believed that combating racism requires more than statements of support. It requires action, leadership and a willingness to stand alongside those who experience discrimination. Equality should never be viewed as an aspiration. It should be a reality that every person experiences in their daily life.
While Scotland has made significant progress, recent years have also seen a worrying rise in racism and hate incidents across the UK. We have witnessed increasing hate speech online, abuse directed at public figures, hostility towards migrants and refugees, and discrimination affecting people simply because of their race, religion or ethnicity. These attitudes do not remain online. They spill into our workplaces, schools, hospitals and communities.
The NHS should be a place where every member of staff feels safe, respected and valued. Healthcare workers should never have to choose between protecting their dignity and providing care for others.
Creating truly inclusive workplaces requires more than policies sitting on shelves. It demands strong leadership, effective reporting systems, proper support for victims, accountability when racism occurs and ongoing education that challenges prejudice and unconscious bias. Every employer has a responsibility to create an environment where discrimination is challenged immediately and where diversity is recognised as one of the organisation’s greatest strengths.
Our diversity is one of the greatest strengths of modern Britain.
People from different cultures, languages, faiths and backgrounds enrich every aspect of our society. They bring skills, ideas and experiences that strengthen our economy, improve our public services and enrich our communities. Diversity should never be viewed as a problem to manage. It should be celebrated as one of our greatest national assets.
Tackling racism cannot be left solely to governments, employers or public bodies. Every one of us has a responsibility to speak out when we witness discrimination, support those who experience it and refuse to remain silent. Real change happens not only through legislation but also through everyday acts of courage, kindness and respect.
A fair NHS benefits every patient.
Fair workplaces create stronger public services.
Inclusive communities build a stronger Scotland and a stronger United Kingdom.
Racism has no place in our NHS.
It has no place in our workplaces.
It has no place in our politics.
And it has no place in our society.
If we truly believe in fairness, dignity and equality, then we must move beyond simply condemning racism whenever headlines appear. We must commit ourselves to eliminating it wherever it exists.
That is the kind of Scotland and the kind of United Kingdom that we should all strive to build. It is a future where everyone, regardless of their race, ethnicity or faith, can contribute, succeed and feel that they truly belong.
No one should leave their place of worship fearing they may not make it home safely (writes FOYSOL CHOUDHURYMBE). Yet that is the reality members of Edinburgh’s Muslim community faced following the recent series of appalling attacks that left innocent people injured simply because of their faith.
These attacks were not only an assault on those individuals. They were an attack on the values that define Edinburgh and Scotland: respect, equality, freedom of religion and the belief that everyone should be able to live their lives without fear.
They also serve as a reminder that racism, religious hatred and prejudice have not disappeared. Across the United Kingdom, we have seen a worrying rise in hate crime directed at people because of their race, religion, ethnicity or background.
We must never become complacent. Every act of hatred, regardless of who it targets, is an attack on the values of fairness, equality and mutual respect that bind our society together.
My thoughts remain with those who were injured, their families and everyone who has felt fear, anxiety and uncertainty as a result of these deeply disturbing events. I also commend the courage of those who came forward to assist the victims and support the police investigation.
During my five years in the Scottish Parliament, I made community safety, equality and tackling hatred central to my work. I consistently raised issues relating to policing, hate crime, racism, Islamophobia, protecting vulnerable communities and ensuring that our emergency services had the resources they needed to keep people safe. I questioned ministers on community safety, challenged the rise in racism and anti-Muslim hatred, and consistently argued that prevention, engagement and visible policing are essential to building safer communities.
In March 2025, I raised the issue of rising Islamophobia directly with the First Minister following reports that anti-Muslim hate incidents had reached record levels across the United Kingdom. During Ramadan, I reminded Parliament that it is a month of peace, compassion and reflection, and I asked what further action could be taken to ensure that Muslim communities across Scotland felt safe and protected. Sadly, those concerns remain just as relevant today.
My work did not stop inside Parliament. Before, during and after my time as an MSP, I worked closely with the Edinburgh and Lothians Regional Equality Council (ELREC), Police Scotland, local authorities, faith leaders and community organisations to tackle racism, promote equality, strengthen community cohesion and encourage dialogue between people of different faiths and backgrounds.
Through ELREC and many other partnerships, I have supported initiatives that bring communities together, challenge discrimination and build trust between public services and the people they serve.
As Chair of the Cross Party Group on Challenging Racial and Religious Prejudice, I brought together Police Scotland, equality organisations, academics, faith representatives and community leaders to address racism, religious hatred and discrimination. Those discussions reinforced my belief that tackling hatred requires long term commitment, education, partnership and leadership.
