The Colinton/Fairmilehead by-election takes place this Thursday (23 January) and residents in the ward are being urged to remember their polling cards and cast their votes.
Residents in Colinton, Fairmilehead, Bonaly, Dreghorn, Oxgangs and Swanston who are aged 16 or over and have registered to vote can participate in Thursday’s by-election.
Together they will select two new councillors for the ward, which has a current electorate of 19,669. For this election there are 14,290 electors (72.7%) who have opted to vote in person and 5,379 postal voters (27.3%).
Whilst it is not mandatory to bring a polling card this will speed up the process when you arrive to cast your ballot.
Returning Officer for Edinburgh, Paul Lawrence said: “With the by-election fast approaching, I encourage residents of the Colinton/Fairmilehead ward to visit their local polling place on Thursday.
“Please remember your polling cards and take this opportunity to have your say. Your two new local councillors will represent your community on issues affecting the ward and Edinburgh as a whole.
“Our elections pages provide useful information on how the Single Transferable Vote system works – you can rank candidates in order of preference, choosing as many or few as you’d like.
“If you’ve requested and received a postal ballot, please return it as soon as possible to make sure your vote is counted.”
Polling stations will be open from 7am to 10pm on 23 January at:
Charwood
Fairmilehead Parish Church Hall
St. Cuthbert’s Episcopal Church Hall
Oxgangs Neighbourhood Centre
Pentland Community Centre
The electronic election count will take place on Friday 24 January starting at 10:00am.
Chancellor and Business Secretary at World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting in Davos this week
Ministers will meet CEOs and investors to bang the drum for British business
UK delegation to tell global business leaders and investors that the time to invest in Britain is now
Impressions from the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2025 in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland 18 January 2025. Copyright: World Economic Forum/Thibaut Bouvier
Ministers will be banging the drum for Britain at Davos this week, with the most visible UK Government presence in recent years pitching the UK’s investment offer to top business chiefs.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves and Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds will meet with leading members of the global business community to encourage them to put their money into the UK and back British business.
They will highlight the UK’s political and economic stability, making us an attractive place to do business. This is backed by an unashamedly pro-business government that is slashing burdensome regulation, launching ambitious planning reform, and leveraging our trade relationships with Europe, America, Asia, the Gulf and beyond to help businesses use Britain as their base to connect with exciting global markets.
The visit will continue to deliver on the government’s number one mission to grow the economy and raise living standards for working people, coming days after the IMF revised their growth forecast for the UK economy upwards for next year.
The government’s Davos attendance also follows a survey from consultancy firm PwC, who on Monday ranked the UK as the second most investible location globally after the U.S. – the first time the UK has secured this position in the 28-year history of the survey.
Impressions from the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2025 in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland 18 January 2025. Copyright: World Economic Forum/Thibaut Bouvier
Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves said:“Business leaders and investors need to know that the UK is where their businesses will flourish, so I’m meeting them face to face in Davos to make our case.
“We are one of the most exciting places in the world for them to put their money, with a history of innovation, a skilled workforce and a stable government that backs business. I will not rest until the UK economy is growing and this government is delivering on its Plan for Change, so we can put more money in people’s pockets.
“The time to invest in Britain is now.”
The Chancellor will be on the ground at Davos on Wednesday 22 and Thursday 23 January. She and the Business Secretary will speak at a Bloomberg event on Wednesday morning.
She will also speak at the Country Strategic Dialogue alongside Ruth Porat, president and CIO of Google and Julie Sweet, CEO of Accenture, to over 80 global CEOs and business leaders from across tech, financial services and green industries. In the evening the Chancellor will attend the Global Goals dinner.
On Thursday, the Chancellor will take part in a fireside chat with the Wall Street Journal to an audience of business leaders, following which she will speak at an economy roundtable with fellow finance ministers on global issues. The Chancellor will also speak at a lunch hosted by the CBI to an audience of 50 senior executives from UK-based businesses and international investors.
Meetings are planned with a wide range of CEOs and business leaders, including Jamie Dimon, CEO of JP Morgan, Jo Taylor, president of the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, and David Solomon, CEO of Goldman Sachs – amongst others.
