Tag: Politics

BETRAYED: WASPI women fury over Labour Government U-turn

WASPI women WON’T be compensated

Women who say they weren’t given fair notice about a rise in State Pension age will NOT receive compensation, Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall confirmed yesterday.

Angela Madden, chairwoman of Women Against State Pension Inequality (Waspi) said: “The Government has made an unprecedented political choice to ignore the clear recommendations of an independent watchdog which ordered ministers urgently to compensate Waspi women nine months ago.

Waspi campaigner Jan Fulster told BBC Breakfast she feels feels “very let down” by the government. “We’d expected that the government would do the decent thing,” she said.

She adds she was shocked by the decision not to pay compensation because many senior Labour figures had been supportive of the Waspi campaign while in opposition.

“It just feels as if it’s all been a lie,” she says.

WASPI’s response to the Minister’s statement:

“The Government has today made an unprecedented political choice to ignore the clear recommendations of an independent watchdog which ordered ministers urgently to compensate WASPI women nine months ago.

“This is a bizarre and totally unjustified move which will leave everyone asking what the point of an ombudsman is if ministers can simply ignore their decisions. It feels like a decision that would make the likes of Boris Johnson and Donald Trump blush.

“The idea that an ‘action plan’ to avoid such mistakes in future should be the result of a six-year Ombudsman’s investigation is an insult both to the women and to the PHSO process.

“An overwhelming majority of MPs back WASPI’s calls for fair compensation and all options remain on the table.

“Parliament must now seek an alternative mechanism to force this issue on to the order paper so justice can be done.”

UNITE General Secretary Sharon Graham, said: “@GOVUK’s decision not to compensate the @WASPI_Campaign women despite the Ombudsmen’s recommendations is a disgrace.

“Ministers are making the wrong choices – they need to turn back now because voters will not forgive them.”

Labour MP John McDonnell said yesterday: “I am not in Parliament today as I have the flu that’s going round & I am just feeling too ill but having heard of the government’s rejection of any compensation for the Waspi women I believe they will consider this to be a betrayal & I doubt if they will just go away quietly.”

I THINK HE’S RIGHT …

Double jobbing no more: Modernising Scottish Elections

Bill will ‘strengthen democratic process’

Legislation which will enhance Scotland’s democratic processes has been backed unanimously by the Scottish Parliament.

The Scottish Elections (Representation and Reform) Bill has passed its final stage, maintaining and improving Scotland’s robust electoral system.

The Bill contains a mix of technical and other improvements such as improving candidate and campaigner safety and advancing candidacy rights.

The new law introduces a ban on people from being MSPs if they are convicted of a sexual offence or subject to a sexual offence order.

In addition, MSPs will be barred from also being an MP or Peer through regulations to be brought forward in 2025 so they can be in place in time for the 2026 Scottish elections. The details of the regulations will be informed through a consultation beginning next month. 

Parliamentary Business Minister Jamie Hepburn said: “Since 1999 the Scottish Parliament has improved participation, extended voting rights, and enabled more people to stand for election and this legislation seeks to continue the evolution of our democracy.

“It will modernise Scottish elections and take important steps to safeguard our democracy for voters, candidates and administrators.

“Through positive cross-party working, we have agreed a robust set of improvements to the law, which will deliver real benefits to voters and prospective candidates.”

Background

Scottish Elections (Representation and Reform) Bill | Scottish Parliament Website

IAM Roundtable: Racism and religious prejudice “hugely problematic”

Islamophobia Awareness Month (IAM), observed every November, aims to raise awareness  about Islamophobia—fear, prejudice, and discrimination against Muslims—and promote  understanding, tolerance, and respect for Muslim communities.

IAM challenges prejudice,  fosters social cohesion, and helps ensure Muslims can live free from fear and fully participate in  society. 

Scottish Labour MSP Foysol Choudhury closed IAM with the Muslim Council of Scotland by  hosting a roundtable at Scottish Parliament this week.

This event reflected this year’s IAM  theme, ‘Seeds of Change,’ emphasising the importance of small actions to contribute to larger  changes and to celebrate the positive contribution of Muslims across the UK. 

This meeting aimed to raise awareness of Islamophobia and promote understanding and  respect across diverse communities. The roundtable comprised keynote speakers, including the  leader of the Scottish Labour Party and first host of the Cross-Party Group on Islamophobia,  Anas Sarwar, Dr. Abu Jaffar Moshan, along with voices from the community. 

During the roundtable, MSP Choudhury recognised the significant role Scottish Muslims have  played in shaping our society, making contributions to education, healthcare, business, the arts,  and more.

Mr. Choudhury highlighted the need to involve other Muslim communities in the  discussion, like Middle Eastern communities, and to engage with these new Scot communities  to work towards tackling root causes of prejudice.

