The Independent Scottish Fuel Poverty Strategic Working Group has updated the Housing Minister on their interim findings – and informed the Minister that the fuel poverty target will not be met this year. The Scotttish Greens have urged the Housing Minister to ‘take the failure seriously’. Continue reading Fuel poverty target missed
The first parts of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act were introduced yesterday when changes on the use of common good land, business rates for shooting and deerstalking and deer management came into force. Continue reading Our land: Land Reform Act comes into force
‘Scotland is an open and welcoming country and that prejudice, hate and racism will not be tolerated, now or at any time.’
‘We chose to be an open, inclusive and outward-looking society where other EU citizens are welcome to live, work and contribute’ –
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon
The Scottish Government’s overriding priority is to protect Scotland’s relationship with, and place in, the EU, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon told Holyrood yesterday. Continue reading First Minister: Scotland has no place for hate and racism
Local MSP’s message to EU nationals
Edinburgh Northern and Leith MSP Ben Macpherson has told EU nationals “you remain welcome here” after Scotland voted overwhelmingly to stay in the European Union last week. Continue reading EUr’e Welcome Here!
‘ … we can turn today’s challenges into tomorrow’s opportunities. Together, we can make this work.’ – Business Secretary Sajid Javid
The Westminster government is hoping speeches by Business Secretary Sajid Javid and Chancellor George Osborne will calm the international money markets as they open this morning. The pound has plunged since UK voted to leave the European Union, wiping £ trillions off the value of stocks and shares. Continue reading UK government moves to steady markets
Ben Macpherson MSP, recently elected member for Edinburgh Northern and Leith, has made his first behind-the-scenes visit to the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE). The MSP met personnel across the Science and Horticultural Divisions who are behind research and conservation initiatives at home and around the world.
Accompanied by Regius Keeper Simon Milne MBE, Ben Macpherson started his visit in the Library where he was provided with an insight into the archives collection of books and maps dating back over the centuries with Serials Librarian Graham Hardy using historic documents to plot the course of the Garden’s move over four locations in 346 years.
Escorted by Director of Science Professor Pete Hollingsworth, Mr Macpherson was given insight into the workings of the RBGE Herbarium with explanations as to why it is a crucial research and conservation tool for experts around the world.
Following an introduction to the preserved collections by Deputy Herbarium Curator Dr Elspeth Haston, the MSP was invited to play his part in the ongoing digitisation of the Herbarium’s extensive three million plus specimens by photographing Senecio cambrensis Rosser.
This species, a member of thedaisy and dandelion family, was selected appropriately because Senecio cambrensis evolved in Leith, most likely sometime in the last half century. Its evolutionary origin is by hybridisation between two other Senecio species and then subsequent genetic isolation from its parent species. Specimens were first collected in 1974, but it was last seen in 1989
Specimens were first collected in 1974, but it was last seen in 1989. This reflects a fascinating evolutionary example of the origin and extinction of a species within a human life time, and because of this it has been used as a model system for studying the evolutionary process.
Moving from the Herbarium, introductions were exchanged with David Knott, Curator of the Living Collections, and Glasshouse Supervisor Louise Galloway. After a general introduction and explanation of the fact that RBGE is, in fact, four Gardens cultivating a wide diversity of species – including Scottish species – and many of which are included in active conservation and reintroduction programmes, the next part of the visit focused on the non-public research houses. These, it was explained, are home to many specimens being cultivated as vital parts of RBGE’s contribution to global work in the study and conservation of plants from key research groups, many of which are endangered in their native habitats.
Mr Macpherson was also shown photographs of the devastating damaged suffered by the public and research houses in the January 2012 storm, with the Regius Keeper describing the current plans and funding required to replace and upgrade these houses. His visit to the Glasshouses concluded on a lighter note, however, with an introduction to RBGE’s mighty Amorphophallus titanum (titan arum), which spectacularly flowered for the first time 12 months ago.
The final stop of the day was to the recently restored Botanic Cottage (pictured above) which was first built at the Garden’s Leith Walk site in the 18th century. Mr Macpherson was welcomed by Community Engagement Coordinator Sutherland Forsyth who explained the dramatic story so far of this, the Garden’s newest and oldest building.
With a strong interest in community engagement the MSP was keen to hear about the varied band of organisations already using the building for a range of different activities. Bidding farewell he expressed an interest in hearing of further groups who might benefit specifically through engagement with the Cottage and, more generally, with the wider work of RBGE.
RBGE
‘a second independence referendum is clearly an option’ – First Minister Nicola Sturgeon
Talks will take place with EU institutions and member states to protect Scotland’s place in Europe, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said yesterday.
The First Minister chaired a meeting of the Cabinet to discuss the Scottish Government’s next steps following the EU Referendum result.