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Throughout my time in Parliament, I also argued that Police Scotland should be properly funded. Our officers are expected to deal with increasingly complex challenges, including terrorism, organised crime, hate crime, cybercrime, violence against women and girls and the protection of vulnerable people. They cannot continue to be asked to do more with fewer resources. Proper investment in policing is an investment in safer communities.
The professionalism shown by Police Scotland throughout this investigation deserves the highest praise. Officers responded swiftly, carried out a thorough investigation and worked tirelessly to identify and arrest a suspect.
The involvement of specialist counter terrorism officers demonstrated that every available resource would be used to investigate these serious allegations thoroughly. Their dedication and professionalism should give reassurance to every community across Edinburgh and Scotland.
I know from my own experience working alongside Police Scotland over many years that officers put themselves in harm’s way every day to keep the public safe. They deserve our gratitude, our respect and the resources necessary to carry out their responsibilities effectively.
I would like to thank every officer involved in this investigation for their commitment, professionalism and compassion during what has been an extremely difficult time for those affected.
What has also given me hope is the response from the people of Edinburgh.
In the days following these attacks, faith leaders, community organisations, charities, volunteers, elected representatives and residents from every background stood alongside the victims and their families. They demonstrated that the values of compassion, respect and solidarity are stronger than hatred.
This is the true character of Edinburgh. We are a city built on diversity, where people from different cultures, faiths and backgrounds live, work, study and contribute together. The Muslim community has made an enormous contribution to our city’s success through business, healthcare, education, public service, charity and civic life. An attack on one community is an attack on us all.
We must continue to challenge racism, Islamophobia, antisemitism, anti Sikh hatred, anti Hindu hatred, prejudice against Christians and every other form of discrimination wherever it appears.
Hatred does not begin with violence. It often begins with harmful language, stereotypes and intolerance. If we are serious about building a safer Scotland, we must challenge prejudice at every stage before it escalates into acts of violence.
Education, community engagement and early intervention are just as important as strong law enforcement. Building trust between communities and public institutions is one of the most effective ways of preventing hatred from taking root.
Throughout my public life, whether serving in the Scottish Parliament or working with organisations such as ELREC, I have believed that diversity is one of Scotland’s greatest strengths. We must never allow those who spread hatred to undermine the progress we have made in building a fairer, more inclusive and more compassionate nation.
Scotland has earned an international reputation as an open, welcoming and inclusive nation. We must never take that reputation for granted. It requires continued leadership, properly funded public services, strong policing, active community organisations and a collective determination to protect the values that unite us.
Hatred seeks to divide. Edinburgh chose unity.
Violence seeks to create fear. Our communities responded with compassion.
Extremism seeks to isolate people because of their faith. Scotland responded with resilience.
I commend Police Scotland for their professionalism, determination and reassurance throughout this investigation. I remain convinced that they must continue to receive the funding, officers and specialist resources they need to protect every community across our country. Supporting our police is not simply about law enforcement. It is about safeguarding the values of justice, equality and security that define Scotland.
The true measure of a society is not whether hatred exists, but how people respond when it appears. Edinburgh’s response has shown the very best of our city. Our police, our community organisations, our faith leaders and our residents stood together. They refused to allow hatred to divide our city.
That is the Edinburgh I have always worked to serve.
That is the Scotland I believe in.
Foysol Choudhury MBE
Former Member of the Scottish Parliament & Shadow Minister for Culture, Europe and International Development.
Recent statistics indicating that 12,402 pupils have missed at least half of the school year—enough to fill almost 400 classrooms—should concern us all.
While we support mainstream education wherever appropriate, it can only succeed if schools have the staff and specialist support to make inclusion for those with additional support needs (ASN) meaningful.
More than two out of five (43 per cent) of Scotland’s pupils are now identified as having an additional support need, with numbers more than doubling over the past decade. Yet the number of specialist ASN teachers has fallen. Additionally, as the number of those with ASN experiencing greater complexity of need increases, special school provision may be required, yet the number of such schools has declined.
The link between unmet additional support needs and poor attendance is clear. Too many families are waiting for support while schools struggle with shortages of specialist teachers, classroom assistants, educational psychologists and mental health professionals.
Identifying children with ASN is only the first step. They must receive the timely support needed to attend school, achieve their potential and avoid poorer educational and mental health outcomes.
Scotland urgently needs greater investment to deliver genuinely inclusive education. Without it, we risk failing not only children with ASN and their families, but every pupil and teacher in Scotland’s classrooms.
With Argentina marching into the World Cup final after defeating England, and led by superstar captain Lionel Messi, let us not forget the key role that Scots played in forging this success.
Beyond current Argentine player Alexis MacAllister, whose ancestry can be traced back to Fife, it was two Scots, Alexander Watson Hutton and Alex Lamont, who were responsible for developing the game in the country. Indeed, Watson Hutton is considered “the father of Argentine football”.