The Business and Trade Secretary will have bilateral meetings with many of his international trade counterparts, including Robert Habeck, Vice-Chancellor of Germany, Maros Sefcovic, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission and WTO Director-General Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.
He will also meet with a range of businesses and investors, including AON; Anglo American; AWS; Carlsberg; Capgemini; Honeywell; RWE; and SABIC.
Impressions from the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2025 in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland 18 January 2025. Copyright: World Economic Forum/Thibaut Bouvier
Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said:“Britain is back in business under this government, and our Plan for Change is already delivering for working people.
“The UK is the most connected market on earth, and we will continue to be the home for innovative businesses looking to face outwards to the world. We’ve lifted barriers to investment and secured £63 billion at the International Investment Summit, creating thousands of jobs in the process.
“These investments promise better wages, stronger communities, and better services and I’ll be at Davos to build on this momentum.”
The UK Government’s presence at Davos will also be the most visible in years, with print and out of home marketing promoting the UK’s connectivity, openness and opportunity to coincide with the summit.
Draft regulations to be laid at Holyrood in autumn
Views are being sought on the implementation of the ban on MSPs from also serving as MPs or in the House of Lords.
Following the Scottish Elections (Representation and Reform) Bill being passed unanimously by the Scottish Parliament in December, a consultation seeking views on the principles and practical issues of ending dual mandates has launched.
The consultation, which runs until 23 March, looks at issues such as grace periods once elected and salary or parliamentary limitations during this period.
The Bill places a duty on Scottish Ministers to bring forward regulations which prohibit MSPs from also serving in the House of Commons or the House of Lords, and may additionally prohibit MSPs from also serving as councillors.
The regulations will be laid in autumn 2025 so they are in place for the 2026 Scottish Parliament election, and will be subject to scrutiny and a vote by MSPs.
Minister for Parliamentary Business Jamie Hepburn said: “Following the unanimous passage of the Scottish Elections (Representation and Reform) Bill in December, MSPs will be barred from also being an MP or Peer through regulations to be brought forward in autumn 2025.
“This consultation on the issue will allow political parties, local government and most importantly the public to comment on the details of how that will work in practice, ahead of the practice being ended before the 2026 Scottish Parliament election.”
On behalf of His Majesty’s Government and the United Kingdom, I would like to send my warmest congratulations to President Donald Trump on his inauguration as the forty-seventh President of the United States.
For centuries, the relationship between our two nations has been one of collaboration, cooperation and enduring partnership. It is a uniquely close bond. Together, we have defended the world from tyranny and worked towards our mutual security and prosperity.
With President Trump’s longstanding affection and historical ties to the United Kingdom, I know that depth of friendship will continue. The United Kingdom and United States will work together to ensure the success of both our countries and deliver for people on both sides of the Atlantic.
Since our first meeting in September, the President and I have spoken about the need to deepen and invest in the transatlantic relationship. We will continue to build upon the unshakeable foundations of our historic alliance as we tackle together the global challenges we face and take our partnership to the next level focused on shared opportunities ahead for growth.
I look forward to our next meeting as we continue our shared mission to ensure the peace, prosperity and security of our two great nations.
The special relationship between the United Kingdom and United States will continue to flourish for years to come.
The UK and Ukraine will sign a historic partnership, as the Prime Minister travels to the country to meet President Zelenskyy
Treaty will bolster military collaboration on maritime security through a new framework to strengthen Baltic Sea, Black Sea, and Azov Sea security and deter ongoing Russian aggression
Will bring together experts to advance scientific and technology partnerships, in areas such as healthcare and disease, agri-tech, space and drones, and build lifelong friendships through classroom projects
New UK-built Grain Verification Scheme will also be launched to track stolen grain from occupied Ukrainian territories
The UK and Ukraine will sign a historic partnership, as the Prime Minister travels to the country to meet President Zelenskyy.
The unbreakable bonds between the UK and Ukraine will be formalised through the landmark new 100 Year Partnership between the two countries, broadening and deepening the relationship across defence and non-military areas and enabling closer community links.
From working together on the world stage to breaking down barriers to trade and growth and nurturing cultural links, the mutually beneficial partnership will see the UK and Ukraine advocate for each other to renew, rebuild and reform for generations to come.
The partnership underpins the Prime Minister’s steadfast leadership on Ukraine as his government continues to provide support. Spanning nine key pillars, it will harness the innovation, strength and resilience that Ukraine has shown in its defence against Russia’s illegal and barbaric invasion; and foster it to support long-term security and growth for both our countries. The Treaty and political declaration, which form the 100 Year Partnership, will be laid in Parliament in the coming weeks.
It is expected to bolster military collaboration on maritime security through a new framework to strengthen Baltic Sea, Black Sea, and Azov Sea security and deter ongoing Russian aggression, bring together experts to advance scientific and technology partnerships, in areas such as healthcare and disease, agri-tech, space and drones, and build lifelong friendships through classroom projects.
It also cements the UK as a preferred partner for Ukraine’s energy sector, critical minerals strategy and green steel production.
The 100 Year Partnership is a major step in supporting Ukraine’s long-term security – ensuring they are never again vulnerable to the kind of brutality inflicted on it by Russia – and committing to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with a sovereign Ukraine for the next century.
Ukraine has a highly trained military, and a thriving technology sector that is rapidly designing and deploying state of the art battle-ready equipment: a security partnership with Ukraine will make Britain stronger.
To mark the signing of the partnership today, the Prime Minister is expected to announce new UK support for Ukraine from lethal aid to economic resilience.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “Putin’s ambition to wrench Ukraine away from its closest partners has been a monumental strategic failure. Instead, we are closer than ever, and this partnership will take that friendship to the next level.
“This is not just about the here and now, it is also about an investment in our two countries for the next century, bringing together technology development, scientific advances and cultural exchanges, and harnessing the phenomenal innovation shown by Ukraine in recent years for generations to come.
“The power of our long-term friendships cannot be underestimated. Supporting Ukraine to defend itself from Russia’s barbaric invasion and rebuild a prosperous, sovereign future, is vital to this government’s foundation of security and our Plan for Change.
“Through this partnership, we are creating a strong economy that works for the British people, a safe country that protects our interests at home and abroad, and a prosperous society.”
The Prime Minister will join a Ukrainian class dialling into a primary school in Liverpool today, who will be joined by the Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson. He will hear from the next generation about how the partnership will deliver brighter futures for children in both countries, fostering cultural exchanges and learning for youngsters.
100 schools in the UK and Ukraine will be partnered over the coming months as part of a two-way programme built around reading for pleasure. Through sharing stories from their own cultures, they will explore the power of reading to overcome adversity – building links between the countries for generations to come.
The Prime Minister is also expected to see firsthand how UK aid is supporting Ukrainians living under bombardment through a visit to a Ukrainian hospital. He will meet patients and doctors and hear how £100m of UK humanitarian funding is supporting needs across Ukraine and specialist medical care for burn victims, including those maimed by Russian missiles raining down on neighbourhoods.
The hospital is being supported by specialist NHS doctors, who are upskilling Ukrainian medical teams and providing lifesaving opinions on treatment for severely injured patients, both virtually and through short deployments to the country. Many admitted to the hospital have burns to between 30% and 40% of their body surface.
The Prime Minister will also announce £40m for a new economic recovery programme to unlock hundreds of millions of pounds worth of private lending to bolster the growth and economic resilience of small and medium businesses in Ukraine, which form the backbone of the country’s economy.
The programme will create opportunities for UK companies by supporting key growth sectors in Ukraine, opening up enhanced trade and investment opportunities with one of our closest allies. The funding will be targeted at businesses supporting the green economy, and marginalised groups including women and veterans.
It is hoped over the long term, the programme, called TIGER (Triggering Investment Growth and Economic Resilience), will reduce reliance in Ukrainian communities on humanitarian support and help build economic resilience.
And as part of the partnership, a new Grain Verification Scheme will also be launched to track stolen grain from occupied Ukrainian territories. The UK developed the new scheme following an ask from Ukraine to the G7 to help trace snatched grain from Ukraine fields under Russian control, which is then relabelled and sold on.
