Tag: Politics

Scottish government guilty of contempt over Salmond files

Court rules that failure to comply with FOI decision timescale was contempt of court

The Court of Session has issued a ruling which finds that the Scottish Ministers’ failure to comply with the compliance timescale set out in a December FOI Decision amounted to a contempt of court. 

The Decision – Decision 281/2025 – concerned a request for communications and information relating to the James Hamilton Report and published legal advice.

In the Decision, the Commissioner found that the Scottish Government had not been entitled to withhold some of the requested information, and required disclosure. Compliance with the Decision was required by 15 January 2026. 

Following a failure to comply, the Commissioner issued a warning letter on 16 January, requiring that the Scottish Government comply by 22 January or the matter would be referred to the Court of Session. When this deadline was not complied with, the Commissioner referred the matter to the Court. 

David Hamilton, Scottish Information Commissioner.

Commenting on the case, Scottish Information Commissioner David Hamilton said: “I welcome today’s ruling from the Court of Session that the Scottish Ministers’ failure to comply with the timescales set out in my FOI decision amounted to a contempt of court.

“This was the first time in more than 20 years of FOI that a Commissioner has had to refer non-compliance  with one of their decisions to the court. It was not a step taken lightly, and was all the more disappointing given that Scottish Ministers have a role in making the law and an assumed respect for the rule of law.

“Failing to comply with my decisions undermines the fundamental principles of FOI and damages the information rights of individuals. I trust that the Scottish Ministers will now  reflect carefully on this ruling and review their broader legal approach to certain aspects of FOI compliance – and particularly those relating to the Hamilton Inquiry.

“If Scotland’s FOI rights are to remain robust, effective and valued, the timescales for both the provision of information and compliance with my rulings must be respected by every public authority.

“People make FOI requests when the information they seek is important to them, and any inappropriate delay is a direct denial of their rights. We must work to ensure that this does not happen again.” 

Edinburgh by-elections will take place in September

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.”

Details on how to register to vote or request a postal vote and other key information can be found on the Council website. 

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.

Home Secretary response to Henry Nowak case

UGLY SCENES IN SOUTHAMPTON AS VIOLENCE FLARES

The Home Secretary gave an oral statement to the House of Commons yesterday (2 June)

With permission, Mr Speaker, I will make a statement about the murder of Henry Nowak.

Last December, Henry – aged just 18 – was a first-year university student with his life ahead of him. He was kind, hard-working, loved by his family and friends. His murder – at the hands of Vickrum  Digwa – was a horrifying act.

Digwa murdered Henry and then lied about him, as he lay dying, falsely accusing him of racism. It was an evil act and I know the thoughts of the whole House will now be with Henry’s family and his friends just as mine are.

What they have been through is heart-breaking and for most of us, unimaginable. I know nothing can take their pain and loss away, but yesterday, we saw some measure of justice. Digwa was sentenced to life imprisonment. He will serve a minimum term of 21 years.

His mother, Kiran Kaur, has been convicted of “assisting an offender”. She is due to be sentenced on 17 July and today, the Crown Prosecution Service has authorised further charges against other members of the attackers’ family with further sentencing and possible charges pending. We must be cautious still in what we say about this case so that we do not place any proceedings at risk.

However, I can and must pay tribute today to the dignified and powerful words of the Nowak family, in the statement they gave after yesterday’s sentencing. They deserve answers. They deserve answers, in particular, about what happened on that awful night and the actions of the police officers who arrived on the scene.

I expect many in this House and many more across this country have now seen the police officer’s bodycam footage, released last night. It is, without question, a disturbing and tragic thing to see.

People are rightly asking questions about how the situation was handled and they are shocked, and disquieted, to hear Henry’s words: “I can’t breathe.”

I know that it is difficult to wait any longer for answers but there is a proper process to assess whether there have been incidents of police misconduct led by the Independent Office for Police Conduct – the IOPC. They will determine what could and should have been done differently. They will determine what action may need to be taken against individual officers.