Mr. Choudhury emphasised how current  world conflicts are impacting both Muslim and Jewish communities in Scotland and the UK. 

The roundtable celebrated community support by awarding a shield of appreciation to Assistant  Chief Constable, Shaheen Barber for his work with Police Scotland.

Linsay Taylor was also  awarded a shield appreciation recognising her work with Muslim Engagement and  Development (MEND) and Interfaith.

Linsay’s work was hugely impactful to Mr. Choudhury and  his work on tackling Islamophobia, as she spoke on the experiences of Muslim women and her  experience living in Scotland while wearing a hijab. 

The event also held representatives from Police Scotland, who spoke to their anti-racism  training work, and MSPs Monica Lennon and Mercedes Villalba. 

During the roundtable, MSP Choudhury emphasised: “One priority I want to highlight this evening is the increasing need to educate against  Islamophobia.”

Scottish Budget will prioritise patients through NHS improvement

The Scottish Government Budget will prioritise patients and drive improvements to the NHS, Health Secretary Neil Gray has said.

If approved by parliament, the 2025/26 Budget will deliver record health and social care funding of £21 billion to ensure faster, more accessible care by improving capacity and tackling systemic challenges like delayed discharge.

This builds on ongoing efforts to address the NHS’ challenges and improve healthcare for all to create a more responsive, effective health service with earlier intervention, ensuring better outcomes for patients throughout Scotland.

Key measures set out in the draft Budget include:

  • reducing NHS waiting lists, by cutting waiting times so patients can receive vital treatments and procedures more quickly
  • improved access to GPs with expanded primary care services and additional resources to make it easier for people to see their GP
  • progress set to continue on new hospitals, including the Belford, replacement Monklands, and Edinburgh Eye Pavilion, which will deliver state-of-the-art care and greater capacity

To address delayed discharge and reduce waiting lists, £200 million has been allocated in the 2025-26 Budget. If approved by parliament, this funding will expand the innovative ‘Hospital at Home’ service, allowing more patients to receive high-quality care at home instead of being admitted to a hospital.

Health Secretary Neil Gray said: “We are determined to drive improvements in our NHS and deliver the best possible service for patients.  But I know that some people are waiting too long and finding it difficult to get appointments – we have listened and we are taking action. That is what people can expect from this government.

“The measures we set out in the Budget would mean quicker treatments, more GP appointments, and world-class facilities for people across Scotland.

“By March 2026, no-one will wait longer than 12 months for a new outpatient appointment, inpatient treatment or day case treatment with more than 150,000 extra patients treated as a result.

“The Budget also delivers investment to tackle delayed discharge, one of the biggest challenges facing the NHS, and to expand the Hospital at Home service giving thousands of patients the care they need at home while freeing up hospital beds for those who need them most.

“With initiatives like these, we will build a modern, resilient NHS that delivers for everyone by providing innovative and effective care.

“But we will only be able to deliver these transformational investments and drive further improvements for patients if our Budget is agreed. Our NHS needs this Budget to pass – and I am urging Parliament to unite behind it.”

Strong and positive action needed to ensure that disabled people can realise their rights

The Scottish Government should take strong and positive action to address the barriers that disabled people continue to face in realising their rights, according to a new report from the Scottish Parliament’s Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee.

The Committee has been considering a Bill proposed by Jeremy Balfour MSP which calls for the creation of a Disability Commissioner. The Commissioner would be expected to promote and safeguard the rights of disabled people.

Following the Parliament’s recent support for a moratorium on creating any new SPCB supported bodies, the Committee has not made recommendations on the principle of creating a Disability Commissioner. Instead, it invites the Parliament to have a full and focused debate on the findings in its report and calls for the Scottish Government to ensure disabled people can realise their rights.

During evidence sessions, disabled people expressed their frustrations at a system that left them feeling desperate, dehumanised and deprioritised. The report explains that these feelings grew following the Scottish Government’s decisions to delay the Learning Disabilities, Autism and Neurodivergence Bill and Human Rights Bill.

While people who gave evidence were generally supportive of the proposal to establish a Disability Commissioner, there were concerns about duplication and overlap with other commissions and commissioners in what was characterised as ‘an already complicated and fragmented landscape’.

However, witnesses representing disabled people pointed to the challenges they faced as evidence that their rights were not the priority of the existing public bodies.

The Committee’s report also identifies the critical importance of the involvement of disabled people in the development of policies related to the lives of disabled people to gain trust and respect.

Karen Adam MSP, Convener of the Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee said: “We heard upsetting evidence about the challenges experienced by disabled people and their advocates during this inquiry. Their feedback was clear, disabled people too often feel let down and abandoned by public bodies.

