Tag: meeting

Shared Challenges: First Minister meets Michelle O’Neill at Bute House

Meeting to discuss shared areas of interest

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon welcomed Michelle O’Neill MLA to Bute House today (Friday 20 May).

The meeting, which was arranged at the request of Michelle O’Neill, provided an opportunity to discuss shared areas of interest including the current cost of living crisis, the importance of the Northern Ireland Protocol negotiated with the EU and the prospects for the formation of a new Northern Ireland Executive.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “Today’s meeting was an excellent opportunity to discuss some of the shared challenges Scotland and Northern Ireland face and I thank Michelle for reaching out and enabling us to discuss these extremely important issues in person.

“It was a particularly timely conversation which provided an update on the ongoing developments around establishing the Northern Ireland Assembly and Executive following elections earlier this month.

“We also discussed the Northern Ireland protocol – most notably the extremely concerning announcement by the UK Government that they intend to legislate to enable unilateral action to dis-apply parts of the protocol – and the incredibly damaging effects this would have in communities right across the UK. 

“In a cost of living crisis and teetering on the edge of recession, pitching us into a trade dispute with the EU could be what tips us over.

“Intergovernmental relations are essential when it comes to tackling shared challenges and it is clear that much more needs to be done by the UK Government to ensure a rapid and effective response to the devastating cost of living crisis facing households across these islands. No one should ever have to make a choice between heating and eating.

“Today’s meeting was a further example of the close relationship between Scotland and Northern Ireland. In that spirit, I have written today to the leaders of the DUP and Alliance parties with an offer to meet to discuss these important matters.”

The First Minister today wrote to the other main political parties in Northern Ireland to make them aware of the meeting and offer a similar engagement, should they wish it.

Forth Neighbourhood Network meets online tomorrow evening

6pm via MICROSOFT TEAMS

FORTH Neighbourhood Network will meet online tomorrow evening at 6pm.

AGENDA

  1. Welcome & Apologies
  2. Notes of Meeting of 19th January 2022 and matters arising (circulated)
  3. Forth NN Neighbourhood Environmental Programme (NEP) HRA update – George Norval / David Delargy
  4. Forth NN current Priority: Poverty, including food poverty update – Biddy Kelly, Response and Recovery Group
  5. Community Grants Fund – review of the past year plus funding panel decisions
  6. Any other Business
  7. Dates of Next Meetings:   22nd June 2022, 14th Sept 2022, 14th Dec 2022.

For further information please contact Elaine Lennon, North West Lifelong Learning Development Officer, telephone 529 5270, email Elaine.Lennon@edinburgh.gov.uk

Johnson: ‘The world has found new heroes – the people of Ukraine’

Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s remarks during Saturday’s meeting with Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy in Kyiv:

Thank you very much Volodymyr. Thank you for having me today at this incredibly difficult time for you and your country.

I want to begin by once again saluting the bravery of the people of Ukraine in defying the appalling aggression that we have seen. In the last few weeks the world has found new heroes, and those heroes are the people of Ukraine.

When I was here just a few weeks ago and we were in another room I think in your palace, the defence intelligence we had suggested Russia thought Ukraine could be engulfed in a matter of days and that Kyiv would fall in hours to their armies.

And how wrong they were. I think that the Ukrainians have shown the courage of a lion, and you Volodymyr have given the roar of that lion.

I thank you for what you have been able to do, your leadership has been extraordinary.

I think what Putin has done in places like Bucha and Irpin, his war crimes have permanently polluted his reputation and the reputation of his government.

It’s clear – and we discussed this at length – it’s clear that he has suffered a defeat but his retreat is tactical and he is going to intensify the pressure now in Donbas and in the east.

That’s why it’s so vital as you rightly say Volodymyr that we, your friends, continue to offer whatever support we can. Together with our partners, we are going to ratchet up the economic pressure and we continue to intensify week by week the sanctions on Russia. Not just freezing assets in banks and sanctioning oligarchs, but moving away from use of Russian hydrocarbons.

We will give you the support that you need, the economic support but also of course the defensive military support in which I’m proud to say the UK helped to lead the way. Just the other day we raised I think £1.5bn at a donor conference from friends, partners around the world, dozens and dozens of countries that now want to support Ukraine.

We want to liberalise trade with Ukraine as we go forward to help your economic circumstances, barley and other commodities – there are things we should be doing. We want to help with demining your country, getting rid of the savage traps that the Russian army has left behind.

To come to your central point Volodymyr, I think we are evolving a vision now for the future. Heraclitus said war is the father of all things – that was an exaggeration, war isn’t the father of everything – but what this war is certainly producing is a clarity about the vision of a future for Ukraine.

Where together with friends and partners, we – the UK and others – supply the equipment, the technology, the know-how, the intelligence, so that Ukraine will never be invaded again. So Ukraine is so fortified and protected that Ukraine can never be bullied again. Never be blackmailed again. Never be threatened in the same way again.

In the meantime, there is a huge amount to do to make sure that Ukraine is successful, that Ukraine wins, and that Putin must fail.