In addition, regular contact will continue with the EU and, as was planned, Fergus Ewing, Cabinet Secretary for the Rural Economy, will be attending the AGRIFISH Council in Luxembourg on Monday and will meet EU Agriculture Commissioner Phil Hogan where he will raise the concerns of farming community in Scotland. He will meet with other EU Ministers to demonstrate that the EU remains a priority for Scotland
Following the meeting, the First Minister said: “We have had a very full discussion about the result of the EU referendum, its implications for Scotland and the steps we need to take in the days, weeks and months that lie ahead to protect Scotland’s interests.
“Cabinet expressed its pride in the vote in Scotland, the emphatic vote in Scotland, to remain in the European Union. The Cabinet also shared the deep disappointment at the UK-wide result that is clearly felt by a majority of people across this country, and we are determined to act decisively but in a way that builds unity across Scotland about the way forward.
“As I said yesterday a second independence referendum is clearly an option which requires to be on the table, and it is very much on the table. To ensure that option is a deliverable one in the required timetable steps will be taken now to ensure that the necessary legislation is in place and Cabinet this morning formally agreed that work.
“However most of our discussions this morning centred on what we can do in the here and now and in the negotiations that lie ahead, to protect Scotland’s relationship with the European Union and our place in the Single Market. Cabinet agreed that we will seek to enter into immediate discussions with the EU institutions and the other EU member states to explore all possible options to protect Scotland’s place in the EU.
“In doing so, we are determined to draw on as much support and advice from across Scotland as possible and I confirm today that over the next few days I will establish an advisory panel comprising a range of experts who can advise me and the Scottish Government on a number of important matters – legal, financial and diplomatic. It will also seek to encompass voices from across the political spectrum in Scotland and indeed different views on Scotland’s constitutional future. I will say more early next week about the membership of this expert advisory panel.
“Lastly, Cabinet discussed this morning the very important work that we need to do to reassure people across Scotland who are concerned about the implications of this result. An intensive programme of engagement is already underway with stakeholders, especially our business community, to emphasise that Scotland is and Scotland will continue to be an attractive and a stable place to do business.
“One particular group that we are anxious to reassure is the community of EU citizens living here in Scotland. I said yesterday that people from other EU countries that have chosen, done us the honour of choosing to make Scotland their home are welcome here and I repeat that again today. I want to make sure that that is a message we get across strongly in the weeks and months ahead. To that end, I will be inviting the consul generals of all EU member states to a summit here in Bute house over the next two weeks to discuss how we engage with their communities here and make clear how highly we value the contribution they make to Scotland’s economy, to our society and to our culture.
“The final point I want to make this morning is this one. The Scottish Government will be working hard to protect Scotland interests in the period ahead and in the wake of the referendum result. But as we do this we will not be taking our eye off the ball of the day to day business of government. As Westminster is engulfed in political turmoil and as a vacuum of leadership develops, I want to make clear that Scotland is led by a stable and effective government. We are focussed on making sure that Scotland’s interests are protected but we are also determined to continue our work to further improve our schools, our hospitals and our economy.
“As First Minister I am focused entirely on governing this country in the interests of all the people of Scotland, that is my overarching priority.”
Here we go again: It’s looking like Indyref2 – the Sequel
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon’s statement in response to the EU referendum result:
Thank you for joining me this morning after a long night – and a long few months – for all of us.
Yesterday, Scotland – like London and Northern Ireland – voted overwhelmingly to remain in the European Union.
We voted to protect our place in the world’s biggest single market – and the jobs and investment that depend on it.
We voted to safeguard our freedom to travel, live, work and study in other European countries.
And we voted to renew our reputation as an outward looking, open and inclusive country.
It is significant – in my view – that we did so after a campaign that was positive about the EU and about the benefits of migration.
Indeed, I want to take the opportunity this morning to speak directly to citizens of other European countries living here in Scotland – you remain welcome here, Scotland is your home and your contribution is valued.
Unfortunately, of course, yesterday’s result in Scotland was not echoed across the whole of the United Kingdom.
That UK wide vote to leave the EU is one that I deeply regret.
It remains my passionate belief that it is better for all parts of the UK to be members of the European Union.
But the vote across England and Wales was a rejection of the EU.
And it was a sign of divergence between Scotland and large parts of the rest of the UK in how we see our place in the world.
But this vote wasn’t just about the EU – it was also a clear expression of the disaffection with the political system that is felt in too many communities.
Communities taken for granted by Labour for generations and punished with austerity cuts by the Tories for a financial crisis they didn’t cause, used this referendum to make their voices heard.
The Westminster establishment has some serious soul searching to do – and I hope that it does it.
But as First Minister of Scotland I have a duty to respond – not just to the outcome across the UK – but also and in particular to the democratic decision taken by the people of Scotland.
As things stand, Scotland faces the prospect of being taken out of the EU against our will.
