Keir welcomes airport’s record success

2014 was another record-breaking year for Edinburgh Airport, with a total of 10,174,684 passengers flying from the airport over the year – a 4% increase on 2013. Colin Keir, MSP for Edinburgh Western constituency which includes Edinburgh Airport, welcomed the news and said the airport is a ‘global success story’.

The airport passed the historic 10 milion mark on 23 December.

Mr Keir said: “Despite difficult trading conditions, Scotland’s busiest airport continues to grow. Perhaps the most impressive statistic is the 89% rise in direct long haul flights. Along with the environmental advantages of direct flying the passenger gets a better deal by cutting down on the obscene Air Passenger Duty (APD) which they would be required to pay if they use another UK airport such as Heathrow.

“I’m delighted that passengers are voting with their feet and using this, one of the capital’s business assets. I am aware of the major financial investment made at the airport as well as the efforts of management and staff to produce a first class experience for travellers. When the airport works well it has a tremendous knock-on effect to the local and national business community and, with more direct flights, business and tourist travellers benefit through lower costs and faster journeys. I welcome today’s great news and congratulate everyone who is making Edinburgh airport a global success story.”

Soapbox: A partly political broadside!

While the referendum was the big political story in Scotland last year, the rise and rise of UKIP hit the headines south of the border. Now it’s General Election year, and Broughton High School student ROSS COWPER thinks the country may be going backwards …

This is a party political broadcast by the UK independence party …

With the re-election of Mark Reckless to parliament in the Rochester and Strood by-election in November, it is safe to say that UKIP are gaining some ground in the political dog race.

Over the past year the party seemed to attract more and more under 30 year old’s to join them in getting rid of foreigners together, and turning good old Blighty back to the 50’s.

UKIP recently served up a slightly ironic new poster to the public, copying Russell Brand’s Revolution, which has turned the letters ‘evol’ around to spell ‘love’ – not something immediately thought of when thinking of UKIP!

Maybe UKIP are trying to appeal to Russell Brand’s younger audience (not necessarily supporters of Brand), in the hope of making them bigots from an early age. They will hopefully stay with the party to their dying day, where Britain is safe from those damn Europeans!

Perish the thought that if you went back far enough into a person’s history you will find they are actually originally through blood from southern France, for example, and not ‘truly English’ at all. No that would never do, it’s inconceivable!

So what can teens really expect under the ‘purple revolution’? It feels like I am repeating myself here but I guess that’s what UKIP wish. On their site the caption: ‘love Britain again’ and to accompany is the Winston Churchill’s famous ‘V for Victory’ gesture. Tell me again if I am repeating myself. Yes, it is great that Britain was part of the victory through World War Two, and Winston Churchill commanded that era, but you can’t go back and try to live off this forever – and if some people don’t like it, they’re seen as Nazi lovers! Seems like blackmail to me – and who are the real fascists now anyway?

I can’t imagine Russell Brand reacting positvely to this UKiP message; although he doesn’t think people should vote anyway, but instead rise up to challenge the establishment. Ironically this is where UKIP may have the upper hand: they don’t appear to be part of that ‘establishment’.

Farage has manifested himself (and his party) to look like a beer-swilling man of the people; people who know immigrants are to blame for all our troubles. If UKIP were a man, that man would be Farage, I guess.

UKIP supporters feel disenfranchised and believe that the political class ignores ordinary people, so why not change? I am all for change, to redistribute wealth, to help other countries in corrupt situations and for every human to have their rights.

I do want change, just not this change: I call UKIP’s change stepping backwards in time.

Scottish Greens welcome Greek green-left alliance

‘We stand in solidarity with the people of Greece in their fight for decent lives and against austerity’ – Cllr Maggie Chapman

Scottish Greens Co-Convener Maggie Chapman has welcomed the decision by the Greek Ecologist Greens to join SYRIZA, the Coalition of the Radical Left, ahead of the Greek general election on 25 January.

SYRIZA stand a good chance of winning the election, which is widely seen as a referendum on the austerity imposed by the ‘Troika’ of the European Central Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the European Commission.

