South Queensferry residents are embroiled in a bitter battle with Transport Scotland to secure road access to their new homes.
Transport Scotland have refused access to the Ferrymuir Gait road forcing all residents from the new development to travel through the existing Varney Estate.
All 124 houses on the development must now use Henry Ross Place despite Ferrymuir Gait being the most direct route into the housing development.
Heavy construction traffic used Ferrymuir Gait throughout the build.
The developer has offered to upgrade the road to adoptable standards and Edinburgh Council has indicated a will to adopt the road once this takes place.
Transport Scotland could risk court action if the refusal to permit access continues.
Lothian MSP Foysol Choudhury said: “There is considerable anger among residents from both developments. They are strongly in favour of Ferrymuir Gait being used to access the new development.
“Despite my attempts at mediation, this issue has remained irreconcilable for many months, and looks like it will inevitably end in legal action.
“For the sake of the use of one road, Transport Scotland appear to be willing to drag this through the courts at what will inevitably be great expense to the taxpayer.
“I do not believe that the Scottish public will see legal action to prevent residents’ access to new homes as a good or explicable use of public funds.
“It seems to me that it is clearly in the public interest – from the point of view of the residents and the Scottish taxpayer – that this matter be settled reasonably between the two parties.
P&O staff and other trades unionists will join demonstrations in Dover, Liverpool, and Hull today, condemning P&O for sacking 800 staff.
The company, which is funded by the Dubai Royal Family, stunned workers in a pre-recorded Zoom call, when they informed staff that they were being dismissed and would be replaced by cheap agency labour from abroad.
When workers rightly refused to simply accept this despotic decision, private security staff with handcuffs, believed to have been hired by the company, began to drag workers off the ships.
RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said: “It is vital workers from every industry mobilise for the demonstrations on Friday.
“We need to send a message to ruthless employers and the government alike, that when working people are treated so abysmally, there is a militant response from the trade union movement.
“This example of gangster capitalism which our members in P&O have been subjected, is what lies ahead for other workers up and down the country if we do not all take a stand.”
Liverpool: 1.00pm Main Liverpool Port entrance Liverpool L21 1LA
Hull: 12. 00 midday– King George Dock, Hull HU9 5PR
Labour’s Shadow Transport Secretary Louise Haigh said: “This scandalous action is a betrayal of the workers that kept this country stocked throughout the pandemic. Unscrupulous employers cannot be given free rein to sack their workforce in secure jobs and replace with agency staff.
“The Conservative government must not give the green light to this appalling practice and must act to secure the livelihoods of these workers.”
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon tweeted: “I’m deeply concerned at P&O announcement – due to the importance to Scotland of the Cairnryan/Larne route obviously, but also the impact on 100s of workers.
“Fire & rehire is an appalling practice & offends the basic principle of fair work. @scotgov will be seeking urgent talks”.
While the UK Government has made no official comment, Defence Minister James Heapey told BBC’s Breakfast that P&O Ferries have ‘behaved disgracefully’ but admitted that the company’s ‘despicable’ fire and rehire action is not something the government could have stopped. He said the government will focus on supporting the workers who have lost their jobs .
Union body calls on ministers to urgently bring forward an employment bill to end fire and rehire style practices
Workers must be reinstated immediately – and P&O Ferries must face serious consequences if they fail to do this, says TUC
What happened to P&O workers “can’t ever be allowed to happen again”, says TUC
The TUC has called for the “scandalous” treatment of P&O workers to be a “turning point” for workers’ rights in the UK.
The union body says ministers must bring forward an employment bill now to stop workers from “being treated like disposable labour”.
The call comes after 800 P&O crew were sacked without notice on Thursday and threatened with handcuffs if they refused to leave their ships.
P&O Ferries’ actions appear to be unlawful. But the TUC says these events show that UK employment law urgently needs strengthening to penalise bad employers.
The union body says ministers must use an employment bill to:
End fire and rehire style practices and stop companies firing at will: P&O has exploited many of the same weaknesses in the law as companies using the punitive fire and rehire tactics. TUC research published during the pandemic revealed that 1 in 11 (9%) of workers have been forced to re-apply for their jobs on inferior terms and conditions. The law should state that no notices of dismissal can be given until consultation has been completed. Employees should be given protection from unfair dismissal from day one in the job.
Increase penalties on companies that break employment law: P&O’s failure to consult staff on their redundancies was unlawful. But companies who flout employment law in this way currently face very low fines and can get away with offering staff measly compensation.
Ban other forms of exploitative practices: More than 1 million workers in the UK are employed on zero-hours contracts and thousands of others are employed in bogus self- employment. The TUC says zero-hours contracts and umbrella companies should be banned.
In addition, the TUC is calling on the government to:
Remove DP World (P&O ferries owner) from any government advisory groups: DP World currently sits on the influential UK Government’s Transport Advisory Group.
Get around the table with unions representing members in the sector to urgently review government contracts with P&O and ensure livelihoods are protected
Reinstate sacked staff
All sacked staff must be reinstated immediately without loss of pay, the TUC is demanding – adding that P&O should face serious consequences.