Born in the Gorbals in 1853, he emigrated to Argentina in 1882, where he taught at St Andrew’s Scots School in Buenos Aires and then went on to found the Buenos Aires English School.
In 1891, the Association Argentine Football League was established by another Scot, Alex Lamont, who was headteacher at St Andrew’s school. It is recognised as the first football league in the country and outside the British Isles. It lasted only one season and was won by a team of Scots from St Andrew’s.
Two years later, Watson Hutton established the Argentine Association Football League and restarted the tournament. In 1898 his school formed a football team which went on to become the most decorated team in Argentine football until its dissolution in 1911.
So, when witnessing the ecstatic scenes in Argentina following the win over England, spare a thought for the critical role Scots played in that nation’s footballing success!
The latest Public Health Scotland figures on waiting times for musculoskeletal (MSK) services should be a cause for concern.
Between August 2025 and March 2026, only 52.4 per cent of patients were seen within the Scottish Government’s four-week waiting time target. Meanwhile, the number of people waiting for care increased to 75,128 by the end of March 2026.
Behind these figures are people living with arthritis and other MSK conditions who are experiencing pain, reduced mobility and uncertainty while waiting for support. MSK conditions affect around 1.7 million people in Scotland and are the leading cause of pain and disability. Timely access to services such as physiotherapy is often critical to helping people manage their condition and maintain their quality of life.
Arthritis UK is calling for a national MSK Action Plan to improve access to diagnosis, treatment and support. We are also urging the Scottish Parliament’s Health, Care and Sport Committee to undertake a dedicated inquiry into musculoskeletal health, an area that has never been the subject of a parliamentary inquiry despite its significant impact on individuals and the health service.
These latest figures highlight the need for urgent action to improve outcomes for people living with arthritis and other musculoskeletal conditions across Scotland. People living with this cannot afford to wait any longer.
Alan McGinley
Policy and Engagement Manager (Scotland) Arthritis UK
Edward House 199 Sauchiehall Street Glasgow, G2 3EX
I am writing as both a concerned member of the public and a loyal customer of UPS regarding what appears to be a significant and rapidly developing issue of UK workforce and one that deserves far more attention than it is currently receiving.
Reports and growing concerns from within the company suggests widespread restructuring across UK operations including depot closures and substantial job losses. It has been claimed that in some areas over 40% of the work force could be affected, with experienced, long serving staff being placed at risk of redundancy.
In addition, there are reports of drivers being offered relatively small one of payments reportedly in the region of 3000 to 5000 as part of redundancy ‘sweeteners’ after many years of service. For workers who have spent decades representing the company on the frontline, this has understandably caused anger, disappointment, and uncertainty.
What makes this situation particularly concerning is that these drivers are not just employees behind the scenes – they are the public face of UPS. They are the final point of contact with customers, the people who build trust in the brand every single day on Britain’s streets.
There is also growing unease that this restructuring signals a wider to shift away from secure employment towards self-employed or contractor-style arrangements, a trend that is increasingly affecting workers across the logistics sector. While companies will argue the need to modernise and remain competitive, the human cost of these decisions appears to be significant.
As a customer, I am genuinely shocked by what has been reported. These are professional, reliable drivers who have delivered a consistent service for years, and the way this transition is being handled raises serious questions about fairness, loyalty, and the long-term impact on service quality and brand reputation.
This is not a workplace issue- it is a public-facing change affecting thousands of workers, countless communities, and the standards we expect from major international companies operating in the UK. I believe this is a far bigger story than is currently being treated, and I hope you will consider bringing wider attention to it.
The latest Public Health Scotland figures on waiting times for musculoskeletal (MSK) services should be a cause for concern.
Between August 2025 and March 2026, only 52.4 per cent of patients were seen within the Scottish Government’s four-week waiting time target. Meanwhile, the number of people waiting for care increased to 75,128 by the end of March 2026.
Behind these figures are people living with arthritis and other MSK conditions who are experiencing pain, reduced mobility and uncertainty while waiting for support. MSK conditions affect around 1.7 million people in Scotland and are the leading cause of pain and disability. Timely access to services such as physiotherapy is often critical to helping people manage their condition and maintain their quality of life.
Arthritis UK is calling for a national MSK Action Plan to improve access to diagnosis, treatment and support. We are also urging the Scottish Parliament’s Health, Care and Sport Committee to undertake a dedicated inquiry into musculoskeletal health, an area that has never been the subject of a parliamentary inquiry despite its significant impact on individuals and the health service.
These latest figures highlight the need for urgent action to improve outcomes for people living with arthritis and other musculoskeletal conditions across Scotland. People living with this cannot afford to wait any longer.
Alan McGinley
Policy and Engagement Manager (Scotland) Arthritis UK
