Qatar: pressure on First Minister to raise human rights concerns

Concerns at Holyrood over human rights issues

Alison Johnstone, Scottish Green MSP for Lothian, has written to First Minister Nicola Sturgeon raising human rights concerns ahead of the planned football match between Scotland and Qatar at Easter Road tomorrow.

Ms Johnstone, a member of Holyrood’s cross-party group on human rights and co-convenor of the cross-party group on sport, highlights the widespread concern over the unprecedented number of deaths among workers building the infrastructure for the Qatar World Cup 2022 and urges the First Minister to consider how to address ongoing human rights abuses.

Edinburgh North & Leith MSP Malcolm Chisholm will today also ask the Scottish Government to speak out about human rights abuses in Qatar before tomorrow’s friendly match.

The Green MSP said: “I have sympathy for those who suggest the friendly match should be cancelled in order to send a strong signal to the footballing authorities that the current situation is unacceptable, not least while allegations of corruption surrounding World Cup bidding processes await resolution.

“However, I also understand the view that such a course of action may simply punish the Qatari athletes who are entirely innocent in all of this, while failing to address the matters at hand in a way that can have a meaningful impact on relevant Qatari officials and world football’s governing bodies.

“This is an opportunity to establish what action by the Scottish Government will be helpful in such cases where matters of political integrity and sport overlap. It is important that we adopt a stance that can be consistently applied to the one-off friendly match against Qatar, the qualification campaign for Qatar 2022 itself – and indeed Russia 2018, and the upcoming 2015 European Games in Baku, Azerbaijan. All of these events are set to take place against the backdrop of serious human rights concerns, and all deserve our attention.

“Amnesty International has shown that abuse and exploitation of migrant construction workers remains a serious issue. We must consider how Scotland’s voice can aid the growing worldwide effort to tackle dangerous working conditions ahead of 2022, and human rights abuses more generally. Boycotts can be an important way of demonstrating concern, but we must consider whether and how boycotts should form part of a wider strategy, and whether we need to establish criteria by which to accept or extend invitations to play or to host sporting events in the first place.”

Decisions, decisions: Time for truly local councils?

A meeting taking place in Oban this weekend might just change the way communities engage with politics and politicians. Local democracy needs to change – is it time for a People’s Council?

A grassroots movement created to transform local democracy is to hold an event in Oban this weekend. The People’s Council believes that local democracy in Scotland is broken – and it’s up to people and communities themselves to fix it.

The movement has it’s roots in the west of Scotland, where community activists in Argyll & Bute started the ball rolling. Frustrated by the way their local authority operates, campaigners aim to revolutionise decision-making, taking it back to the local communities themselves. They’ve had enough of the council’s ‘we know what’s good for you’ attitude and believe that decisions made about a community are best made by the people who are affected by them – the people who live there. Sound familiar?

Community campaigners were particularly aggrieved over their local authority’s lack of support for a community buy-out of Castle Toward, their council’s failure to challenge budget cuts and the subsequent cuts to services in their communities that inevitably followed.

Activists began chatting online – and an online community, the People’s Council movement, was formed. It soon became clear that people and communities across the country are also concerned about the state of local democracy, and the decision was made to widen the campaign and make the movement Scotland wide.

The group feels that the structure and ethos of councils, and not just their actions and decisions, must be challenged.

It is calling for fundamental reform of local government in Scotland and have called a People’s Council meeting to look at how this can be achieved.

A People’s Council spokesperson said: “This grassroots event in Argyll is set to challenge the nature of local democracy in Scotland. Scotland may be topping the UK charts in terms of voter turnout at the recent election but there’s still a huge local democratic deficit we need to tackle.

“Join us in Oban on 6 June for this one day event full of speakers, workshops, discussion and action to explore local democracy reform from a grassroots level organised by a collective of community activists from across Argyll.

“Speakers include writer and broadcaster Lesley Riddoch, Common Weal’s Robin McAlpine, Paddy Bort of the University of Edinburgh, campaigner Cat Boyd, local MSP Mike Russell and Councillor Vivien Dance, among others.

“The aim of the event is to plan and organise how people can effect change in our local communities and across Scotland. Everyone knows that local democracy in Scotland is broken. The People’s Council wants to try and fix it.”

Broadcaster Lesley Riddoch has thrown her weight behind the campaign and is one of a number of high profile speakers who will address the People’s Council event on Saturday.

She said: “Scotland has Europe’s largest councils by population and physical size. That means distant decision-making, low levels of participation and constant battles between communities and councils.

“Argyll and Bute Council’s shameful failure to transfer Castle Toward to the local community as agreed was one of the lowest points in the history of Scottish local democracy. But now activists from across Argyll are demonstrating real leadership by deciding to get even – not angry.

“These campaigners have kick-started a process to devise a new workable template of truly local government in Scotland involving folk from all over Scotland – the People’s Councils.

“There’s been support for this novel, grassroots idea at every meeting I’ve spoken at during the election campaign from Assynt in the Highlands to Duns in the Borders. Truly local councils are an idea whose time has come – well done Argyll for getting the ball rolling.”

Independent MSP John Finnie, who will also speak at the Oban event, said: “In far too many local authorities decisions reached indicate just how far, both in terms of geography and mind-set, those charged with representing communities are from what really matters.

“That must and will change as the growing debate around the need to ensure meaningful local democracy, which reflects community aspirations, gathers momentum.”

The event takes place at Oban High School on Saturday 6 June from 9.30am to 4.30pm. Tickets are £10/£7 and can be purchased online from Ticket Tailor, or via www.thepeoplescouncil.org.

A number of free tickets are also available.

Charles Kennedy: a wee giant

Former Lib Dem leader dies aged 55

Lib Dem politician Charles Kennedy has died, his family has announced. He was only 55. Kennedy was one of a rare breed – that rare phenomenon, a popular politician – and colleagues and opponents have been swift to praise the likeable wee guy known to many as ‘Chat Show Charlie’.

A statement released on behalf of his family this morning said: “It is with great sadness, and an enormous sense of shock, that we announce the death of Charles Kennedy. Charles died at home in Fort William yesterday. He was 55. We are obviously devastated at the loss.

“Charles was a fine man, a talented politician, and a loving father to his young son. We ask therefore that the privacy of his family is respected in the coming days.

“There will be a post-mortem and we will issue a further statement when funeral arrangements are made.”

Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon tweeted earlier this morning: “Sad beyond words to hear the news about Charlie Kennedy. A lovely man and one of the most talented politicians of his time. Gone too soon.’

Kennedy’s predecessor as Lib Dem party leader Paddy Ashdown remarked: “In a political age not overburdened with gaiety and good sense, he brought us wit, charm, judgement, principle and decency.”

Nick Clegg, who resigned as Liberal Democrat leader following last month’s general election, said: “Charles devoted his life to public service, yet he had an unusual gift for speaking about politics with humour and humility which touched people well beyond the world of politics.

“He was one of the most gentle and unflappable politicians I have ever known, yet he was immensely courageous too not least when he spoke for the country against the invasion of Iraq.”

Breaking up Britain? Report to lambast Westminster voting system

Electoral Reform Society report will highlight deficiencies of ‘an archaic and broken voting system’

Definitive report on 7 May result highlights least proportional result in UK electoral history
Exclusive YouGov study for the ERS will show result under fairer voting systems
First Past the Post is ‘breaking up Britain’ by creating artificial divisions, analysis shows

The failure of Britain’s voting system will be laid bare on Monday, when the Electoral Reform Society will release their definitive report on the General Election.

The report, ‘The 2015 General Election: A Voting System in Crisis’, will reveal how this election was the most disproportionate in British electoral history, according to new analysis.

It will also, for the first time, conclusively reveal how the election would have looked different under other voting systems – based on polling of over 40,000 people’s party preferences for the ERS by YouGov.

As well as this exclusive new polling, A Voting System in Crisis argues that the voting system is even contributing to the break-up of the UK, artificially inflating divisions and leading to a ‘postcode electoral lottery’ where parties are excluded in one area and over-represented in another. Millions of people’s voices are being excluded simply because of where they live, the report argues.

It draws on the fact that the SNP won 95% of Scottish seats on half the vote – leaving unionist sentiment in Scotland almost completely unrepresented, while at the same time the Labour party was locked out of the South of England – winning just 8 seats in the South East and South West despite getting nearly a fifth of the vote. Equally, cross-community parties were kept out in Northern Ireland under Britain’s divisive voting system, and Labour were greatly over-represented in Wales.

The number of votes cast for parties other than the three main UK wide parties rose to its highest ever level on May 7 – the dawn of ‘truly multi-party politics’, but a politics operating under what the ERS describe as an ‘archaic and broken voting system’.

The report will show the shocking number and percentage of votes which went to losing candidates and were effectively wasted. It will also reveal the number / percentage of MPs who were elected without a majority of votes, as well as the stunningly low number of MPs who actually secured a majority from the overall electorate.

The full report will be produced on Monday 1 June.

A ‘One Nation’ Queen’s Speech?

‘The Queen’s Speech 2015 will be a clear programme for working people, social justice and bringing our country together’

Ahead of today’s Queen’s Speech Prime Minister David Cameron said:

“Behind this Queen’s Speech is a clear vision for what our country can be. A country of security and opportunity for everyone, at every stage of life.

“That is our ambition. To build a country where whoever you are and wherever you live you can have the chance of a good education, a decent job, a home of your own and the peace of mind that comes from being able to raise a family and enjoy a secure retirement.

“A country that backs those who work hard and do the right thing.

“This is the Queen’s Speech for working people from a ‘one nation’ government that will bring our country together.

“We have a mandate from the British people, a clear manifesto and the instruction to deliver. And we will not waste a single moment in getting on with the task.”

First Minister meets Prime Minister – no meeting of minds but progress made

First post-election talks are ‘constructive and helpful’

More powers for the Scottish Parliament and tackling austerity were on the agenda as First Minister Nicola Sturgeon met Prime Minister David Cameron at Bute House yesterday.

During their first face-to-face talks since the general election, the First Minister welcomed a commitment by the Prime Minister to look at proposals from the Scottish Government to extend Holyrood’s power beyond the plans outlined in the Smith Commission.

Ms Sturgeon also welcomed the Prime Minister’s agreement that legislation currently being drafted to take forward further devolution would implement in full the Smith Commission proposals and also take account of the report published by the Scottish Parliament’s Devolution Committee earlier this week.

The discussions, described by the First Minister as “constructive and helpful”, also covered her desire to tackle austerity, with further proposals on how this could be achieved within the UK Government’s own fiscal mandate now to be submitted by the Scottish Government and considered by the Prime Minister in due course.

To take forward these points, the First Minister and Prime Minister also agreed to much closer contact between their respective governments, with a commitment to increasing the number of bilateral meetings between the pair.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “I was pleased to welcome the Prime Minister to Bute House for what were constructive and helpful talks on a range of issues following the outcome of the UK general election.

“During the meeting, we had a productive discussion about the Smith Commission proposals and where we might go beyond them. From that, two things of importance were agreed. Firstly, there was a commitment from the Prime Minister that the legislation being drafted will fully implement the Smith Commission proposals and take account of the conclusions of the Holyrood committee report that was published yesterday.

“Secondly, the Prime Minister agreed that he would look at proposals the Scottish Government will bring forward on how we go beyond the Smith Commission in various important areas. There was no agreement on the substance of that, but the Prime Minister has said he will consider our proposals and there will be a meeting, in the first instance, between the Deputy First Minister and the Secretary of State for Scotland to look at how we take that further forward.”

The First Minister continued: “The Prime Minister and I have agreed to meet more regularly, which is a good step forward. We have also agreed to much closer contact between Ministers in the Scottish and UK governments to discuss issues of common interest and policies that impact on Scotland at a much earlier stage – that’s all very positive.

“David Cameron and I are a world apart politically but, where we can, I’m determined that we do business in the interest of people in Scotland and across the UK and I’m determined to have a constructive and business-like relationship.

“I hope that the Prime Minister can now show he can respond and deliver a better deal for Scotland, with an empowered Scottish Parliament with the powers over business taxes and employment law, the minimum wage and welfare that enables us to grow our economy, get more people into jobs, and lift people out of poverty. Because, ultimately, that is what this process is all about.”

The First Minister confirmed that discussions had also covered austerity and public spending across the UK. She said: “The Prime Minister has a fiscal mandate, but even within that that I believe there is enough flexibility to ease the pain of austerity, invest in the things that matter while still getting the debt and deficit down. We have agreed to send our analysis and proposals to the UK Government and he has agreed to look at them. I have a duty as First Minister of Scotland to stand up for the things I believe the people of Scotland want and I will not shy away from doing that.”The visit came within a week of the election result, and the Westminster government says this underlines the Prime Minister’s commitment to renewing and refreshing the United Kingdom and the importance he places on the respect agenda.

Speaking before the meeting, Prime Minister David Cameron said: “I am here today to underline my commitment to our United Kingdom and Scotland’s important place within it.

“That means remaining true to the promise we made to implement the all-party Smith agreement to make Scotland one of the most accountable and powerful devolved parliaments in the world.

“It also means recognising those things which unite us in these islands: the achievements we have made together, the institutions we have built together, our great social history, the common economic challenges we face today, and the strength which comes from pulling together for the common good in the future. This is our one nation agenda in action.

“Scotland has two governments and it is the duty of the First Minister and myself to respect each other’s roles and responsibilities and to work together for the benefit of all the people of Scotland.

“As more powers are devolved to Scotland, it is time to move beyond the debate about processes and focus on those bread and butter issues that affect every family in our United Kingdom – jobs, homes, good schools and strong public services, and dignity and respect in retirement. These are the building blocks we need to provide a brighter future for people in every part of our country.”

Diverse opinions as Edinburgh Local Plan moves on

A move toward providing certainty, a missed opportunity to develop a sustainable city region – or a kick in the teeth?

The City of Edinburgh Council today agreed that its Local Development Plan should be moved on to be examined by the Reporter appointed by the Scottish Government, before the final plan is agreed.

To help the Reporter to understand where there are opportunities to change to plan, the Planning Committee also agreed a motion which details where it sees merit in the representations made.

Cllr Ian Perry, Convener of the Planning Committee, said: The Council needs to allocate land to allow much-needed housing to be delivered for the city. While we are keen to ensure that brownfield land is developed first, it is necessary to identify some new greenfield sites in a growing city.

“It is therefore very important that the Local Development Plan is now moved to the next stage to allow the Council to guide developers on future land use. This has been a difficult decision but it is important that we move towards providing certainty for local communities and developers. ”

However Lothians Green MSP Alison Johnstone slammed the decision and said the council is obsessed with suburban sprawl rather than building affordable homes.

The long-awaited plan allocates land around the city for the next 10 years, and has been driven by controversial Scottish Government projections that more than 100,000 new homes are needed across South-east Scotland. Controversially, it earmarks areas including Cammo, Brunstane and Newmills for potential development.

Alison Johnstone MSP said: “It’s frustrating to see this plan being passed without addressing the real concerns of communities around Edinburgh where unnecessary developments are earmarked. Our city has thousands of empty homes, plenty of brownfield sites and land that has been banked by developers. That is where the focus should be.

“The city urgently needs more affordable homes – homes which are built in compact communities with easy access to services and transport. Much of the LDP debate has sadly been about swapping suburban sprawl in one location for sprawl in another, without fundamentally addressing the need for a spreading the city at all. It is a missed opportunity to develop a sustainable city region.”

SNP MSP Colin Keir, who’s Edinburgh Western constituency includes green belt likely to prove attractive to developers, is also angry. He said: “I am bitterly disappointed by the decision of Planning Committee today. The Planning Committee has delivered a kick in the teeth to those opposing the 2nd Proposed Local Development Plan.

“This decision is in fact a shirking of responsibility. The Committee could have made a decision that reflected the representations from communities across the City and in particular in my constituency at Cammo, Maybury and South Queensferry where clear and substantial objections were raised based on the inability of the local infrastructure to support development on the scale proposed.

“The Committee has in effect agreed the LDP unamended while attaching a wish list of housing site adjustments which the reporter may or may not pay any attention to.”

Murphy: ‘Overwhelmed by history and by circumstance’

‘We will be again the change that working people need’ – Scottish Labour leader Jim Murphy

Scottish Labour leader Jim Murphy has responded to his party’s near wipeout in yesterday’s general election by promising to fight to make Labour the natural voice for working people once again.

Time is not on his side. The party that has dominated the Scottish political scene for so long – in the industrial heartlands it’s said they used to weigh the Labour votes, not count them – has been reduced to one solitary MP: and the Scottish Parliamentary Elections are just a year away.

Mr Murphy, who lost his own East Renfrewshire seat last night, divides opinion both inside and outside the Labour Party, but it will come as no surprise to many that he’s decided to tough it out while Ed Miliband, Nick Clegg and Nigel Farage (perhaps!) have called it a day.

He’s a fighter is oor Jim, and in a typically combative message to members said Labour will bounce back after having been ‘overwhelmed by history and by circumstance’:

Firstly, thank you.

Thousands of members and activists worked so hard for Labour across Scotland and across the UK for a Labour Government. Your dedication is extraordinary.

I want to thank the 700,000 people across Scotland who voted Labour yesterday. Those people voted for the most radical Scottish Labour manifesto in a generation.

We are coming to terms with a dreadful night for our party.

Far worse than that we have the realisation of a terrible day for Scotland, and for working class people across the UK, as David Cameron forms another government.

The friends and colleagues lost have been faithful servants to our party and forceful advocates for their constituents.

But this isn’t about us. It isn’t about individual’s careers.

Because while we have lost seats the thing that hurts most is the loss of hope that will be felt as we face another five years of a government totally lacking in vision and compassion.

I didn’t stand for leader out of a sense of personal ambition. I stood because I knew that Scottish Labour after losing in 2007 and 2011 and after the emotional hangover of the referendum faced the biggest challenge in our 127 year history.

As Leader I wanted to take responsibility for meeting these challenges and I still do.

Our campaign was energetic and professional on the ground.

But we have been overwhelmed by history and by circumstance. We make no excuses. A party can never blame the electorate.

Scotland deserves a stronger Scottish Labour Party. Working class people need the party back on its feet.

So where now for Scottish Labour?

We have to start from our strengths. And here the success of the SNP strategy offers us a guide on how to move forward.

‘We have been beaten by a party who claimed our heritage, clothed themselves in our values, and copied many of our policies.

We will take confidence in the principles behind our policies and we will renew and retarget them for the Scottish election.

With less than a year to the Scottish Parliament elections. We cannot afford another period of introspection.

People need Labour now.

They need a strong opposition.

They need us to be what we have always been at our best: a voice for working people.

This morning as the sun rose we were hurting.

But in a morning like this, before too long.

We will bounce back.

We will again be the change that working people need.

A message from Mark Lazarowicz

I would like to thank all those who gave me their support in the general election held on 7 May. I was proud of the way we took our message to every street in every part of Edinburgh North & Leith, and although we were unsuccessful, I am sure that the efforts of our team were one of the reasons why I received more votes in 2015 than in the 2010 election.

I have been extremely privileged to have been able to serve the people of Edinburgh North & Leith as their representative in Parliament since 2001, and I thank them for giving me that opportunity.

I congratulate the successful candidate Deidre Brock on her victory. Like all MPs, she can be contacted at the House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA, switchboard 0207 219 3000.

My constituency office will now close down, and as I am no longer an MP I will not be able to deal with any constituency work. However, Malcolm Chisholm MSP continues to have his constituency office at 5 Croall Place, Leith Walk and can be contacted for any Scottish Parliament matters in the Edinburgh Northern & Leith constituency.

General Election: Edinburgh results in full

The UK Parliamentary General Election results for Edinburgh’s five constituencies have been announced.

The Members of Parliament for each constituency are listed in full below and full details of the results are on the Council website:

Edinburgh East Constituency: Tommy Sheppard, SNP

Edinburgh North & Leith Constituency: Deidre Leanne Brock, SNP

Edinburgh South Constituency: Ian Murray, Labour

Edinburgh South West Constituency: Joanna Catherine Cherry, SNP

Edinburgh West Constituency: Michelle Rhonda Thompson SNP

Speaking earlier this morning, Returning Officer Sue Bruce (above) said: “I’d like to pay tribute to the work of the Council’s election team who have put months of hard work and planning into delivering the election. I would also like to thank Police Scotland, the candidates and their agents and the media for working constructively with us to conduct proceedings properly and efficiently.”

“This is the first time the EICC has been the venue for an election count and I would like to thank Marshall Dallas, Chief Executive, and his team for all their support.”

Turnout: 73.01%
Electorate: 357718
Votes cast: 261165

For further details of the results and the General Election, please see the Elections section of the Council website.