The union body has warned the government that a “slap on the wrist” from ministers would not be good enough.
And the government must put in place measures to ensure that all future procurement comes with a commitment from companies receiving public money to respect workers’ rights.
TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said: “Everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and respect at work. But bad bosses can still get away with treating staff like disposable labour.
“What happened at P&O is a national scandal – it can’t ever be allowed to happen again. Enough is enough. This must be turning point for workers’ rights in the UK.
“The government must urgently bring forward an employment bill that strengthens workplace protections and that imposes strong penalties on employers who break the law.
“The prime minister vowed to make Britain the best country in the world to work. He has run out of excuses for failing to deliver on that promise.”
On the need for the government to penalise P&O, Frances added: “P&O has acted appallingly. It must be made an example of.
“A slap on the wrist is not going to cut it.
“If the company refuses to reinstate all of its sacked staff it should face serious consequences.”
Joint statement by the leaders of the G7: 11 March 2022
We the Leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) remain resolved to stand with the Ukrainian people and government who heroically resist Russian President Vladimir Putin’s military aggression and war of choice against their sovereign nation.This unprovoked and unjustified attack is causing enormous suffering and a tragic loss of life, including through the increasingly indiscriminate bombing and shelling of civilians in schools, homes, and hospitals.
We are united in our determination to hold President Putin and his regime accountable for this unjustified and unprovoked war that has already isolated Russia in the world. The world should join together in calling on President Putin and his regime to immediately stop its ongoing assault against Ukraine and withdraw its military forces. We stand in solidarity with those who are bravely opposing the invasion of Ukraine.
We urge Russia to ensure safe and unhindered humanitarian access to victims of its assault in Ukraine, and to allow safe passage for civilians wishing to leave. We call for, and commit to provide, humanitarian, medical and financial support to refugees from Ukraine.
Since President Putin launched the Russian Federation’s invasion on February 24, our countries have imposed expansive restrictive measures that have severely compromised Russia’s economy and financial system, as evidenced by the massive market reactions. We have collectively isolated key Russian banks from the global financial system; blunted the Central Bank of Russia´s ability to utilise its foreign reserves; imposed sweeping export bans and controls that cut Russia off from our advanced technologies; and targeted the architects of this war, that is Russian President Vladimir Putin and his accomplices, as well as the Lukashenko regime in Belarus.
In addition to announced plans, we will make further efforts to reduce our reliance on Russian energy, while ensuring that we do so in an orderly fashion and in ways that provide time for the world to secure alternative and sustainable supplies. In addition, private sector companies are leaving Russia with unprecedented speed and solidarity. We stand with our companies that are seeking an orderly withdrawal from the Russian market.
We remain resolved to isolate Russia further from our economies and the international financial system. Consequently, we commit to taking further measures as soon as possible in the context of our ongoing response and consistent with our respective legal authorities and processes:
First, we will endeavor, consistent with our national processes, to take action that will deny Russia Most-Favoured-Nation status relating to key products. This will revoke important benefits of Russia’s membership of the World Trade Organization and ensure that the products of Russian companies no longer receive Most-Favoured-Nation treatment in our economies. We welcome the ongoing preparation of a statement by a broad coalition of WTO members, including the G7, announcing their revocation of Russia’s Most-Favoured-Nation status.
Second, we are working collectively to prevent Russia from obtaining financing from the leading multilateral financial institutions, including the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. Russia cannot grossly violate international law and expect to benefit from being part of the international economic order. We welcome the IMF and World Bank Group’s rapid and ongoing efforts to get financial assistance to Ukraine. We also welcome the steps the OECD has taken to restrict Russia’s participation in relevant bodies.
Third, we commit to continuing our campaign of pressure against Russian elites, proxies and oligarchs close to President Putin and other architects of the war as well as their families and their enablers. We commend the work done by many of our governments to identify and freeze mobile and immobile assets belonging to sanctioned individuals and entities, and resolve to continue this campaign of pressure as a matter of priority. To that end, we have operationalised the task force announced on February 26, which will target the assets of Russian elites close to President Putin and the architects of his war. Our sanctions packages are carefully targeted so as not to impede the delivery of humanitarian assistance.
Fourth, we commit to maintaining the effectiveness of our restrictive measures, to cracking down on evasion and to closing loop-holes. Specifically, in addition to other measures planned to prevent evasion, we will ensure that the Russian state and elites, proxies and oligarchs cannot leverage digital assets as a means of evading or offsetting the impact of international sanctions, which will further limit their access to the global financial system. It is commonly understood that our current sanctions already cover crypto-assets. We commit to taking measures to better detect and interdict any illicit activity, and we will impose costs on illicit Russian actors using digital assets to enhance and transfer their wealth, consistent with our national processes.
Fifth, we are resolved to fighting off the Russian regime’s attempts to spread disinformation. We affirm and support the right of the Russian people to free and unbiased information.