Using cutting edge science to help determine where grain has been grown and harvested, the UK has developed a database to support Ukraine’s efforts to trace and stop theft of grain from occupied regions.
Ukraine, a country which remains a major supplier of agricultural produce, is crucial for global food security. The database will be handed over to Ukraine from the Environment Secretary in the coming weeks.
Today’s announcement builds on the £12.8 billion package of support the UK has given Ukraine, including £7.8bn of military assistance, a commitment for £3bn in military aid until as long as it takes, and ongoing energy infrastructure support to help hospitals and community facilities provide light and warmth to innocent civilians impacted by Putin’s invasion.
The UK and Ukraine will use an annual high-level Strategic Dialogue to ensure progress on the partnership for decades to come.
Thousands of families will be helped as part of the Scottish Government’s plans to remove the two child benefit cap, First Minister John Swinney has said as he repeated calls for the UK Government to end the policy immediately.
The First Minister made clear that if the UK Government was to scrap the policy, the investment the Scottish Government intends to allocate to its mitigation would be used on other measures to tackle eradicate child poverty.
At an event in Stirling hosted by The Robertson Trust, Mr Swinney addressed representatives from community and third sector organisations across Scotland and set out his vision for a country in which no child lives in poverty.
The First Minister said: “The eradication of child poverty is my government’s number one priority, and I want it also to become our nation’s number one goal.
“The cornerstone of our approach is investment in more dignified and generous social security support.
“It includes the resources we need to build the systems that will allow us to effectively remove the two child cap for families in Scotland.
“I can offer two guarantees today. Firstly, if we are able to safely get the systems up and running in this coming year, the first payments will be made in this coming year – helping to lift thousands more children out of poverty.
“And secondly, if the UK government does the right thing and abolishes the two-child cap across the UK, the resources we have committed to this policy will continue to be used on measures to eradicate child poverty in Scotland.”
The Scottish Fiscal Commission has also published estimates of the number of children in Scotland impacted by the two-child limit this year, and who would benefit from mitigation were it to commence in 2026-27 (39,000 in 2025-26, rising to 42,000 in 2026-27.
Scotland’s first legal drug consumption room in Glasgow is a “crucial milestone” and a “big step forward” in tackling drug misuse in Scotland, but it’s only the beginning, says Green MSP for Lothian LORNA SLATER.
At the new Thistle unit, those with medical training operate the facility and can intervene should something go wrong for a user, as well as providing support and advice for people who are giving up drugs.
There are health rooms where treatments are available too, for testing for diseases or having wounds checked and cleaned. The facility also has a recovery area, a shower room and a clothing and book bank.
https://twitter.com/i/status/1879448436292145312
Ms Slater said:“Stigmatising and shunning drug users is wrong, and it does not work. It has contributed to Scotland having the highest number of drug deaths in Europe. Instead, we should be supporting people through addiction and treating them as the human beings they are.
“Safe consumption rooms alone will not solve all the issues associated with drug addiction and misuse. To start to truly tackle the crisis we also need to address poverty and inequality and invest in rehab services, mental health provision and safe housing.
“I urge all related bodies to learn from Glasgow’s experiences and look to implement a service in Edinburgh that remains non-judgemental, supportive, and focused on harm reduction. We need this and other measures quickly.”
https://twitter.com/i/status/1877732427973406728
The City of Edinburgh Council has previously published a report that looks at opening a drug consumption room in the city after months of delay. The latest feasibility study can be found here:
Scottish Conservative and Unionist MSP for Lothian Miles Briggshas accused the SNP of presiding over “horrifying” A&E waiting times in Lothian.
Mr. Briggs’ remarks come after monthly A&E waiting times for November showed that only 58.5% of patients across Lothian were seen within the SNP’s four-hour target waiting time.
In the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, the figure is at a shockingly low 44.1%.
This was below the average for Scotland which sits at 65.8%.
The SNP’s own target is for 95% of patients to be seen within that time after arriving at A&E.
Lothian MSP Miles Briggs says these waits are “unacceptable” and “undoubtedly put lives at risk” and insists that the SNP have failed to give dedicated staff the resources they need to see patients quickly enough.
Mr. Briggs says that the SNP’s failures mean A&E services in Lothian are in “permanent crisis” mode and that this could “spiral out of control” over winter.