Leith Walk ward city councillor Maggie Chapman, who is also Co-Convenor of the Scottish Greens, said: “The Scottish Greens welcome the decision of our Greek comrades to join SYRIZA, the Coalition of the Radical Left, ahead of this month’s election. SYRIZA are the party best placed to end the worst cuts, and put Greece back on the road to democracy.

“At our conference last year, the Scottish Greens made clear that we are totally opposed to the austerity being imposed on Greece and other European countries. We stand in solidarity with the people of Greece in their fight for decent lives and against austerity. “

Lazarowicz: government ‘lacks vision’ on renewable energy

Mark Lazarowicz has called for the Government to show consistency and vision to support renewable energy technologies such as offshore wind or marine power. Speaking in the House of Commons yesterday, the North and Leith Labour MP said both are currently lacking in its approach to the renewables industry.

After the debate, Mr Lazarowicz commented: “I am concerned at a lack of consistency and vision from the Government in its approach to green energy: it has the potential to create skilled jobs for the future, not least here in Edinburgh.

“Support for less established technologies like offshore wind and marine energy in the early stages is vital but they are forced to compete for limited funding. The Government must show the vision to make their potential a reality otherwise these industries will go elsewhere and jobs with them.”

Pelamis Marine Power based in Edinburgh recently went into administration as funding to develop its technology at commercial scale failed to materialise.

The North and Leith MP was speaking in a debate on the Government’s Contracts for Difference – the new form of public funding for renewable technologies which is replacing the Renewables Obligation.

However, the funding is limited and divided between established technologies like onshore wind and solar and less established ones such as offshore wind and marine power with more of that budget likely to go to offshore wind.

Under Contracts for Difference companies are guaranteed a price – known as the strike price for the energy they generate. If the market price falls below that the Government will top up the difference and if it is higher then the energy companies must pay the difference to the Government.

You can find his speech in full here.

Soapbox: Revolution – or evolution of delusion?

So Russell Brand’s no longer just a comedian, he’s a campaigner. But like him or loathe him at least he makes you think, argues Broughton High School student ROSS COWPER:

Over the past year Russell Brand has become some sort of liberating Jesus for some younger people in particular.

Born 1975 in Gray’s Essex, Russell Brand decided from a relatively early age that to get out of the run down place he lived, he would have to ‘better’ himself by becoming rich, famous or even both.

Russel got his wish by presenting for MTV, but it was his excessive drug use that kept giving him problems in the infancy of his career. In 2008 he resigned from the BBC for a prank call to Andrew Sachs; soon most people were not taking him seriously, and it was’t because of his comedic status.

Over the last year, following his guest editing for the New Statesman, Russell took to a new step in his career and life. He’s changed his opinions: either because he is in a better circumstances, or genuinely thinks that money and fame is not the way out. Following a Jeremy Paxman interview on Newnight, Russell Brand’s words became viral overnight on Twitter.

Russell actively encouraged that, to bring about change, the British people should’t vote. He explained that there must be a “massive redistribution of wealth” and accused ‘big business’ as a major player in the world’s corrupt societies.

Since the release of his book on the 25 October, ‘Revolution’ has unquestionably came under fire from political commentators, reviewers and from some sections some of the public. In his book Russell Brand argues that politicians now have to bend over to the media 24/7, in an attempt to make sure they look desirable with indisputable charisma to become next in line to inherit the idiotic throne of what PM has become.

Over the last decade especially the position has been filled with awkward fake smiling ones, to who try appease the ‘great’ British public that Romanians are taking the biscuit now, and its time for the reclaiming of our land!

Now don’t get me wrong, there are some good politicians out there, but many TV voxpop interviews in town centres show people saying they think all politicians don’t do a good job, or any job for that matter – it seems almost a disease to think that one could actually help you.

It does appear that some at the Guardian, the Daily Mail and the Telegraph do not agree with what Russell says in his book: he has been questioned on his books content – or for the lack of it. It can also be said that many of these political commentators are from higher class backgrounds, and they do have pacts to keep with certain parties after all. So who could blame them, they do have a job to keep!