Sixth, we stand ready to impose further restrictions on exports and imports of key goods and technologies on the Russian Federation, which aim at denying Russia revenues and at ensuring that our citizens are not underwriting President Putin’s war, consistent with national processes. We note that international companies are already withdrawing from the Russian market. We will make sure that the elites, proxies and oligarchs that support President Putin’s war are deprived of their access to luxury goods and assets. The elites who sustain Putin’s war machine should no longer be able to reap the gains of this system, squandering the resources of the Russian people.
Seventh, Russian entities directly or indirectly supporting the war should not have access to new debt and equity investments and other forms of international capital. Our citizens are united in the view that their savings and investments should not fund the companies that underpin Russia’s economy and war machine. We will continue working together to develop and implement measures that will further limit Russia’s ability to raise money internationally.
We stand united and in solidarity with our partners, including developing and emerging economies, which unjustly bear the cost and impact of this war, for which we hold President Putin, his regime and supporters, and the Lukashenko regime, fully responsible. Together, we will work to preserve stability of energy markets as well as food security globally as Russia’s invasion threatens Ukraine’s capacity to grow crops this year.
We continue to stand with the Ukrainian people and the Government of Ukraine. We will continue to evaluate the impacts of our measures, including on third countries, and are prepared to take further measures to hold President Putin and his regime accountable for his attack on Ukraine.
First Minister urges Prime Minister to act with humanity and compassion
A lack of clarity from the UK Government around settlement programmes and complex visa processes is delaying Scotland from welcoming refugees from Ukraine, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said.
In a letter to the Prime Minister co-signed by the leaders of Scottish Labour, the Scottish Liberal Democrats and the Scottish Greens, the First Minister urged the UK Government to waive visa requirements for Ukrainian nationals seeking refuge in the UK, and for a comprehensive and funded settlement programme and package of support to be established.
The Scottish Government is working with local authorities and the Scottish Refugee Council to ensure Scotland can welcome Ukrainian refugees with the support they need as soon as they are able to come here.
The First Minister said: “As we witness the worst humanitarian crisis in Europe since World War II, and with more than two million Ukrainians now having fled since the Russian invasion began, the UK must take action and respond fully, with humanity and compassion.
“It is neither reasonable nor morally acceptable to expect people fleeing war to go through complex bureaucratic processes in order to reach safety within the UK. We must provide sanctuary first and treat people with respect and humanity.
“Scotland stands in solidarity with the people of Ukraine and deeply wishes to provide them with practical support, aid and refuge. We are ready to provide that to people in need right now.
“More than a week after it was announced on 1 March, we urge you to set out the details of the humanitarian sponsorship pathway, including when it will open and confirmation that the UK Government will provide the flexibility and the financial support needed to allow us in Scotland and communities across the UK to contribute.”
As we witness the worst humanitarian crisis in Europe since World War II, and with more than two million Ukrainians now having fled since the Russian invasion began, the UK must take action and respond fully, with humanity and compassion. The desperation of those fleeing and displaced by the war in Ukraine are clearly distressing and heart-rending. We cannot and must not turn our back on the people of Ukraine.
The Home Secretary’s announcement today, detailing the introduction of an entirely online application processes for Ukrainian family members seeking to come to the UK without the requirement to attend a Visa Application Centre, is a welcome step in the right direction. As is the decision to further extend the Ukrainian Family Visa Scheme. It is clear though that it is not enough.
It is neither reasonable nor morally acceptable to expect people fleeing war to go through complex bureaucratic processes in order to reach safety within the UK. Therefore we urge you to follow the example of European countries including the Republic of Ireland by waiving all visa requirements for any Ukrainian nationals seeking refuge in the UK, as well as implementing the temporary protection regulations. We must provide sanctuary first and treat people with respect and humanity.
Scotland stands in solidarity with the people of Ukraine and deeply wishes to provide them with practical support, aid and refuge. We are ready to provide that to people in need right now.
The Scottish Government is already working with local authorities and the Scottish Refugee Council to make sure that our communities are ready to welcome Ukrainian refugees as soon as they are able to come here, and ensure that they have the support that they need. More than a week after it was announced on 1 March, we urge you to set out the details of the humanitarian sponsorship pathway, including when it will open and confirmation that the UK Government will provide the flexibility and the financial support needed to allow us in Scotland and communities across the UK to contribute.
As a further demonstration of this solidarity, the following leaders of Scotland’s political parties have co-signed this letter. I hope you will agree with our collective call for urgent action to be taken by the UK Government in dealing with this crisis; to allow people to enter the UK and provide a comprehensive and funded settlement programme and package of support for those seeking refugee here.
I am copying this letter to Liz Truss, Michael Gove, Priti Patel, Alister Jack and Angus Robertson.
Changes will make the Ukraine Family Scheme quicker and simpler
Home Secretary Priti Patel has announced changes to the Ukraine Family Scheme to make the process quicker and simpler for those fleeing Putin’s barbaric invasion of Ukraine.