“While we have not made a recommendation on the Bill, we do believe that the Scottish Government must take strong and positive action to address the barriers that disabled people continue to face in realising their rights.

“It is crucial that disabled people and disabled people’s organisations, who frustratedly told us that any trust they had in the current system has been lost, are able to play an active role in the development of the policies and approaches that are required to overcome these barriers.”

Sarah Boyack: Questions over next steps for new Eye Pavilion

Labour Lothians MSP, Sarah Boyack has written to Cabinet Secretary for Health, Neil Gray, seeking clarity over the next steps for the recently announced replacement eye hospital.

Last week’s budget brought the news campaigners have long been waiting for, that a new eye hospital is going ahead in Edinburgh.

This is after multiple U-turns from the Scottish Government and the current facility being not fit for purpose for 10 years.

Ms Boyack has been a long-time campaigner for the hospital and is now seeking more concrete next steps following the announcement.

In her letter, Ms Boyack highlights that patients and campaigners ‘need clarity’ and urges Neil Gray to lay out the timeline for delivering the hospital and when the construction work will commence.

She also seeks reassurances about whether Mr Gray will meet with stakeholders and campaigners to update them on the progress with the eye pavilion.

The fate of the current Princess Alexandra Eye Pavilion was thrown into the spotlight recently when it was revealed that it would have to shut for a minimum of 6 months due to urgent repairs.

These repairs were further complicated by the discovery of asbestos.

The disrepair and age of the current building is one of the main reasons cited by campaigners as to why a new hospital is so desperately needed.

Commenting on her open letter, Sarah Boyack MSP said: “I am incredibly relieved that this project is finally going ahead.

“However, we have seen multiple U-turns in the past on the eye hospital.

“We need urgent clarity on the next steps.

“This project must be completed as soon as possible so that patients finally get the facility they deserve and require.

“I want to work constructively with Neil Gray on this.

“Patients and campaigners deserve clarity and I hope The Health Secretary takes up my suggestion to meet with stakeholders.”

Eye Hospital Time Table Open Letter Sarah Boyack MSPDownload

Gordon Macdonald MSP: Budget will deliver meaningful progress to eradicate child poverty in Edinburgh

Gordon Macdonald MSP said the Scottish Budget an “enormous step forward” in achieving the Scottish Government’s mission of eradicating child poverty in Edinburgh as progress begins in ending Labour’s two-child cap.

The two-child cap was introduced by the Tories as part of their programme of austerity and has been subsequently adopted by Labour as one of their policies, despite their previous promises to scrap it.

Across Scotland the cap impacts 83,000 children and 26,000 households – that’s 1,600 families in Edinburgh alone. By ending it the SNP government will lift 15,000 children out of poverty.

Commenting, the SNP MSP for Edinburgh Pentlands said: “The two-child cap is an abhorrent policy that has harmed 1,600 households in Edinburgh.

“Yet it is another Tory policy which Labour has adopted as one of their own.

“With 83,000 children across Scotland impacted, it is right that this SNP Government has made the decision to end the cap once and for all – lifting 15,000 children out of poverty and making progress on the key mission of this government: to eradicate child poverty once and for all.

“It is disappointing that the Labour UK government has chosen to maintain the cap, and I would urge their colleagues in the Scottish Parliament to choose differently and back this budget; made for Scotland, by Scotland.”

CITY OF EDINBURGH COUNCIL LEADER CAMMY DAY RESIGNS

CAMMY DAY STATEMENT:

“I have today resigned as Leader of the City of Edinburgh Council.

“The recent commentary on my personal life is detracting from the important work this Labour-led Council does for the people of Edinburgh.

“It undermines the dedicated efforts of my colleagues and Council officers. That’s why it’s time for me to step aside as Leader.

“It undermines the dedicated efforts of my colleagues and Council officers. That’s why it’s time for me to step aside as Leader.

“I have yet to be contacted by the police but want to reiterate that I will cooperate fully with their ongoing enquiries.

“I am hugely proud of what we’ve achieved for the Capital during my time as leader and truly believe that Edinburgh is a better, fairer city as a result.

“I’m also proud to have led a way of successfully doing politics across divides, finding a way to deliver on our priorities for our people and our city.”

LIB DEM Group leader Kevin Lang commented: “I’m pleased Cllr Day has resigned. The allegations made against him are extremely serious. The police investigation and other processes need to be allowed to run their course.

“For the Council, it’s now important to choose a new Leader who can focus properly on the big issues facing our City. We need to agree a new budget, grapple with a worsening crisis in homelessness, and have a big decision to take next month on the new visitor levy.

“Liberal Democrat councillors will be considering carefully how all of this is best achieved ahead of the next Council meeting and the election of a new Leader.”