The family yesterday called on me and I quote: “To ensure the IOPC has the resources, authority and independence it needs to conduct a full, fearless and transparent investigation.” I can confirm to you today that we will do so. The IOPC will be equipped and encouraged to act, to find the truth and to ensure, if necessary, that there are consequences.

There have been accusations, I know, of two-tier policing: That one community has been prioritised over another. It will be for the IOPC to determine the facts with regards to this specific case and I cannot and will not comment on them, but let me say this on the question of preferential treatment more widely. The police in this country have a sacred duty: To police without fear or favour.

Everyone in this country is equal before the law. It is the promise upon which our whole justice system rests and the equality of every citizen is the foundation on which the openness, tolerance and generosity of this country rests.

Let me also be clear about one other thing – a dangerous undercurrent that I have seen in the reaction to this awful crime. Threats against police officers are utterly unacceptable. There can be no justification for intimidation, abuse or attempts to take the law into one’s own hands.

A police officer, unrelated to this case, has been misidentified online and subjected to death threats. He has been forced to relocate, to protect himself and his family. Misinformation and inflammatory commentary is making a dreadful situation even worse. We must all, together, condemn it and we must allow the facts to be established through the appropriate investigations and the courts. We must do so calmly and responsibly.

The Nowak family, and Henry’s memory, deserve answers. They have also called on us all to take action: action to address the daily tragedy of knife crime in this country. This government is committed to halving knife crime in this decade.

Since the start of this Parliament, we have made progress: knife crime has fallen by 10%, Knife homicides are down 27%, at their lowest level in a decade. Clearly, we must do more, while there are still tragedies like this one. For that reason, we have recently published our Halving Knife Crime Plan. It sets out how we will go further to drive sustained reductions in violence. It brings together action across government and across society to stop people from turning to knife crime and to ensure perpetrators are caught and brought to justice.  

Amongst a range of measures, this will see: Schools and families supported to address the root causes of knife crime through the establishment of 50 Young Futures Hubs; police using new crime mapping tools to target enforcement more precisely; and making better use of Stop and Search and cruel and exploitative drug gangs stopped from criminally exploiting children, preventing the knife violence driven by the county lines trade.

In relation to knife controls, there have been calls to limit the right of Sikh’s to carry their ceremonial knife, the kirpan – one of the 5 holy items in their faith. The Offensive Weapons Act of 2019, passed under the previous government, clarified and strengthened existing legal protections in relation to long kirpans. This included extending defences so that kirpans can be lawfully possessed for religious reasons and used in religious and ceremonial contexts.

Let me be clear: carrying a knife for the purpose of religious observance is one thing. Using it, as so tragically occurred in this case, is quite another: it is a vile act. A crime of the utmost severity and it will be met with the severest punishment.

Yesterday, the Nowak family ended their statement with a powerful call to us all. I quote: “We do not want his death to be used to create further division, hatred or tension.” They quoted the words of the prosecuting lawyer and I quote again: “This is not a case about Sikhism. This is not a case about racism. This is a case about murder.”

I echo those words. We cannot allow this murder to turn communities against one another. We must condemn those who seek personal political profit from tragedy.

Instead, we must show who we really are in this country. This was a murder: a vile and violent crime. The punishment must be reserved for those who are responsible for the act. We do not believe in collective punishment in this country.

Instead, we stand together against an act of pure evil. We condemn those who committed this heinous crime, not all those who share their faith or their ethnicity.

Yesterday, a sentence was handed down in court. I know it will never be enough. The loss felt by Henry Nowak’s family and friends will last forever. A wonderful young man will never enjoy the promise of the life that stretched out before him.

The evil acts of his murderer and accomplice will never be undone. But we can choose to use this moment to pursue positive change. We are still limited in what we can say: there is a sentence to be handed down and further charges may follow and there is an IOPC investigation ongoing.

I call on everyone here to be responsible in this moment, to allow justice to run its full course. However, while we must be limited in what we say, we must not be limited in how we act.

I will end with the words of the Nowak family, once more. Last night, they wrote that “no other family should experience the heartbreak and horror of losing a child to knife crime.”

Let that be the challenge to us all. Across this House, across government and across society.

It is the very least we can do to honour the memory of Henry Nowak.

I commend this statement to the House.

Speaking after the sentencing of Vickrum Digwa, Mark Nowak, Henry’s father, said the family did not want his death “to be used to create further division, hatred or tension”.

Despite this appeal and the Home Secretary’s words there were ugly scenes in Southampton last night when a large crowd gathered to protest over the murder. Missiles were thrown and violence flared as angry demonstrators clashed with riot police on the streets near Digwa’s family home.

Two people have been arrested so far and more are expected to follow as police review drone footage.

Commenting on the incident, Home Secretary said: “The scenes this evening in Portswood are completely unacceptable.

“The Nowak family made a powerful call to us all yesterday to not let Henry’s death be used to create further division, hatred or tension.

“There can be no justification for hijacking this tragedy to stir up violence and disorder. Those responsible can expect to face the full force of the law.

“I thank the police who have tonight shown great bravery and calm in the face of disgraceful violence directed at them.”

Autistic people risk being left behind without urgent Government action

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.

You can add your voice and help push for real change by signing the petition today: https://act.autism.org.uk/page/191897/petition/1?mode

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 year on from the single-use vape ban – what’s changed?

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

Pedal on Parliament: Over a thousand people cycle through Edinburgh demanding a cycle-safe Scotland

Over a thousand people joined a mass cycle ride through Edinburgh to the Scottish Parliament to demand safer conditions for walking and cycling in Scotland.

Gathering in the Meadows and cycling to Holyrood along closed roads, Pedal on Parliament’s fourteenth action since it began in 2012 continued their call for safer streets for walking and cycling in Scotland.

The organisation’s manifesto demands action on a wide range of interventions for cycling and road safety, ranging from adequate funding allocation and building on the successes of protected infrastructure already built, to calls for greater enforcement powers for police to tackle unsafe driving, and presumed liability for motorists in the event of collisions.

The ride concluded on the grass outside the Scottish Parliament, hearing from attending MSPs Kate Campbell, Patrick Harvie, and Sanne Dijkstra-Downie. 

Organisers opened the speeches with calls for better treatment of cycling as a normal transport choice, and calling for greater accountability from politicians – before handing over for a powerful and moving speech from Rose Marie Burke, the mother of Glasgow architect and cycle activist Emma Burke Newman who was tragically killed in January 2023 by the driver of an HGV that had encroached on an Advanced Stop Zone or ‘bike box’.

In her speech, Rose said: “Emma had a different kind of vision. She dreamed of having a big family, three children to be exact, cycling them to school on a cargo bike. She saw herself living in a community where cycling is the norm. 

“Instead, she had to cope with a world of unadapted infrastructure, distracted, careless and dangerous drivers, as well as outdated lorries with huge blind spots. In her case, the drivers of the lorries and buses in the three lanes across the George V bridge at the light had breached the bike boxes, the advanced stop lines. It proved to be fatal.” 

The junction in Glasgow where Emma was killed has now been made safer; but speakers observed that the issue of failing to keep bike boxes clear continues to be a safety issue on Scotland’s roads, amongst many other dangerous driving behaviours that largely go unenforced.

Ride participant Kate Campbell, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Musselburgh and Tranent, said: “I want to say a huge thank you to POP for organising such a wonderful event and to everyone who attended today and sent a very clear message to our parliament.

“As someone who is not a cyclist, but wants to be, I know just how important it is that we make our streets safe for cycling. And I will work hard over this parliament so everyone like me, who really wants the joy of cycling but just doesn’t have the confidence,  can cycle safely on our streets.”

Green MSP Patrick Harvie gave a rousing speech about the need for safer conditions, and his own experiences – throwing his support behind Pedal on Parliament’s manifesto and the need for adequate funding for sustainable transport to make cycling an easier everyday choice.

Speaker and participant Sanne Dijsktra-Downie, MSP for Edinburgh North, said: “Growing up in the Netherlands, I loved having the freedom of being able to cycle to meet friends, play sports or go out.

“I would love kids here to experience that same freedom, and for that we need safer cycling infrastructure that is connected, well designed and fit for purpose.”

For the City of Edinburgh Council, Transport & Environment Convener Cllr Stephen Jenkinson, said: “Pedal on Parliament is an important election year event which showcases the importance of cycling and associated policy across our country.

“Here in Edinburgh, I’m proud that we’ve made real progress over the last few years with schemes like the City Centre West to East Link (CCWEL), Roseburn to Union Canal, and the latest phase of Leith Connections making it easier for everyone to get around the city.

“The data here speaks for itself. When we invest in good, sustainable infrastructure then people will use it. I’m committed to continuing this positive work and I hope everyone participating today enjoyed themselves.”

Dr Scott Arthur, MP for Edinburgh South West took part in the mass ride, and said: “I was proud to be taking part in Pedal on Parliament in Edinburgh today alongside so many people from my constituency.

“What struck me most was the sheer number of children involved. I’m not used to cycling surrounded by so many families, and that in itself maybe says something about Edinburgh.

“This year’s Pedal on Parliament comes at an interesting moment. Five years ago, after the last Holyrood election, we stood here with promises of reduced non‑essential car use across Scotland, increased investment in active travel, and world‑leading climate targets.

By the end of that Parliament, those commitments had largely fallen away. “Nonetheless, I remain an optimist. I’m hopeful that Scotland’s new government will show real leadership.”

To learn more about Pedal on Parliament, visit pedalonparliament.org

Former M&S Chief Executive hired to spearhead Government drive to help young people into work

A business leader with decades of experience at the most senior levels has been appointed to drive forward the Government’s Youth Guarantee and ensure all young people have the chance to earn or learn.

  • Marc Bolland appointed Lead Non-Executive Director at DWP, tasked with convening business leaders to help address the number of young people not in education, employment or training (NEET).
  • Bolland – whose charity Movement to Work has helped over 200,000 unemployed young people into work – will help drive delivery of the Government’s Youth Guarantee to ensure every young person can earn or learn.
  • Appointment confirmed after interim findings of the Government-commissioned Alan Milburn review which set out the scale and complexity of the youth unemployment crisis.

Former Marks & Spencer Chief Executive Marc Bolland has been tasked with convening CEOs across sectors to help implement Youth Guarantee reforms, bringing the voice of businesses into policy delivery. This will help create opportunity for young people and tackle the crisis of one million not in employment, education or training (NEET).

As well as leading major companies including Marks & Spencer, Morrisons supermarkets and Heineken, Marc is founder chairman of the charity Movement to Work, which working with the DWP has helped over 200,000 unemployed young people into work.

In his new role as Lead Non-Executive Director at the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), Marc will convene leading Chief Executives across sectors to help expand opportunity, create clear routes into work and tackle the long-standing challenge of youth unemployment.

He will also advise Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden on the Government’s response to the Alan Milburn Review, which has just released its interim report. In this role he will be asked to place partnership with business and the third sector at the heart of the Government’s approach.

Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden said: “The number of young people not in education, employment or training is a serious challenge that has been allowed to persist for too long. That is why I asked Alan Milburn to look hard at the underlying causes and what it will take to fix them.

“Marc Bolland’s appointment sends a clear signal that we are serious about tackling that challenge. His track record in business and through Movement to Work make him uniquely placed to bring employers together and open up real opportunities for young people who need them most.

“I’ve also commissioned senior officials in my department to look at how we go even further in the support we provide young people – particularly young people with health conditions. And I’ve asked that that be done together with employers, charities, disabled people’s organisations and young people themselves.”

Marc’s role will:

  • Turbo-charge delivery of the Government’s Youth Guarantee, helping ensure 1 million young people, including those with a disability or health condition, have access to employment, training or education – backed by £2.5 billion investment.
  • Convene employers to business support for youth employment, alongside disabled people’s organisations, charities and young people
  • Advise the Secretary of State on the Government’s response to the Milburn review – putting partnership with business and the third sector and disabled people’s organisations at the heart of Government’s response.

Marc Bolland said: “As founder and chairman of Movement to Work we have, in close cooperation with DWP, brought over 200,000 NEETs into work and I am honoured and passionate to join the DWP now.

“I believe the Government is serious about tackling this generational crisis of youth unemployment, and I know that working hand in hand with business to support young people gives them the best possible chance of success.”

Marc brings experience at the most senior levels of business, having served as Chief Executive of Marks & Spencer plc, Chief Executive of Morrisons supermarkets, and Chief Operating Officer at Heineken.

He also brings a deep passion for improving young people’s lives through work, as demonstrated in his role as founding chairman of Movement to Work, a charity that offers free support to businesses to create youth employability programmes. The organisation has so far delivered more than 200,000 opportunities for 16 to 30-year-olds facing barriers to work.

Marc will help bring business into solving this national crisis – with some employers already stepping in to be part of the solution.

Severn Trent is the latest major employer to back the Government’s Youth Guarantee, which aims to give every young person the chance to earn or learn. Other supporters include the Premier League, Channel 4, Royal Shakespeare Company and Pinewood Studios.

The Government has commissioned Alan Milburn to look into the root causes of youth inactivity and identify what more can be done to support young people into work and learning. Last week, Alan Milburn published his interim findings which highlighted calls for a system reset to support more young people into work.

The report found that, without urgent action, the number of young people who are NEET – not in education, employment, or training – will rise from 1-in-8 to 1-in-6 young people within five years, representing 1.25 million young lives.

The government is prioritising early intervention, ensuring young people are supported before they reach crisis point, identifying and supporting children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), speech delays, and behavioural risks as early as possible to improve long-term outcomes.

Marc is the latest major figure from the world of business brought in by the department to utilise their extensive experience and expertise.

Last year, former John Lewis boss Sir Charlie Mayfield was asked to lead the Keep Britain Working Review which, with the support of employers, has been looking at ways to help people return to or stay in work.

MSPs vote for transfer of energy powers

Control over Scotland’s energy

The devolution of energy powers to Scotland would help deliver fairness for families and bring energy bills down, Energy Minister Stephen Gethins told MSPs yesterday.

The Scottish Parliament has supported a motion calling for the formal transfer of energy policy to Holyrood.

Mr Gethins said such powers would enable the Scottish Government to lower the cost of energy and set policies that work for households, communities and businesses by reducing bills, tackling fuel poverty and securing high-quality jobs.

In line with the Scottish Parliament’s position, the Energy Minister will now urge UK Ministers to formally engage over the devolution of powers.

Mr Gethins said: “This government has been returned with a clear instruction to deliver the benefits of Scotland’s abundant energy resources to households, communities and businesses. That is what we intend to do.

“The future lies in clean, affordable and secure power – strengthening affordability, resilience and competitiveness, and protecting Scottish people and businesses from their energy bills being dictated by events halfway across the world. After the UK Government announced bills would go up again, that is more important than ever.  

“Now, with the backing of the Scottish Parliament, we are formally requesting the devolution of powers that we need to maximise our remarkable energy potential, so that it helps to deliver prosperity, security and fairness for the country.”

The Westminster government is unlikely to concede, however.

Millions to benefit from lower travel and food costs?

The UK Government has published a list of 125 everyday essentials – including fruit, oils and core pantry staples – targeted for tariff reductions, alongside uprating mileage rates to support working people with the cost of living

  • Government launches consultation on suspending tariffs on OVER 100 everyday essentials with the full list now available.
  • This Government is the first in 15 years to uprate mileage rates for 3 million people who use their own vehicle for work, saving over £120 a year for a worker doing 6,000 business miles.
  • The support is an additional saving for motorists following the Chancellor’s third extension to the fuel duty freeze which has put another £120 back into their pocket since last year.

Working people are set to benefit from further cost of living support, as the Government publishes a list of over 100 everyday essentials set to see targeted cuts to tariffs alongside uprating mileage rates for the first time in 15 years.

The consultation is seeking views from businesses and other stakeholders on the potential impacts of a second package. It covers a wide range of everyday essentials, from fresh fruit and vegetables, oil and baked goods, to chocolate, sauces, and soft drinks.

The list of 125 items include garlic, avocados, mangoes, nectarines, vegetable oil, olive oil and baked beans. This builds on the tariff suspension announced in April.

In parallel, we are also seeking views on whether suspension of tariffs on certain fertilisers could help farmers cope with the impact of rising fertiliser prices as a result of the conflict in the Middle East.

Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, said: “The war in Iran isn’t our war, but one we will need to respond to, and my priority is keeping prices down for households and businesses.

“That’s why we’re freezing fuel duty, increasing the mileage rate for the first time in 15 years and slashed VAT temporarily this Summer to help reduce the cost of days out.”

This comes as carers, plumbers, builders and millions of other workers across the country who use their own vehicle on the job will have cheaper journeys after the Chancellor uprated mileage rates last week.

In the largest ever uprating of the rates a 10p per mile increase in tax‑free mileage rates for this tax year, backdated to April 2026, has been introduced to ease the cost of living for hardworking Britons.

Increasing the tax free per mile rates from 45p for the first 10,000 miles to 55p per mile will save around £120 for a worker doing 6,000 business miles. Up to two million employees and one million self-employed people will benefit.

This is in addition to savings drivers will make from the Chancellor’s further extension to the fuel duty freeze until the end of the year. That’s the third time Rachel Reeves has frozen fuel duty to support motorists, saving them £120 since last year.

Recognising how farmers and hauliers have been particularly exposed to high fuel prices, and their importance to UK supply chains, more relief has been announced.

For farmers and others who use red diesel and rebated biodiesel, the rate for those fuels has been cut by over a third – the lowest in over two decades. For hauliers, a road tax holiday has been put in place for a year from 1 July.

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said: “We are a government firmly on the side of drivers, and that means acting when hardworking people are being left out of pocket.

“The people who use their own vehicle for work are the backbone of our country – the carers, the tradespeople and the public sector workers who keep services running. For too long, they have been expected to shoulder rising costs with support that simply has not kept up.

“We’re doing all we can to ease everyday pressures on working people – that means real money back in their pockets and delivering for the people who keep Britain moving.”

Andrea Egan, General Secretary, Unison said: “This simple measure will provide immediate help for countless frontline workers in public services. Particularly at a time when living costs are going through the roof once again.

“People who need their own cars for work have been left thousands of pounds out of pocket for far too many years.

“UNISON has campaigned hard for this long overdue change. It’s good to know the chancellor has listened to the concerns of staff penalised by frozen rates.

“There’s still more to do to ensure no one is losing out and the union will continue to campaign for more over the coming months.” 

This follows a much wider package of support rolled out by the Chancellor last week branded ‘Great British Summer Savings’.

It includes free bus travel for 5–15-year-olds in England, VAT slashed on children’s meals in restaurants, and VAT cut for all admissions to theatres, theme parks and other attractions.

This will help families enjoy the weekend treats, days out and staycations that make life enjoyable during the cost-of-living squeeze caused by the war in the Middle East while supporting the businesses that depend on summer footfall.

Cutting £150 on average of costs from household energy bills, freezing prescription charges and rail fares, and increasing the national minimum and living wages by hundreds of pounds are some of the actions taken at the Budget that are continuing to support families each month.