From Tuesday, Ukraine passport holders will no longer need to attend in-person appointments to submit fingerprints or facial verification before they come to the UK, after the Home Secretary received assurances that the necessary national security checks could be maintained while not requiring biometrics for the initial application.
The remaining checks continue to ensure we provide the robust scrutiny required for all applicants.
Confirmation of permission to travel to the UK will also be provided, meaning the majority of applications can be completed entirely online without ever attending a visa appointment centre, speeding up the process and allowing people to come to the UK faster.
Home Secretary Priti Patel said: “The Ukraine Family Scheme provides an immediate pathway for those Ukrainians with family already settled in the UK to come to our country. It is designed to allow as many people as possible to come to Britain and gives them immediate access to the support they need to not just survive but to thrive.
“The scheme was developed in close consultation with Ukrainian leaders and the diaspora community and we continue to work with them to make changes as necessary. That is why we are now making the process quicker and simpler by removing the need to physically visit Visa Application Centres for many of those who are making the perilous journey across Europe. This will mean we can welcome more families here more swiftly.
“Given the real and varied threats we face, we must consider national security alongside our humanitarian instinct and desire to help as many people as possible in the shortest possible timeframe. I can reassure the British people that the changes announced today have been made in close consultation with relevant officials and agencies so as to ensure our national security is not compromised.”
Under the new application process passport holders will apply online and be granted 6 months’ leave to enter the UK outside of the rules, enabling them to work, study and claim benefits immediately. Once they have submitted biometric data in the UK they will have their leave extended to 36 months.
This applies only to passports – not ID Cards – however this will be kept under review, in line with security advice.
The changes are designed to get as many people their visas as quickly as possible, while reducing pressure on visa application centres and ensuring those who pose a threat to the UK are prevented from entering.
The Home Office has already ramped up visa application capacity in other countries bordering Ukraine, including Hungary, Romania, Poland and Moldova. A new pop-up Visa Application Centre in Rzeszow, Poland, has been opened, while the combined total number of appointments across Europe has increased from 2,000 to 13,000 appointments.
The Ukraine Family Scheme allows people settled in the UK to bring immediate and extended family members from Ukraine to the UK. This week the eligibility was increased to include aunts, uncles and in-laws.
The Ukraine Family Scheme is part of a series of measures that have already been announced:
Last month the Home Secretary confirmed that flexibility would be available to support Ukrainians who are on work, study or visit visas to switch to different visa routes extending their stay and those on seasonal work visas would have their leave temporarily extended.
The Prime Minister also announced that we are working at pace to establish the Local Sponsorship Scheme for Ukrainians with no ties to the UK to come here. The uncapped route will allow sponsors, such as communities or local authorities, to bring people to the UK. Sponsored individuals will be able to work and the sponsor would provide housing and integration support.
The routes and changes to visas come alongside the UK’s ongoing efforts to tackle the emerging humanitarian crisis, which were bolstered this week by additional funding, with total emergency and aid support for Ukraine now at £400m, alongside the 1,000 troops who are on standby to help those forced to flee.
In response to the government’s review of the Human Rights Act, René Cassin, the Jewish voice for human rights, has brought together cross communal Jewish support for its call to protect the Act.
Twelve rabbis and 29 communal organisations and individuals have signed up to support René Cassin’s submission of 8 March 2022 to the Ministry of Justice consultation on Human Rights Act reform. The signatories are very concerned that the plans, put forward by Secretary of State for Justice, Dominic Raab, in December 2021, will reduce human rights and also access to those rights.
The Human Rights Act helps ordinary people in their everyday lives.
In relation to the right to freedom of religion, it has allowed people of faith to wear religious symbols to work and Muslims and Jews to bury their dead in line with their religious beliefs.
Other examples of those helped by the Act are an elderly couple able to stay together in the same care home and women seeking protection when fleeing domestic violence.
The law on same sex marriage came via the Human Rights Act as did the change in the police code that allows 17 year olds to be treated as children if they are arrested but not charged.
The Jewish community voices particular concern that the government proposals weaken human rights for minorities such as asylum seekers, offenders or foreigners.
Mia Hasenson-Gross, Executive Director of Rene Cassin, said: “Through our experience of the Holocaust, we know where targeting minorities can lead. We reject the framing of the Human Rights Act review, which pits undeserving people against the majority.
“As a minority community ourselves, the Jewish community stands with other minority groups, such as Gypsies, Travellers and Roma, asylum seekers and refugees, victims of modern slavery and disabled people in demanding equal human rights.
“Reducing the rights of minorities and vulnerable people reduces the rights of everyone.”
Lothian MSP Lorna Slater has written to the Consul General of Russia in Edinburgh, Andrey Yakovlev, urging him to consider his position and the damage that Putin’s war has inflicted.
Her letter condemns the war that Russian forces have inflicted and supports calls from the Scottish Government for all Russian diplomats to be expelled from the country.
In the letter, Lorna Slater writes:“Like my colleagues in the Scottish Greens, and the Scottish Government, I condemn this attack on Ukraine’s sovereignty. It is an immoral and illegal war, and we reject it in the strongest possible terms.