Deja Vu: Nominations open for Colinton Fairmilehead by-election

Nominations opened on Friday (6 December) for candidates to stand in the forthcoming Colinton/Fairmilehead by-election.

The by-election is being held following the resignations of Councillor Marco Biagi (SNP) and Councillor Louise Spence (Lib Dems) last month.  

On Thursday 23 January 2025, Colinton/Fairmilehead residents will go to the polls to elect two new councillors to represent the ward which also includes Bonaly, Dreghorn, Oxgangs and Swanston.

The current electorate is 19,907 and turnout at the most recent by-election was 37.4%.

A Formal Notice of Election was also published today explaining how to stand as a candidate, who is eligible to vote and how to make sure you are on the Electoral Register. 

Voters have a range of options for casting their ballot – in person, by post or by appointing someone they trust to vote in their place, known as a proxy vote.

In order to stand as a candidate, individuals must submit nomination papers, which are available on the Council website, by 4pm on Tuesday 17 December.

Returning Officer for the City of Edinburgh, Paul Lawrence said: “The Notice of Election signifies the official start of the election period for the Colinton / Fairmilehead ward.

“I would urge all residents in the ward to make sure they are registered and have their details or preference of how they would like to vote up to date in plenty of time.

“Anyone unsure about how to register, where to vote or how to vote by post can find more information on the Council website.”

Polling stations will be open from 7am to 10pm on 23 January 2025. Details of these will be announced in due course.

The election will use the Single Transferable Vote (STV) system where voters can rank candidates in order of preference rather than using a single cross. Voters can give a rank to as many or as few candidates as they like.

People aged 16 and over and all those legally resident – including foreign citizens – can register to vote in this election. Find out more about elections in Edinburgh and how to register to vote on the Council website.

The deadline to register to vote is Tuesday 7 January 2025, to apply for a postal vote the deadline is Wednesday 8 January 2025, and for a proxy vote the deadline is Wednesday 15 January 2025.

Calls for Council leader Cammy Day to resign following ‘serious allegations’

The leader of Edinburgh City Council, Labour’s Cammy Day, is being investigated by police over an allegation of inappropriate behaviour.

The Sunday Mail reported this morning that Forth councillor Day “bombarded Ukrainian refugees” with messages of a sexual nature.

The newspaper alleges he asked them sexually explicit questions, tried to meet them for wine dates and complimented them on their looks.

The Sunday Mail spoke to two Ukrainians who say Mr Day had been messaging them. They said they felt unable to ignore his unsolicited approaches due to his position within the council.

A spokeswoman for Edinburgh City Council said: “All matters raised with the chief executive and monitoring officer have been progressed through our established processes in consultation [with] our independent whistleblowing service, Safecall, and, where appropriate, Police Scotland.”

A Scottish Labour spokeswoman said: “The Labour Party takes all complaints seriously. They are fully investigated in line with our rules and procedures, and any appropriate action is taken.”

Labour’s leader in Scotland Anas Sarwar confirmed this morning that Mr Day has been suspended from the party pending the outcome of any investigation, but Mr Sarwar refused to comment further while investigations are ongoing.

A Police Scotland spokesman confirmed: “On Tuesday 22 October, we received a report of inappropriate behaviour. Inquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances.”

Labour is the only the third biggest party on Edinburgh Council but Mr Day has led the local authority since May 2022 with support from the Lib Dems and the Scottish Conservatives. Both of these groups are now calling for his resignation.

Lib-Dem group leader Kevin Lang said this morning: “I have this morning written formally to Cllr Cammy Day to call on him to step down immediately as Leader of Edinburgh Council.

“The Liberal Democrat group has also tabled an emergency motion for Tuesday’s Policy Committee to agree he must now resign.”

Conservative councillor Iain Whyte said last night: “If Cammy Day has been suspended by Labour he can’t have their support to remain as Council Leader.

“He must step aside immediately. The Council as a whole can then decide a way forward.”

The SNP, the largest opposition party in Edinburgh, have also called for Cllr Day’s immediate resignation.

Cllr Simita Kumar, who leads the SNP group, said Mr Day should resign without delay.

She said on Twitter: “This is beyond shocking, I’m almost lost for words. @cllrcammyday needs to resign as Council Leader immediately.”

She later added: “Serious allegations have been made against Council Leader – Councillor Cammy Day.

“I have written to Paul Lawrence, Chief Executive of City of Edinburgh Council, to take immediate actions to safeguard the public, protect staff, and offer support to anyone impacted.”

The Scottish Green group have also called for Cammy Day’s ‘immediate resignation’:

Councillor Cammy Day has made no comment but his position is looking increasingly untenable.