I regard that as democratically unacceptable.
And of course we face that prospect less than two years after being told that it was our own referendum on independence that would end our membership of the European Union and that only a rejection of independence could protect it.
Indeed for many people the supposed guarantee of remaining in the EU was a driver in their decision to vote to stay within the UK.
So there is no doubt that yesterday’s result represents a significant and a material change of the circumstances in which Scotland voted against independence in 2014.
My job now is to act responsibly and in the interests of all of Scotland.
The Cabinet will meet early tomorrow morning to discuss our next steps in more detail but I want to set out some immediate priorities.
Firstly, we have an urgent job to do to provide as much reassurance and certainty as we can.
I spoke a short while ago to the Governor of the Bank of England to discuss his plans to reassure the markets and restore financial stability.
Starting this afternoon Ministers will be engaged this afternoon in discussions with key stakeholders – particularly in the business community – to emphasise that as of now we are still firmly in the EU. Trade and business should continue as normal and we are determined that Scotland will continue now and in the future to be an attractive and stable place to do business. Our resilience committee will meet later this afternoon to oversee these immediate actions.
Secondly, I want to make it absolutely clear today that I intend to take all possible steps and explore all options to give effect to how people in Scotland voted – in other words, to secure our continuing place in the EU and in the single market in particular.
To that end, I have made clear to the Prime Minister this morning that the Scottish Government must be fully and directly involved in any and all decisions about the next steps that the UK government intends to take.
We will also be seeking direct discussions with the EU institutions and its member states, including the earliest possible meeting with the President of the European Commission.
I will also be communicating over this weekend with each EU member state to make clear that Scotland has voted to stay in the EU – and that I intend to discuss all options for doing so.
I should say that I have also spoken this morning with Mayor Sadiq Khan and he is clear that he shares this objective for London – so there is clear common cause between us.
The discussions that take place over the coming days and weeks will, of course, be led by government but I will seek the support and ensure the involvement of the Scottish Parliament at every step of the way.
I intend to speak to all party leaders later today and make a full statement to the Chamber on Tuesday.
I will also make a further statement following tomorrow’s meeting of the Scottish Cabinet.
Lastly, let me address the issue of a second independence referendum.
The manifesto that the SNP was elected on last month said this –
“The Scottish Parliament should have the right to hold another referendum…if there is a significant and material change in the circumstances that prevailed in 2014, such as Scotland being taken out the EU against our will.”
Scotland does now face that prospect – it is a significant and material change in circumstances – and it is therefore a statement of the obvious that the option of a second referendum must be on the table. And it is on the table.
Clearly, though, there are many discussion to be had before final decisions are taken.
It would not be right to rush to judgment ahead of discussions on how Scotland’s result will be responded to by the EU.
However, when the Article 50 process is triggered in three months time, the UK will be on a two year path to the EU exit door.
If Parliament judges that a second referendum is the best or only way to protect our place in Europe, it must have the option to hold one within that timescale.
That means we must act now to protect that position. I can therefore confirm today that in order to protect that position we will begin to prepare the required legislation to enable a new independence referendum to take place if and when Parliament so decides.
To conclude, this is not a situation that I wanted Scotland or the UK to be in today.
My responsibility in a climate of uncertainty is to seek to lead us forward with purpose.
I know that there is a lot of thinking and talking to be done in the period that lies ahead. These are complex issues that we face.
There are many people who voted against independence in 2014 who are today reassessing their decision.
But I know they will not want me to simply assume their support or to hear me talk about the challenges we face as if they are straightforward – they would want me to be straight and honest with them.
Now is the time for me as First Minister to seek to lead the country forward as one.
The need to act decisively must be tempered with the need to build consensus – and it will be. That is my duty as First Minister.
After a campaign that has been characterised in the rest of the UK by fear and hate, my priority in the days, weeks and months ahead, will be to act at all times in the best interests of Scotland – and in a way that unites not divides us.
And let me also be clear about this – whatever happens as a result of this outcome, England, Wales and Northern Ireland will always be Scotland’s closest neighbours and our best friends. Nothing will ever change that.
But I want to leave no-one in any doubt about this.
I am proud of Scotland and how we voted yesterday. We proved that we are a modern, outward looking, open and inclusive country.
And we said clearly that we do not want to leave the EU.
I am determined that we do what it takes to make sure that these aspirations are realised.
I closing let me say just a word or two about the Prime Minister.
David Cameron and I have very many political disagreements – not least over the conduct of this referendum.
But – as I am learning every single day – leadership is not easy. David has been the Prime Minister of the UK for six years. It is a tough job and, whatever our disagreements, he deserves our thanks for his service. I wish him and his family well for the future.
The UK voted to leave the EU by 52% to 48%.
All 32 council areas in Scotland returned Remain majorities.