“Every day that it continues will see more misery, more atrocities and more deaths.”
She goes on tooutline some of the steps being taken by the Scottish Government: “I am proud that the Scottish Government is contributing £4 million of humanitarian aid, as well as medical equipment and supplies to Ukraine. The First Minister has sought urgent advice on the “maximum possible action” that the Scottish Government can take against individuals and organisations that are linked to Vladimir Putin’s government and have assets and connections in Scotland.”
Ms Slater concludes: “You are a representative of Putin’s regime in Scotland. You may not be responsible for what is happening, but you are a figurehead for the Kremlin. The Scottish Government has called for all Russian diplomats to be expelled from the country, and, as a statement of solidarity with people in Ukraine, I support this position.
“I hope that you understand the anger and distress that the immoral, illegal and totally unjustified invasion has caused in Ukraine and beyond. I urge you to consider your position and the crisis that has been inflicted on Ukraine.”
Trade unions and the TUC have written to the Chancellor calling on him to use his spring statement to introduce ‘emergency support’ in response to the conflict in Ukraine.
This includes measures to support Ukrainian refugees, ensure that sanctions are effective, and protect UK families from the impact of rising energy prices.
The TUC has condemned the invasion of Ukraine, expressed its solidarity with the Ukrainian people, and called on governments to pursue all diplomatic efforts towards peace.
The letter from the TUC and unions says that the Chancellor must now step up with new financial measures to both support the Ukrainian people, and respond to the impact of the conflict on the cost-of-living crisis in the UK.
The letter calls on the Chancellor to:
Ensure that sanctions are effective by increasing enforcement funding for measures in the economic crime bill that would crack down on money-laundering in the UK; and consider a 100 per cent windfall tax on the profits of companies still invested in Russian state enterprises.
Provide safe routes to the UK for those fleeing the conflict, and scrap legislation plans that would close the door on all people fleeing war and threats to their lives.
Fund wider humanitarian assistance for displaced people, including essential medical supplies.
Protect working families against further energy price rises as a result of the crisis, by giving grants rather than loans to recued energy bill, increasing the warm homes discount, increasing universal credit, and accelerating a home energy efficiency retrofit programme.
The letter also calls on the government to ensure that those working in supply chains are protected from disruption, including by considering the use of a short-time working scheme.
TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said: “Trade unions condemn the illegal invasion of Ukraine. We know that working people in Ukraine, Russia and across Europe want peace. The UK government must pursue all diplomatic efforts to achieve that goal.
“The Chancellor must use his spring statement to act too. That means ensuring that sanctions are more effective, with funding to crack down on money-laundering in the UK. And he should fund greater humanitarian assistance for Ukrainians, including safe passage for those fleeing the war.
“Working people in the UK will need protection from even steeper hikes in gas bills from the conflict. The Chancellor should introduce grants to help with energy prices, roll out an emergency programme of home insulation, and fund it with a windfall tax on excess energy profits.”
“The government must provide safe routes to the UK for those escaping conflict. And ministers should scrap their Nationality and Borders Bill, which will close the door to people fleeing war and threats to their lives.”
Full text of the letter to the Chancellor:
Dear Chancellor
Protecting working people from the impact of the invasion of Ukraine
The trade union movement is united in its condemnation of Russia’s illegal invasion of a sovereign nation. Our solidarity is with the working people of Ukraine. Working people always suffer in conflict and the pursuit of peace is a fundamental trade union value, an essential condition to secure safety, social justice and workers’ and human rights.
The UK government must now take further action to support and strengthen international efforts to impose significant and effective sanctions on Russia and to support all diplomatic efforts towards peace. And it must play its part in supporting humanitarian assistance for forcibly displaced people and welcoming refugees seeking to come to the UK.
The government must also ensure that it takes every step possible to protect working people here at home from the impact of the conflict and measures taken in response to this. We urge you to use your forthcoming budget to act. We call on you to:
Target sanctions on wealthy elites linked to the Russian government – and ensure they are effective. We welcome the proposed register of overseas owners of UK property through the Economic Crime (Transparency and Enforcement) Bill, but this needs to be backed up by sufficient powers and funding for Companies House to enforce.
Fund humanitarian assistance for displaced people, and welcome refugees to the UK. The new Ukrainian visa proposals are inadequate and fall well short of what is needed. Limiting asylum to Ukrainian immediate family members of those already settled in the UK will not reassure Ukrainians fleeing war and bloodshed that they will be able to seek sanctuary in our country. The government must establish a safe route, so all Ukrainian families, who through no fault of their own have been forced from their homes, can easily apply for a humanitarian visa to travel to the UK. The Nationality and Borders Bill must be scrapped. Thousands of Ukrainians fleeing war may try to find sanctuary in the UK. If the Bill is passed many of these Ukrainians, along with others around the world fleeing conflict, threats to their lives and seeking safety may find themselves treated as criminals and deported, instead of being offered sanctuary.