Over the last few hours I’ve been able to see quite a lot of your beautiful country, and it’s an amazing country. I’ve also seen the tragic effects of the war. An inexcusable war, an absolutely inexcusable and unnecessary war.

But having been here in Kyiv for just a few hours, I have no doubt Volodymyr, listening to too listening to your team, your redoubtable team, I have no doubt at all that an independent sovereign Ukraine will rise again thanks above all to the heroism, the courage of the people of Ukraine.

Thank you very much and slava Ukraini [glory to Ukraine].

Work begins on a Minimum Income Guarantee

Scotland is taking its first steps on the road to establishing a Scottish Minimum Income Guarantee (MIG).

Social Justice Secretary Shona Robison will today co-chair the first meeting of a new steering group to drive forward the ambitious new policy with the aim of reducing poverty, inequality and insecurity.

Ms Robison has also launched a consultation to gather views on how establishing a Minimum Income Guarantee – which would provide an assurance that everyone would have enough money to live a dignified, healthy and financially secure life – could be designed and delivered in Scotland.

The announcement meets another commitment for the first 100 days of this government, which was elected on 6 May.

Speaking ahead of the meeting, Ms Robison said: “We are committed to progressing the delivery of a Minimum Income Guarantee, which could be revolutionary in our fight against poverty. It is a clear demonstration of our ambition and aspiration for Scotland.

“The policy is innovative, bold and radical. It reflects our clear desire to do everything with our limited powers to deliver the change needed, using every lever at our disposal.

“Eradicating child poverty and building a fairer, more equal country must be a national mission, not just for the government, but our parliament and broader society.

“We recognise this is a cross-government responsibility and we are focused on working together to push forward poverty reduction in Scotland.

“We must look at ways of maximising household incomes from work and social security, as well as reducing costs on essentials including services such as childcare.

“Introducing a Minimum Income Guarantee will not be easy and it will not happen overnight, but there is a willingness to deliver on our ambition.”

The steering group will be co-chaired by Russell Gunson, Director of the Institute for Public Policy Research in Scotland, which published a report earlier this year on how a future Minimum Income Guarantee could look.

Mr Gunson said: “A Minimum Income Guarantee could transform the lives of people across Scotland, setting an income floor in Scotland beneath which no one would fall.

“To build a fairer and stronger Scotland following Covid-19 we will need to think big ideas in Scotland and think just as big on how to implement them.

“The MIG Steering Group is a great step, bringing cross-party representatives and experts from across Scotland together to shape a Minimum Income Guarantee and make progress on delivering it.

“I’m delighted to be co-chair and look forward to working hard together to see tangible progress towards delivering a Minimum Income Guarantee for Scotland over the coming years.”

Access the consultation dialogue

A partnership of equals?

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has met with the First Ministers of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and the Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland to discuss the United Kingdom’s Covid recovery.

They were joined at yesterday’s meeting by the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (CDL). The Secretaries of State for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland joined virtually, along with other ministers and officials from the devolved administrations.

Ministers agreed that the meeting provided an important opportunity for dialogue between the UK Government and devolved administrations.

The Prime Minister reflected that, while there are divergent views on the question of the United Kingdom’s constitutional future and the UK Government and devolved administrations will not always agree, these differences should not prevent us from working together to ensure a strong recovery for all parts of the country.

The Chancellor set out the direct UK-wide support provided by HM Treasury in response to COVID-19, which was worth around £352 billion across 2020-21 and 2021-22, and how the sacrifices of the British people coupled with our comprehensive support package and on-going vaccine rollout have laid the foundations for recovery.

Looking forward, he said as we gradually lift restrictions to ensure we maintain control of the virus, there are reasons for cautious optimism with data showing our Plan for Jobs is working.

The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster said that collaboration between the UK Government and devolved administrations on Covid recovery would allow us to emerge from the pandemic stronger. Ministers acknowledged the benefits of mutual aid and burden sharing on healthcare and agreed that there was a clear value in sharing data and best practice.

Summing up, the PM emphasised the importance of establishing a structured and regular forum for ongoing engagement between the UK Government and the devolved administrations to deliver tangible outcomes in the interests of people throughout the UK and of completing the Intergovernmental Relations Review.

Following yesterday’s four-nations summit on Covid recovery First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said the meeting must prove to have been more than just a talking shop.

The First Minister said: “We are of course willing to work together on recovery from the pandemic, but the UK Government needs to listen and act on key Scottish Government concerns.

“Because of the powers that rest in Westminster the decisions the UK Government takes have a major impact on the kind of fair recovery we are trying to build in Scotland.

“I sought assurances that there would be no return to the cruel and damaging austerity of the past and that furlough and the £20 uplift in Universal Credit will be extended. The proof of the worth of this meeting depends on whether the UK Government takes these issues seriously and responds accordingly.

“This meeting also took place at a time when the UK Government is undermining devolution through the Internal Market Act and diverting funding away from the Scottish Parliament. This has to stop and instead the UK Government needs to start treating the Scottish Government and other devolved governments as equal partners.” 

Attendees:

UK Government

  • Prime Minister (Chair) – Rt Hon Boris Johnson MP
  • Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster – Rt Hon Michael Gove MP
  • Chancellor of the Exchequer – Rt Hon Rishi Sunak MP
  • Secretary of State for Northern Ireland – Rt Hon Brandon Lewis CBE MP
  • Secretary of State for Scotland – Rt Hon Alister Jack MP
  • Secretary of State for Wales – Rt Hon Simon Hart MP

Scottish Government

  • First Minister of Scotland – Rt Hon Nicola Sturgeon MSP
  • Deputy First Minister – John Swinney MSP
  • Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Economy – Kate Forbes MSP

Welsh Government

  • First Minister of Wales – Rt Hon Mark Drakeford MS
  • Minister for the Economy, Vaughan Gething MS

Northern Ireland Executive

  • First Minister of Northern Ireland – Rt Hon Arlene Foster MLA
  • Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland – Michelle O’Neill MLA
  • Junior Minister – Gordon Lyons MLA

Forth & Inverleith Voluntary Sector Forum meets tomorrow

This is a reminder for the Forth and Inverleith VSF on Zoom, tomorrow – Wednesday, Nov 4th at 11am

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82718053569?pwd=dXBFc3ZqUWZXTjFONlNOUkhyQ1F3dz09

Meeting ID: 827 1805 3569

Passcode: 938535

We will use the below agenda to guide our discussion and welcome Dr Linda Irvine-Fitzpatrick and Dr Peter Kitchen as guests to the forum:

1.      Welcome and introductions – name and organisation

  1. Dr Linda Irvine-Fitzpatrick: Updates from the Edinburgh Health and Social Care Partnership (Edinburgh Pact, Thrive, Three Conversations)
  2. Dr Peter Kitchen: New GP practice in the Granton area
  3. Member updates – 1 to 2 minutes each
  4. AOB
  5. Date of next meeting

Kate Barrett

Development Worker – Community Planning, EVOC

Drylaw Telford CC to meet online tomorrow

Drylaw Telford Community Council is to meet online via Zoom tomorrow evening.

CC members have been notified of login instructions and members of the public wishing to participate should contact DTCC secretary Pam Higgins via email at pamhigginsdtcc@gmail.com

Pam said: ” It was lovely to get back together as a group in August and I look forward to seeing as many people as possible in the coming months.  I believe this way of meeting will be our new normal for the foreseeable future.”

Peoples Assembly Scotland ‘meets’ on 16 June

Peoples Assembly Scotland “Public” meeting via Zoom Tuesday 16th June at 7pm.

Thanks to all who attended the meeting on 3rd June on Universal Credit – we will distribute the video of this over the next few days.

Our next meeting will be on the Tuesday 16th June at 7pm.

Joining us will be Professor Phil Taylor from Strathclyde University, speaking about the particular dangers to call centre workers during the Covid 19 emergency.

Prof Taylor was the author of a report on the issues which received some attention in the national press:

https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/scots-cops-called-mcdonalds-branches-22126869?utm_source=linkCopy&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=sharebar

Here is the link to the meeting:

Topic: People’s Assembly Scotland and the dangers in call centres from Covid 19.

Time: Jun 16, 2020 07:00 PM London

Join Zoom Meeting:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84774666596?pwd=Q1ZpVzVzWnJqNkFCMVA1MVFMUzhvdz09

Meeting ID: 847 7466 6596

Password: 310010

Phil McGarry (Chairperson), Keith Stoddart (Secretary)

Peoples Assembly Scotland 

Crisis in Care Homes: People’s Assembly Scotland meeting tonight

Our “public” meeting focusing on the crisis in Care Homes is tonight – Tuesday 26th May at 7pm.

All are welcome to attend by using this link …

Join Zoom Meeting

Meeting ID: 837 6700 9007

Password: 395182

“Social Care was in crisis before this pandemic arrived and made the situation many times worse and as you have seen in Care Homes exposed the failings in the sector.”

What do we want after the crisis?

Please share amongst your contacts and through your networks to ensure a good attendance.

Speakers include:

  • Deborah Clarke, Head of Community for UNISON Scotland.
  • Care worker Sandra Trotter

Phil McGarry (Chairperson) & Keith Stoddart (Secretary) 

Peoples Assembly Scotland

Meeting to discuss community response to Coronavirus pandemic

North Edinburgh activists are to meet tomorrow to formulate a community response to tackling problems caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The meeting will take place in West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre at 2.30pm.

Meeting organiser Willie Black said: “We have already seen communities coming together to do what they can to help their neighbours and our more vulnerable residents, and  the purpose of tomorrow’s meeting is to co-ordinate this community response to make sure no person is being missed or left out.

“By working together and pooling our resources we can better respond to the challenges posed to our community by this pandemic.”

Local voluntary sector organisations, food banks, community centre representatives, council officers, community councils and local elected politicians have all been invited to attended.

What can you do to help? Why not attend the meeting and find out!