Prime Minister is first political casualty of EU Referendum result
Prime Minister David Cameron made a statement in Downing Street following the outcome of the referendum for the UK to leave the European Union:
The country has just taken part in a giant democratic exercise – perhaps the biggest in our history. Over 33 million people – from England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and Gibraltar – have all had their say.
We should be proud of the fact that in these islands we trust the people with these big decisions.
We not only have a parliamentary democracy, but on questions about the arrangements for how we are governed, there are times when it is right to ask the people themselves, and that is what we have done.
The British people have voted to leave the European Union and their will must be respected.
I want to thank everyone who took part in the campaign on my side of the argument, including all those who put aside party differences to speak in what they believed was the national interest.
And let me congratulate all those who took part in the Leave campaign – for the spirited and passionate case that they made.
The will of the British people is an instruction that must be delivered. It was not a decision that was taken lightly, not least because so many things were said by so many different organisations about the significance of this decision.
So there can be no doubt about the result.
Across the world people have been watching the choice that Britain has made. I would reassure those markets and investors that Britain’s economy is fundamentally strong.
And I would also reassure Brits living in European countries, and European citizens living here, that there will be no immediate changes in your circumstances. There will be no initial change in the way our people can travel, in the way our goods can move or the way our services can be sold.
We must now prepare for a negotiation with the European Union. This will need to involve the full engagement of the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Ireland governments to ensure that the interests of all parts of our United Kingdom are protected and advanced.
But above all this will require strong, determined and committed leadership.
I am very proud and very honoured to have been Prime Minister of this country for 6 years.
I believe we have made great steps, with more people in work than ever before in our history, with reforms to welfare and education, increasing people’s life chances, building a bigger and stronger society, keeping our promises to the poorest people in the world, and enabling those who love each other to get married whatever their sexuality.
But above all restoring Britain’s economic strength, and I am grateful to everyone who has helped to make that happen.
I have also always believed that we have to confront big decisions – not duck them.
That’s why we delivered the first coalition government in 70 years to bring our economy back from the brink. It’s why we delivered a fair, legal and decisive referendum in Scotland. And why I made the pledge to renegotiate Britain’s position in the European Union and hold a referendum on our membership, and have carried those things out.
I fought this campaign in the only way I know how – which is to say directly and passionately what I think and feel – head, heart and soul.
I held nothing back.
I was absolutely clear about my belief that Britain is stronger, safer and better off inside the European Union, and I made clear the referendum was about this and this alone – not the future of any single politician, including myself.
But the British people have made a very clear decision to take a different path, and as such I think the country requires fresh leadership to take it in this direction.
I will do everything I can as Prime Minister to steady the ship over the coming weeks and months, but I do not think it would be right for me to try to be the captain that steers our country to its next destination.
This is not a decision I have taken lightly, but I do believe it is in the national interest to have a period of stability and then the new leadership required.
There is no need for a precise timetable today, but in my view we should aim to have a new Prime Minister in place by the start of the Conservative party conference in October.
Delivering stability will be important and I will continue in post as Prime Minister with my Cabinet for the next 3 months. The Cabinet will meet on Monday.
The Governor of the Bank of England is making a statement about the steps that the Bank and the Treasury are taking to reassure financial markets. We will also continue taking forward the important legislation that we set before Parliament in the Queen’s Speech. And I have spoken to Her Majesty the Queen this morning to advise her of the steps that I am taking.
A negotiation with the European Union will need to begin under a new Prime Minister, and I think it is right that this new Prime Minister takes the decision about when to trigger Article 50 and start the formal and legal process of leaving the EU.
I will attend the European Council next week to explain the decision the British people have taken and my own decision.
The British people have made a choice. That not only needs to be respected – but those on the losing side of the argument, myself included, should help to make it work.
Britain is a special country.
We have so many great advantages.
A parliamentary democracy where we resolve great issues about our future through peaceful debate.
A great trading nation, with our science and arts, our engineering and our creativity respected the world over.
And while we are not perfect, I do believe we can be a model of a multi-racial, multi-faith democracy, where people can come and make a contribution and rise to the very highest that their talent allows.
Although leaving Europe was not the path I recommended, I am the first to praise our incredible strengths.
I have said before that Britain can survive outside the European Union, and indeed that we could find a way.
Now the decision has been made to leave, we need to find the best way.
And I will do everything I can to help.
I love this country – and I feel honoured to have served it.
And I will do everything I can in future to help this great country succeed.
Disaster, devastation, division – or wonderful opportunity?
Scotland says Stay but Britain says Leave
Britons have voted to leave the European Union. With a handful of regions still to declare it became certain at 6am that the Leave campaign has an unassailable lead with 52% of the vote. The nationwide turnout was 72%. Continue reading We’re Leaving: An uncertain new dawn for Britain