Protect working families against rising gas prices, by raising funds through a windfall tax on energy profits and a new tax on profits made by UK companies invested in Russian state businesses. The current energy price crisis is hitting workers hard, and prices are likely to rise further. Government should implement existing TUC calls for:
Support for households in the form of a grant, not a loan (replacing the energy price rebate proposed by the government).
An increase in the warm homes discount, and a permanent increase in Universal Credit.
Rapid implementation of an accelerated and expanded domestic home retrofit programme, delivered by local councils who are best placed to deliver fast
Funding for these measures by the implementation of a windfall tax on north sea oil and gas companies.
An immediate increase in the national minimum wage to at least £10 an hour and a strategy to protect pay across the economy, including public services.
In addition, the government should consider implementing a new 100 per cent tax on additional profits made by UK based companies from their shareholdings in Russian state-backed enterprises that have profited from the gas price crisis. For example, this includes profits made by oil companies Shell and Vitol from their shareholdings in oil and gas fields in Russia in joint ventures with state-controlled companies Rosneft and Gazprom.
Protect jobs in supply chains now and build future supply chain resilience. Forcompanies sourcing parts and supplies from Russia, sanctions could have a significant impact. To protect jobs, the UK government should:
Re-introduce the furlough scheme or a permanent short-time working scheme in order to allow companies to protect jobs while they seek to shift their supply chains.
Begin an urgent programme to provide investment support to help companies to invest in UK supply chains and jobs.
Trade union leaders would be happy to meet you to discuss these issues, and the steps we must take now to support working people in Ukraine and in the UK,
Yours sincerely
Frances O’Grady, General Secretary, TUC
Sue Ferns, President, TUC
Christina McAnea, General Secretary, UNISON
Sharon Graham, General Secretary, Unite
Gary Smith, General Secretary GMB
Kevin Courtney and Mary Bousted, Joint General Secretaries, NEU
Paddy Lilis, General Secretary, Usdaw
Patrick Roach, General Secretary, NASUWT
Dave Ward, General Secretary, CWU
Mark Serwotka, General Secretary, PCS
Mike Clancy, General Secretary, Prospect
Ged Nichols, General Secretary, Accord
Ukraine: what you can do to help
Everyone wants to do their bit to support those who have been forced to flee their homes because of the invasion. Here is how you can help.
Financial donations
If you want to donate money, there are a number of charities providing humanitarian relief in Ukraine.
The UK Government will match public donations to this appeal pound-for-pound up to £25 million.
Make your donation safely
There are lots of organisations across the UK and internationally who have launched appeals, and you may wish to donate through these organisations instead. There are some simple steps you can take to ensure your money is safe and being used effectively:
Most charities with an income of £5,000 or more must be registered, which means they are regulated by The Charity Commission
Make sure the charity is genuine before giving any financial information
If in doubt, ask the charity or organisation for more information
Donating essential supplies
One of the best ways to help is by donating cash through trusted charities and aid organisations, rather than donating goods. Cash can be transferred quickly to areas where it is needed and individuals and aid organisations can use it to buy what is most needed. Unsolicited donations of goods, although well-meant, can obstruct supply chains and delay more urgent life-saving assistance from getting through.
Organisations across the UK are gathering essential supplies, such as clothes, first aid and sanitary products. Many charities and community groups will have lists of items they need.
Charities with experience of responding to disasters are best placed to reach victims on the ground.
Apply to be a sponsor
The government will be launching a new sponsorship scheme to make sure that Ukrainians who have been forced to flee their homes have a route to safety.
The scheme will match people, charities, businesses and community groups to Ukrainians who do not have family ties to the UK.
The UK Government, Ukrainian Government and others have been sharing messages of support on social media using the hashtag #StandForUkraine
Take care what you share! There is a lot of false information about the conflict circulating online – this is often called misinformation and disinformation. You can do your part to stop the spread:
Ask yourself – does this look right? Does this sound right? Does this information come from a source I recognise?
The SHARE checklist can help you decide if information can be trusted, before you interact with or share it on your social media channels
Cyber security
The National Cyber Security Centre is not aware of any specific cyber threats to the UK in relation to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. However we strongly encourage organisations and citizens to follow NCSC guidance on steps to take when the cyber threat is heightened.
Visit the Cyber Aware website where you find practical steps and tools to help keep you, your family or business more secure online.
Concerns over parallels emerging in the UK’s response to Ukraine crisis
The UK Government failed to work effectively or quickly enough to provide support for aid workers and the Afghan people, says a new report from the International Development Committee – Afghanistan: UK support for aid workers and the Afghan people.
The Committee is also concerned about the pace at which the UK Government has disbursed pledged UK aid to Afghanistan and whether it will act swiftly enough to disburse pledged UK aid to Ukraine.
MPs say that the UK Government, in its response to Afghanistan and now Ukraine, has:
been inflexible in its response to an acute humanitarian situation by only making limited concessions to pre-existing UK immigration routes;
failed to provide sufficient clarity on what routes are available; and
dragged its feet in setting up new or variations to existing routes.