So with Russell Brand posing different questions, and to this higher classed level of politicians, he may not have the most expanded substance in certain chapters of his book, but he is making a considerable noise.

I think it is the challenging the social norm of the political business-minded elite that are frightened of (especially the commentators). This is precisely why there has been so much noise recently over the matter; not the ‘revolution’ as such, but potential talk of change for poorer people in Britain.

In my opinion the book does contain some fallacies, but it is about learning the horrid inequality and wrongly distribution power of wealth. If anyone can get that through to people by even having to use the word ‘revolution’, then they have done something most politicians can’t.

Britain may be a long way away from the uprising, and the discarding of a golden statue of David Cameron put up by taxpayers money but ripped from it’s foundations by the people. We may be waiting some time …

New Year … and the gloves are off already

2015 is a General Election year and the Westminster parties are off to a flying start – David Cameron, Ed Miliband and Nick Clegg have all issued New Year messages to kick off their campaigns.

In a video message, Prime Minister David Cameron insists the government’s economic plan is working and said Britain faces a choice between ‘competence and chaos’.

Ed Miliband, however, says people he has spoken to all across the country are desperate for change and he has promised an economic recovery that reaches people’s “kitchen table” if he becomes Prime Minister in May.

And Nick Clegg’s getting in on the act too …

Never mind, only five more months campaigning to go until the election … Happy New Year!

MP calls for fair deal for bmi staff

Debate raises pensions puzzle

Edinburgh North & Leith MP Mark Lazarowicz MP led a debate in Parliament today to call for pensions justice for bmi staff.

A number of bmi staff – some of whom are Edinburgh-based – saw their pensions significantly reduced after takeovers first by Lufthansa, then by IAG, the group that includes British Airways.

Lufthansa is paying compensation to members of the bmi pension fund but it is to be subject to tax and National Insurance by HMRC. One constituent lost out substantially because of this and contacted the North & Leith MP: their discussion resulted in today’s Westminster debate.

Speaking after the debate, Mr Lazarowicz said: Longstanding staff, some of them based here in Edinburgh, have seen their pensions cut significantly and are now losing out again as the compensation is taxed by HMRC.

“The Government has said it has no choice but to apply the tax rules but it is the Government itself and Parliament that decide what the tax rules are.

“This is a matter of justice and has much wider implications for pensions: if a perfectly solvent company takes over another solvent company with pension liabilities, how is it possible for both companies to be freed of responsibility for those pension liabilities?

“The Government should act to allow bmi staff to receive the compensation in full – employee pensions built up over years should not be wiped away amidst commercial wheeling and dealing.”

When bmi was sold to Lufthansa in 2009 there was no obligation on it to fund the pension scheme although it was prepared to continue to do so to a limited degree. When Lufthansa then sold bmi to IAG in 2012, the pension fund was excluded from the deal.

At that point it entered the public Pension Protection Fund which does not pay all of the pension entitlement built up where staff have not yet reached retirement and some staff have lost as much as 50% of their entitlement even after the Lufthansa compensation.

In the case of Equitable Life, the Government decided to pay compensation tax-free to those members who lost out and in another taxation issue, improvements to listed buildings, it set up a fund to compensate for the imposition of VAT.

Sturgeon ‘confident’ over votes for young people

Entente cordiale over votes for 16 and 17 year olds

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has expressed confidence that the powers necessary to allow 16 and 17 year-olds to vote will be devolved to Holyrood in time for the next Scottish Parliament elections.

Speaking outside Number 10 Downing Street yesterday after her first meeting with Prime Minister David Cameron since she took office, Ms Sturgeon said she believed both Scottish and UK governments would give the matter the required focus to allow the franchise to be extended before the 2016 vote.

The First Minister said the talks had been “constructive and cordial” and that there was a will on behalf of both governments to work together in the interests of the people in Scotland.

But she warned that the early devolution of the necessary powers via a Section 30 order, would offer a significant early test of Westminster’s desire to implement the wider Smith Commission proposals.

The First Minister said: “The talks with the Prime Minister in Downing Street were constructive and cordial. Clearly David Cameron and I have big political differences and different views on the constitutional future of Scotland, but there was a real appetite on the part of both to find ways of working together in the interests of the people of Scotland.

“Following the meeting, I am confident that we now have the basis of a deal on the necessary devolution of powers to extend the franchise to 16 and 17 year-olds in time for the 2016 election, giving us the opportunity to build on the huge success of the engagement we saw in the referendum.

“But we need to move quickly if this is going to happen. We need to see a Section 30 order that will transfer the legal power to the Scottish Parliament before Westminster breaks up for the General Election to give us the requisite time to enact primary legislation. Following my discussions today, I think that timetable has been accepted and we now need to see a focus by both governments to make it happen.”

Ms Sturgeon added: “The process necessary to transfer the franchise powers is not just important because it will extend the right to vote to 16 and 17 year olds in Scotland. It offers a significant early test of the desire on the part of Westminster to implement the wider proposals contained within the Smith Commission.

“Given the goodwill outlined by both parties during today’s discussions, there is no reason that the focus and desire to take forward this particular change so swiftly should not be extended to the rest of the Commission’s recommendations.”

Downing Street said the first official meeting between the two leaders had been ‘very cordial and constructive’.

A spokesperson said: “They discussed the Smith Commission’s recommendation on the Scottish Parliament having the power to extend the vote to 16 and 17 year olds, and the Prime Minister told the First Minister that he will do all he can to ensure 16 and 17 year olds can vote in next Holyrood elections.

“They also agreed to establish a joint ministerial working group with UK and Scottish Government ministers to look at practical implementation and transitional issues around Department for Work and Pensions programmes.

“The Prime Minister made clear that he wants to work with the First Minister, forging even stronger ties between our governments and our Parliaments and working together on the big issues for the future of Scotland and the United Kingdom.”

Benefit Cap: 'a clear incentive to work'?

The benefit cap is providing a clear incentive to work, according to new research released by the Department for Work and Pensions today. However opponents say welfare reforms have damaged society and have not produced savings promised by the government.

The Westminster government says it has long suspected that the benefit cap was having a positive impact on people’s lives, compelling them to find work, and that the publications ‘now show this is undoubtedly the case’.

The benefit cap was introduced as part of the government’s long-term economic planso that people on out-of-work benefits do not receive more than the average working family earns.

The research shows that:

those who would be impacted by the cap are 41% more likely to go into work than a similar group who fall just below the cap’s level, but this trend didn’t exist before the cap was in place – indeed those with higher weekly benefit used to be less likely to move into work
before the benefit cap fewer than 300 of the highest claiming families got over £9 million in benefits every year – the cap is preventing this and saving millions of pounds a year
38% of those capped said they were doing more to find work, a third were submitting more applications and 1 in 5 went to more interviews
where households said they intended to seek work because of the cap in February 2014 (45%) by August the vast majority of them (85%) had done so – 2 in 5 (40%) of those who said they had looked for work because of the cap in February actually entered employment by August.

Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith said: “We know that the benefit cap has had a real impact in changing attitudes and behaviours, and now we have evidence showing that our welfare reforms are encouraging people into work.

“By putting an end to runaway benefit claims and introducing a system which guarantees you will always be better off in work, we are incentivising people find employment. Every month hundreds of people who have been affected by the cap are making the positive move into work – gaining the financial security and esteem that comes with a job and a pay packet.

“As part of our long-term economic plan, we’ll continue to support people to break free from welfare dependency so they can look forward to a better, more secure future for themselves and their families”.

The DWP cites London as a good example of the policy working.

‘In London where the highest number of people are subject to the benefit cap, scare stories claimed that people would be pushed out of the capital. In actuality, of those capped households living in inner London that moved, 84% continued to live in the central boroughs. In London there is also larger likelihood of capped households moving into work with those in scope for the cap being 70% more likely to go into work than their equivalents just below the cap’.

One interviewee in the research said: “It gave me the shock of my life. But it’s given me the kick I need. I can see what the gentleman was saying, why should we pay for your lifestyle. We should want to work. We shouldn’t sit on our backsides watching Jeremy Kyle. I genuinely do want to work.”

While the government may believe it is on the right track, it’s fair to say that not everyone is convinced that the controversial cap is working, however. Trades Unions, disability rights organisations, charities, anti-poverty campaign groups, churches and opposition political parties all continue to condemn the government’s ‘draconian’ welfare reforms. They point to record numbers of families using food banks as evidence that the welfare reforms are hurting poor families – both in work and on benefits.

There’s also doubt about how much – or how little – money is being saved by the welfare reforms. Today, the Institute for Fiscal Studies said savings from the cap were ‘small’. They say the cap affects about 27,000 families in the UK – less than 1% of working-age families who receive housing benefits – and saved around £100m a year.

More about the benefit cap

Introduced in April 2013 the benefit cap is set at a rate of no more than £500 a week for couples and families and £350 for single people – £500 a week is equivalent to a salary of £34,000 a year after tax.

Over 50,000 households have had their benefits capped since April 2013 and since then 23,900 are no longer impacted – 12,000 because they have found work or are no longer claiming Housing benefit at all.

Burgess: 'Westminster has failed fuel poor'

Scottish Government calls on UK to do more to address fuel poverty

Housing Minister Margaret Burgess has demanded Westminster do more to cut fuel bills for vulnerable households as new figures show higher energy prices pushed more people into fuel poverty in 2013.

Mrs Burgess has asked the UK Government to urgently increase the £140 a year Warm Homes Discount that helps low income households.

The Scottish House Condition Survey, published yesterday, shows a seven per cent increase in fuel prices between 2012 and 2013 led to 100,000 more households living in fuel poverty.

Fuel bills have now risen nearly six times faster than household incomes since 2003.

Scottish Government spending on domestic energy efficiency, which is £94 million this year and next, has already made hundreds of thousands of homes warmer and cheaper to heat and, as the report indicates, has helped to mitigate the rise in fuel poverty.

Mrs Burgess said: “Fuel prices rose by an inflation-busting seven per cent in 2013, pushing more people into fuel poverty. The fact that this is happening in an energy-rich country is scandalous.

“We have invested over £300 million since 2009 to make fuel poor homes more energy efficient. This year and next, we are spending £94 million to improve energy efficiency. Around one in three Scottish households, over 700,000, have now benefited from measures like new boilers or insulation.

“These statistics make clear that without action to improve energy efficiency, which is our responsibility, price increases would have put even more households into fuel poverty in 2013.

“So the Scottish Government is doing what it can, but we don’t control prices and don’t have any powers over ECO or the Warm Homes Discount.

“Fuel costs have risen six times faster than incomes since 2003, while the UK Government’s fiscal policies since June 2010 will leave the poorest 20 per cent of households worse off by the equivalent of £441 per year in 2015-16. We will mitigate against this where possible but we know there are further cuts to come.

“That is why we are calling on the UK Government to increase the Warm Homes Discount and fund that increase centrally. That would give immediate relief to the lowest income households and those on benefits and go some way to lifting people out of fuel poverty this winter.”

Patrick Harvie, Scottish Green MSP for Glasgow and a member of Holyrood’s economy and energy committee, called for major investment in energy-efficient housing as statistics confirmed that the Government will fail its target of ending fuel poverty by 2016.

The latest figures show that 36 per cent of housing is in urgent disrepair, with 51 per cent of private housing failing the Scottish Housing Quality Standard. The biggest reason for houses failing is ‘Not Energy Efficient’.

Patrick Harvie MSP said: “Energy efficient homes should be a national infrastructure priority and I will continue to press for this to feature in the forthcoming Scottish budget. It would help create thousands of high quality jobs while also tackling fuel poverty.

“We also need college courses and well-paid modern apprenticeships in energy efficiency. Fuel prices and profiteering by the energy companies must be urgently tackled across the UK, but unless the Scottish Government also steps up investment we’ll miss out on the potential for energy efficiency jobs in Scotland.”