Mr. Briggs has urged SNP health secretary Neil Gray to come up with a proper plan for the health service, which ensures money gets to the frontline, rather than being wasted on pointless bureaucracy.
Scottish Conservative and Unionist MSP Miles Briggs said:“A&E waiting times in Lothian are absolutely horrifying, and this is mirrored across Scotland.
“Far too many patients are waiting too long to be seen in Lothian and that undoubtedly puts lives at risk.
“These waits are unacceptable and successive SNP health secretaries have left Lothian and the rest of Scotland without the resources to meet the demands of patients turning up in A&E.
“My constituents in Lothian are at even greater risk than other Scots – and the buck stops with the SNP government.
“A&E departments are in permanent crisis mode and as winter continues there is a real danger the waits will spiral out of control.
“These waiting times must finally be the wake-up call for Neil Gray to deliver a proper plan to support Scotland’s NHS.
“This must prioritise getting money to the frontline in Lothian and across Scotland rather than being wasted on pointless bureaucracy.”
Gordon Macdonald MSP has hit out at UK Labour government’s betrayal of WASPI women as figures from the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe) reveal 24,230 women across Edinburgh may have lost out on pension payments.
As a result of the DWP’s failure to inform them of changes to the state pension age, it is estimated that a total of 355,910 women across Scotland did not receive money they were entitled to.
Now, following their electoral victory in July last year, the UK Labour government have reneged on their promise to compensate these women. The SNP however continues to call for the WASPI Women to receive the compensation they deserve, doing so again in a Holyrood debate this week.
Commenting, Gordon Macdonald MSP said: “The Labour government’s betrayal of the WASPI Women is utterly shameful.
“As many as 24,230 across Edinburgh have lost out as a result of a UK government mistake, and many have tirelessly campaigned for decades to right this wrong.
“For the Labour Party – after mere months in power – to break their promise to compensate these women is wrong and an enormous breach of trust.
“The SNP will continue to campaign alongside the WASPI Women for the compensation they deserve. I urge the Labour government to see sense and u-turn on their decision.”
Artificial intelligence ‘will deliver a decade of national renewal’ as part of a new plan announced today
AI to drive the Plan for Change, helping turbocharge growth and boost living standards
public sector to spend less time doing admin and more time delivering the services working people rely on
dedicated AI Growth Zones to speed up planning for AI infrastructure
£14 billion and 13,250 jobs committed by private tech firms following AI Action Plan
Artificial intelligence will be ‘unleashed across the UK to deliver a decade of national renewal’, under a new plan announced today (13 January 2025).
In a marked move from the previous government’s approach, the Prime Minister is throwing the full weight of Whitehall behind this industry by agreeing to take forward all 50 recommendations set out by Matt Clifford in his game-changing AI Opportunities Action Plan.
AI is already being used across the UK. It is being used in hospitals up and down the country to deliver better, faster, and smarter care: spotting pain levels for people who can’t speak, diagnosing breast cancer quicker, and getting people discharged quicker. This is already helping deliver the government’s mission to build an NHS fit for the future.
Unveiling details of the government’s AI Opportunities Action Plan today, the Prime Minister will say AI can transform the lives of working people – it has the potential to speed up planning consultations to get Britain building, help drive down admin for teachers so they can get on with teaching our children, and feed AI through cameras to spot potholes and help improve roads.
Backing AI to the hilt can also lead to more money in the pockets of working people. The IMF estimates that – if AI is fully embraced – it can boost productivity by as much as 1.5 percentage points a year. If fully realised, these gains could be worth up to an average £47 billion to the UK each year over a decade.
Today’s plan mainlines AI into the veins of this enterprising nation – revolutionising our public services and putting more money in people’s back pockets. Because for too long we have allowed blockers to control the public discourse and get in the way of growth in this sector.
The plan puts an end to that by introducing new measures that will create dedicated AI Growth Zones that speed up planning permission and give them the energy connections they need to power up AI.
The UK occupies a unique place in the world. We can learn from the US’s and EU’s approach – delivering the dynamism, flexibility and long-term stability that we know businesses want.
The Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, said: “Artificial Intelligence will drive incredible change in our country. From teachers personalising lessons, to supporting small businesses with their record-keeping, to speeding up planning applications, it has the potential to transform the lives of working people.
“But the AI industry needs a government that is on their side, one that won’t sit back and let opportunities slip through its fingers. And in a world of fierce competition, we cannot stand by. We must move fast and take action to win the global race.
“Our plan will make Britain the world leader. It will give the industry the foundation it needs and will turbocharge the Plan for Change. That means more jobs and investment in the UK, more money in people’s pockets, and transformed public services.
“That’s the change this government is delivering.”
It comes as three major tech companies – Vantage Data Centres, Nscale and Kyndryl – have committed to £14 billion investment in the UK to build the AI infrastructure the UK needs to harness the potential of this technology and deliver 13,250 jobs across the UK. That’s on top of the £25 billion in AI investment announced at the International Investment Summit.
Vantage Data Centres – which is working to build one of Europe’s largest data centre campuses in Wales – plans to invest over £12 billion in data centres across the UK – creating over 11,500 jobs in the process.
Kyndryl – the world’s largest IT infrastructure services provider and a leading IT consultancy – announces plans to create up to 1,000 AI-related jobs in Liverpool over the next three years. This new tech hub will share the Government’s ambition to roll AI out across the country to help grow the economy and foster the next generation of talent.
Nscale – one of the UK’s leading AI companies – has announced a $2.5 billion investment to support the UK’s data centre infrastructure over the next three years. They have also signed a contract to build the largest UK sovereign AI data centre in Loughton, Essex by 2026.
The plan includes initiatives that will help make the UK the number one place for AI firms to invest, which is vital if Britain is to be at the forefront of this industry and be a changemaker rather than a change-taker.
The key changes include:
forging new AI Growth Zones to speed up planning proposals and build more AI infrastructure. The first of these will be in Culham, Oxfordshire
increasing the public compute capacity by twentyfold to give us the processing power we need to fully embrace this new technology – this starts immediately with work starting on a brand new supercomputer
a new team will be set up to seize the opportunities of AI and build the UK’s sovereign capabilities
creating a new National Data Library to safely and securely unlock the value of public data and support AI development
a dedicated AI Energy Council chaired by the Science and Energy Secretaries will also be established, working with energy companies to understand the energy demands and challenges which will fuel the technology’s development – this will directly support the government’s mission to become a clean energy superpower by tapping into technologies like small modular reactors.
Taken together, the 50 measures will make the UK irresistible to AI firms looking to start, scale, or grow their business. It builds on recent progress in AI that saw £25 billion of new investment in data centres announced since the government took office last July.
This Action Plan is also at the heart of the government’s Industrial Strategy and the first plank of the upcoming Digital and Technology Sector Plan, to be published in the coming months.
Science, Innovation, and Technology Secretary, Peter Kyle said: ”AI has the potential to change all of our lives but for too long, we have been curious and often cautious bystanders to the change unfolding around us. With this plan, we become agents of that change.
“We already have remarkable strengths we can tap into when it comes to AI – building our status as the cradle of computer science and intelligent machines and establishing ourselves as the third largest AI market in the world.
“This government is determined that the UK is not left behind in the global race for AI, that’s why the actions we commit to will ensure that the benefits are spread throughout the UK so all citizens will reap the rewards of the bet we make today. This is how we’re putting our Plan for Change in motion.”
The Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves MP said: “AI is a powerful tool that will help grow our economy, make our public services more efficient and open up new opportunities to help improve living standards.
“This action plan is the government’s modern industrial strategy in action. Attracting AI businesses to the UK, binging in new investment, creating new jobs and turbocharging our Plan for Change. This means better living standards in every part of the United Kingdom and working people have more money in their pocket.”
Matt Clifford CBE said: ”This is a plan which puts us all-in – backing the potential of AI to grow our economy, improve lives for citizens, and make us a global hub for AI investment and innovation.
“AI offers opportunities we can’t let slip through our fingers, and these steps put us on the strongest possible footing to ensure AI delivers in all corners of the country, from building skills and talent to revolutionising our infrastructure and compute power.”