The UK Government has a moral duty towards aid workers who helped to deliver UK aid projects in Afghanistan, asserts the report.
This moral duty also extends to the people of Afghanistan, impacted over decades by the UK’s military and political interventions.
Chair of the International Development Committee, Sarah Champion MP, said: “We are deeply grateful to aid workers – be they British, Afghan or of other nationalities – for all they have done for the people of Afghanistan. The work that they do is phenomenal.
“But we are ashamed that the Government did not give them the support that they needed during the UK’s withdrawal, or now, during the complex task of delivering an aid programme under Taliban rule.
“More than 23 million people, over half the population of Afghanistan, are facing starvation. The Government must provide the support and the clarity that people working in the aid sector in Afghanistan have told us that they need.”
The Chair draws parallels with the developing situation in Ukraine. She said: “By only making limited concessions to pre-existing UK immigration routes, the response from the Home Office to the situation in Ukraine shows an inflexible and begrudging approach to an acute humanitarian situation.
“As in Afghanistan, there has been a lack of clarity – and agonizing slowness of pace – in explaining what UK immigration routes are available. The UK Government should be significantly more agile in establishing or adapting existing UK immigration routes in response to acute humanitarian crises. The safety of countless people and their families depends on it.”
UK and allied forces left Afghanistan in August 2021. The Taliban takeover was rapid. The scale of the humanitarian response required, had – to that date – been unprecedented. The humanitarian jeopardy has been extreme.
At the same time, the safety of aid workers has been compromised. Today, the cross-party Committee thanks aid workers for all their work, past and present, and reveals ‘shame’ that the UK Government has not given them the support or clarity that they need.
The Government’s contingency plans for the evacuation of aid workers from Afghanistan were neither apparent to the aid sector, nor scaled adequately. Government schemes have not adequately supported those aid workers seeking safe passage to the UK.
The report reveals that some Afghans who worked on projects funded by the UK Government are reporting that their lives are at risk of reprisals from the Taliban authorities.
The UK Government has pledged significant sums of aid since its withdrawal from Afghanistan, but the release of that aid to the people who desperately need it has been excruciatingly slow. A cash liquidity crisis is strangling the remaining life out of the country. Sanctions against the Taliban have stifled the provision of aid and women, children and minority groups are suffering disproportionately.
The Committee concludes that the Government should have worked faster to disburse the UK aid it pledged to Afghanistan in 2021. It should also have liaised more effectively and swiftly with the aid sector, international allies and financial institutions to help to resolve the challenges of sanctions to the aid sector; address the collapse of the banking system in Afghanistan; and free up the nominated funds frozen in the World Bank’s Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund.
Some of the Committee’s key recommendations in respect of aid workers and the Afghan people are:
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office should take steps to better identify and assess the particular risks facing aid workers so that it can respond more effectively to those aid workers when they are in need of support in countries or regions where there is acute instability or signs of a rapidly deteriorating security situation.
The Government should accelerate without further delay all pathways of the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) and ensure that aid sector staff are explicitly recognised and prioritised for protection under the ACRS.
The UK Government should be taking more urgent steps to collaborate with its international counterparts, economists, representatives of the banking sector and aid organisations to find ways to help address more rapidly the banking crisis in Afghanistan to ease the humanitarian suffering of, and enable the delivery of humanitarian assistance to, the people of Afghanistan.
The UK Government should do more to encourage the World Bank to swiftly release the remaining funds from the Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund so that aid organisations can use that money to provide humanitarian assistance to the people of Afghanistan.
The Government should maintain its focus on working to try and ensure that the Taliban adopts a moderate position whereby it commits to behaving pragmatically towards the inclusion of women, girls and other minority groups in Afghan society.
The UK Government should further step up its efforts on working with the UN to ensure that aid organisations can effectively operate under the exemptions that UN resolution 2615 (and consequent UK law) permits. It should also urge the UN Security Council to extend those exemptions beyond their initial 12 months review period.
The UK Government should consult with representatives of aid organisations to ensure that it has issued adequate guidance on how to operate further to the adoption of UN resolution 2615 into UK law. Furthermore, the UK Government should press for UN resolution 2615 to be extended, or further resolutions to be adopted, to provide exemptions for development assistance, closely linked to the performance of the Taliban on upholding human rights and international law.
‘For two years now, we have demonstrated incredible resilience as a Council’ – Finance Convener Cllr Rob Munn
A budget ‘designed to support residents through the cost-of-living crisis and invest in local communities’ has been set by the City of Edinburgh Council.
Agreed by elected members on Thursday (24 February), millions of pounds from the Council’s annual budget for 2022/23 will be spent towards shaping a more sustainable, fair and thriving future for Edinburgh post-pandemic.
A fair city?
Councillors have agreed to direct an extra £1.1m towards easing the cost of living crisis for the city’s most vulnerable and £150 for 33,000 low-income households across the city at a total cost of £4.95m. This is on top of national cash grants announced by the Scottish Government.
Alongside this, an extra £100 will be provided for every child within a low-income home (identified via free school meals qualifications) and an additional £450k will be made available by the Council in crisis grant funding.
Frontline services will continue to be protected and the Council’s rent freeze for tenants will remain in place for another year.
Together with the Council’s ongoing £2bn programme to build 5,500 sustainable, quality Council homes and invest £1.3bn over the next 15 years in a new, green, well-connected neighbourhood at Granton Waterfront, around half a million pounds will be spent to provide social care adaptations to people’s houses to allow them to live more independently in their own homes.
£112k has been earmarked to make sure every school in the city is equipped with a life-saving defibrillator, and the Council will continue to invest £454m in capital investment for new school facilities across the city over the next ten years, together with an annual £48m to help families access 1,140 hours of funded early learning and childcare.
The roll out of 40,000 digital devices to school pupils across the city to close the digital divide will also continue, thanks to investment of nearly £18m. In recognition of pressures faced during Covid, £1m of additional funding will be provided for Children’s Services, while a further £2m will be invested adopting the recommendations of the Tanner review.
A welcoming city?
A one-off £1.1m ‘deep clean’ will remove graffiti and address street cleansing in the city centre and local wards, while quarter of a million pounds will see a new, Neighbourhood Action Team created to tackle hot spot areas of unkept land and deal with issues like overgrowth and fly tipping.
An extra £1m will be set aside for road and pavement maintenance to improve movement around the city and £450k will help to improve park facilities, creating even better green spaces in every ward and improved lighting. Meanwhile an extra £325k will be invested in playparks and £130k in expanding provisions for food growing across the city.
There will be £200k invested towards temporary toilets in select parks – repeating successful arrangements from summer 2021 – and £60k will be set aside to provide seasonal improvements and rangers to Pentland parks. An additional £60k will be contributed towards works to complete the restoration of the Portobello Kilns.
This is alongside £150k to be spent regulating and monitoring short-term lets in Edinburgh and related issues of anti-social behaviour.
A thriving and sustainable city?
An additional half a million pounds will support Edinburgh’s Net Zero ambitions, accelerating the city’s One Million Tree City programme, and £200k will be invested in Energy for Edinburgh, the Council’s publicly owned ESCO, to allow a zero-carbon energy project to move forward.
Up to £100k will be spent through Participatory Budgeting, supporting local communities to be involved in the running of the city, and £200k will be used to support local community festivals, including Edinburgh’s Diwali and the Leith Festival.
A commitment of £60k will support the re-opening of the city’s libraries after use as Covid testing facilities and the new Meadowbank Sports Centre will open later this year.
Spend of £160k will be directed towards taxi regulation and enforcement; £180k of funding will be set aside to cover potential costs relating to the temporary Hostile Vehicle Mitigation arrangements protecting the city centre; and £50k will be used to upgrade the ForeverEdinburgh website to further drive footfall to local businesses as Edinburgh recovers from the pandemic.
Finance and Resources Convener SNP Councillor Rob Munn said: “This Budget signals a more sustainable, fair and thriving future for Edinburgh post-pandemic.
“For two years now, we have demonstrated incredible resilience as a Council and as a City, banding together to support those who have needed extra help. We have been at the forefront throughout and as life finally – and thankfully – starts to return to normal, we will continue to safeguard our services and focus on getting things back up and running.
“Our city centre and local high streets have suffered through lockdown restrictions and due to the cost of living, families on low incomes are struggling to make ends meet. The decisions we’ve made today aim to challenge these disadvantages and help our City and communities thrive in the year ahead.
“We’ll direct £1.1m each towards a ‘deep clean’ of the city centre and local areas and improving roads, helping to make Edinburgh a more welcoming place to be, and a further £1.1m will address poverty and inequality to create a fairer future.
“These are just a few of the very welcome spending decisions we’ve been able to make and I’m grateful to members in all parties for shaping these plans, but we do need to remain prudent. Times are hard and we know that the impact of Covid on our budget will continue into future financial years and significant savings will have to be made.”
Vice Finance and Resources Convener Labour Councillor Joan Griffiths said: “This Budget is about giving Edinburgh the chance to recover and grow as we safeguard our frontline services.
“The impact the pandemic continues to have on residents, on businesses and in our communities is clear. We’re now facing a cost of living crisis and it’s vital that we prioritise support for those who need it most.
“As we recover from everything the last two years have brought, investment enabled by a modest increase in Council Tax rates will help people in every single one of our communities, with the extra money raised used to maintain critical frontline services.
“We’re determined to use this budget to help us close the poverty gap, and we’ve also committed to keeping rents frozen this year for Council tenants. We’re putting more money into crisis grants, into new schools and new homes – while spending millions on community improvements.
“All of this will go towards making Edinburgh the most welcoming, thriving, and sustainable place it can be.”
This will be the SNP-Labour ‘Capital Coalition’s’ last budget before May’s council elections.
New Council Tax rates will be brought into effect on 1 April 2022 as follows:
