I welcome the comments made by First Minister John Swinney on the issue of the burqa and, in particular, his clear statement that women should be free to choose what they want to wear (writes FOYSOL CHOUDHURY).
In Scotland, we should be proud of being a diverse and multicultural country where people are free to practise their faith, express their culture, and make their own personal choices without unnecessary interference from the state.
My Work in Parliament
I have consistently raised these vital issues in the Scottish Parliament to ensure our legislation, debates, and public policy reflect our core values of equality, personal autonomy, and human rights. Through parliamentary questions to the Scottish Government, I have formally challenged dangerous proposals to restrict religious dress and pressed Ministers on how they intend to safeguard minority communities.
Specifically, I have raised questions in Parliament pressing Ministers on:
Protecting Civil Liberties: What explicit measures the Scottish Government is taking to protect individual rights and ensure women retain the freedom to choose their own clothing free from state control or harassment.
Community Cohesion: How the Government is monitoring and mitigating the damaging impact that toxic political rhetoric and divisive debates have on minority communities across Scotland.
Tackling Hate Crime: What proactive steps are being taken to ensure women who choose to wear religious garments, such as the burqa or hijab, are protected from discrimination, harassment, and abuse in public spaces.
Stopping Political Hate and Division
It is deeply alarming to see some politicians actively using the floor of Parliament and public platforms to spread hate, target specific religious groups, and divide our communities.
When politicians play politics with people’s identity and faith, it is not harmless debate — it is dangerous, and it needs to be stopped.
Inciting Hatred and Division: Rhetoric that singles out Muslim women normalises Islamophobia and prejudice. It signals to the wider public that certain groups are acceptable targets for hostility.
Fueling Abuse on the Streets: Words spoken in Parliament have real-world consequences. Inflammatory political debates directly increase the risk of verbal and physical harassment faced by minority women in their everyday lives.
Undermining Democratic Trust: Politics should be about bringing people together to solve shared problems. When politicians use their platform to pit communities against one another, it erodes social trust and weakens the democratic principles of equality and mutual respect.
The Real Impact of Ban Proposals
Proposals to ban or restrict religious dress do not liberate anyone, they actively harm the women they purport to discuss.
Increasing Isolation: Rather than empowering women, dress bans risk forcing visually identifiable Muslim women out of public life, restricting their access to education, employment, and public services due to heightened fears for their safety.
Eroding Freedom for Everyone: Allowing the government or political parties to dictate what women can or cannot wear sets a dangerous precedent that undermines fundamental bodily autonomy and religious freedom for all citizens.
A Scotland Built on Freedom and Equality
For many women, religious and cultural clothing is an important part of their identity and faith. This is not unique to Muslim communities. Scotland is home to people from many different ethnic, cultural, and religious backgrounds, all of whom contribute enormously to the country we share.
We must reject attempts by politicians to divide us. We should be having a conversation about freedom, equality, and choice, not using the parliament to tell women what they can and cannot wear.
Women must have the right to decide what they wear for themselves. That freedom must apply equally to everyone, whether someone chooses to wear a burqa, hijab, turban, traditional cultural dress, or no religious clothing at all.
Scotland is strongest when everyone can feel that they belong.
Diversity is a strength to be celebrated, and protecting people’s freedom to express their faith and culture is fundamental to building a fair, safe, and inclusive society.
Foysol Choudhury MBE is a former Member of the Scottish Parliament & Shadow Minister for Culture, Europe and International Development
Meeting invite to turn principle into legal mechanism
First Minister John Swinney has written to Prime Minister Andy Burnham regarding his comments on the constitutional future of Scotland. The First Minister invited the PM to meet to turn the accepted principle into a legal mechanism for a referendum.
The full text of the First Minister’s letter to Prime Minister Andy Burnham:
Dear Andy
I am writing with regards to your comments at Prime Ministers Question’s in response to my colleague Chris Law MP’s question.
Earlier today, you said; “on that question of a border poll, it is to be considered by the Northern Ireland Secretary when there is a clear consensus in the country – when public opinion has changed to the point where the call has to be considered. I would say that it is exactly the same situation in Scotland.”
The Good Friday Agreement, as implemented in UK domestic law by the Northern Ireland Act 1998, makes clear that if it appears likely that a majority of people in Northern Ireland would vote for Irish unification, a referendum should be held.
Your acceptance of the fact that majority support for independence in Scotland also means that a referendum should take place is welcome.
I am encouraged that you have reconsidered your previous comments that the democratic right of the people of Scotland to choose their own future is “off limits.”
This is a long-overdue acceptance of the reality that the people of Scotland will decide their own future, not the UK Government, and a clear endorsement of the fact that the UK must be a voluntary union.
In May, the SNP won a historic and unprecedented fifth term in office, and the people of Scotland elected more pro-independence MSPs than at any point in the Parliament’s history.
Given that, the previous refusal of the UK Government to consider Scotland’s right to decide its own future was clearly unsustainable.
You have rightly identified that there must be a discussion about where power lies across these islands.
By concluding a clear, understandable mechanism, both sides of the constitutional debate can move forward constructively in the full knowledge of an agreed process by which the Scottish people can exercise their democratic right at a time of their choosing.
Now that you have agreed the principle that Scotland should have a referendum when it is likely that people would vote for independence, it is important for us to meet to discuss how we turn that principle into an agreed legal mechanism, as exists in Northern Ireland.
I have asked my office to take forward the necessary arrangements.
Tracy Gilbert MP has written to councillors ahead of the City of Edinburgh Council Transport and Environment Committee considering the city’s future tram network, warning Councillors that any moves to scrap tram proposals to Granton would entrench inequality and poverty in North Edinburgh.
Tomorrow (Thursday 10 September), Councillors on the Transport and Environment Committee will consider the Strategic Business Case for the Trams to Granton, the BioQuarter and beyond. The officer recommendations are to prioritise the southern section of the proposed tram extension.
Tracy Gilbert is concerned that communities in North Edinburgh, including some of the poorest areas of the city, could once again be left waiting for investment in public transport.
In her letter to councillors on the Transport and Environment Committee, she sets out the case for North Edinburgh to remain firmly within the city’s transport priorities and that a failure to progress trams to Granton could entrench inequality and poverty.
Tracy Gilbert MP said: “In part of my constituency the economic and social benefits of the trams are realised every day. That lived experience and the Strategic Business Case being considered by the Council’s Transport and Environment Committee this week makes the strong case for investment in both the South and North to spread these benefits further.
“Trams to Granton would directly serve three of the 5% most deprived communities in Scotland and six of the 10% most deprived. We are talking about communities that already face significant inequalities, where access to reliable, affordable public transport can open opportunities for training education and employment.
“That is why I have written to councillors ahead of this week’s committee meeting. I am very clear that a failure to realise the ambition of the trams that has been shared by a number of political parties over the last three decades will entrench inequality and poverty in Granton, Pilton and Muirhouse.
“I hope that Councillors will make the ambitious decision this week. Either way I will continue making the case for the strategic investment needed in Granton, Muirhouse and Pilton because our communities deserve better.”
Ms Gilbert’s letter reads:
Since July 2024, I have had the privilege of representing Edinburgh North and Leith. In one part of the constituency the benefits of the trams to local people and businesses are being realised every day, in another part of the constituency the potential benefits of the tram are well known but need political support to become a reality.
Success of Trams to Newhaven
In and around Leith, Leith Walk and Newhaven local people and businesses have enjoyed the benefits of the tram since the extension to Newhaven was opened in June 2023. The recent closure of the line between the City Centre and Newhaven has perversely demonstrated the importance of the trams for connectivity and trade.
Over the tram closure I received a number of e-mails from residents on the increased difficulty they had in travelling to work and into the city centre generally. Most residents experienced severe delays on buses running through Newhaven, Ferry Road, the Shore, Easter Road and Leith Walk. In addition to delays, many buses were full before going up to the City Centre or leaving the City Centre before going along Leith Walk.
Similarly, although the deployment of an additional 200 Voi Bikes was welcome in the wake of the fire there was a tram to bike shift from constituents travelling to and from work which meant many Voi Bike stops were empty across Leith during the day.
In terms of the economic impact there was a visible decrease in the number of people visiting cafes, pubs and restaurants around the Shore and Leith Walk. I am aware that at least one pub and one restaurant have decided to close following the impact of poor summer sales for a second year in a row following Leith Connections project delays and now the impact of the trams.
Argonaut Books have shared data on their Instagram page which shows that in every August since 2022 their sales from July to August have increased. In August 2025, they had a 30% increase in sales compared to July 2025. However, the impact of the tram closure meant in August 2026 they saw a 5% decrease in sales compared to July 2026.
Over the last two months I have repeatedly heard from businesses and residents on the positive impact the trams have had on them. Many of those businesses and residents were sceptical in the past. This lived experience of the trams over the last few years for communities in Leith, Leith Walk, Newhaven and the Shore demonstrate the opportunity of following through on the vision that was developed through the early 2000s for trams in Edinburgh for the other side of my constituency in Edinburgh North and Leith
The Case for Trams to Granton
The Strategic Business Case for consideration by the Transport and Environment Committee makes the case for progressing the whole of the route. Due to my constituency interest, I will focus on the route to Granton.
The proposed routes through Roseburn and Orchard Brae meet the Transport Planning Objectives (TPOs) set in accordance with Strategic Transport Appraisal Guidance (STAG).
TPO1 – To support inclusive and sustainable economic growth
The route between the City Centre and Granton would increase connectivity of major centres of employment such as Craigleith Retail Park, Leonardos and the Western General to the City Centre and beyond. In reverse the increased connectivity would open up employment opportunities for residents in Granton, Muirhouse and Pilton.
A number of major employers in Edinburgh have informed me of the difficulty they have in recruiting people in this area due to the lack of direct public transport connections especially to accommodate shift work.
TPO2 – To respond to climate change, delivering net zero
The route between the City Centre and Granton would increase public transport connectivity between Granton, Muirhouse and Pilton and the West of the city. At present only one bus route serves these communities and the West to the Airport.
The tram extension would help provide the option for residents to use public transport rather than private cars for intra-city and airport journeys. The option would be extended to new residents in the community through the Granton Waterfront Development.
TPO3 – To promote equality and inclusion and help tackle the city’s housing emergency The route between the City Centre and Granton would drastically increase connectivity between the rest of the city and Edinburgh College (Granton Campus). The Campus delivers over 70 qualifications in hospitality, construction, travel operations and the arts with many of the qualifications essential for key growth areas for the city and not delivered at alternative campuses.
The route to Granton would directly service three communities in the 5% most deprived areas of Scotland according to the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) (Muirhouse – SO1008929 and SO1008930 and Granton South and Wardieburn – SO1008919) and directly service 6 communities in the 10% most deprived areas (adding Muirhouse SO1008933, Granton and Royston Mains – SO1008921 and Granton South and Wardieburn – SO1008918).
Furthermore, the route would directly serve 12 communities which are in the 20% most deprived communities in Scotland.
TPO4 – To improve health, wellbeing and safety and TPO5 – To protect and enhance our environment The route between the City Centre and Granton would improve connectivity for the whole city to the Western General which provides a range of medical specialisms including geriatric, infectious diseases, diabetes, stroke medicine and breast surgery for the whole of Edinburgh and is the regional cancer centre for the whole of the South East of Scotland.
The route could also see a major upgrade to the Roseburn Path which at present is poorly lit and unsafe during the dark.
In addition, there is considerable development planned across the area. The Granton Waterfront Development which will deliver 3,500 new homes and the Art Works which will help open up Scotland’s National Collection. Ensuring that the trams are extended to Granton will help the public transport network to cope with the increase in demand from these developments alone. A number of these public and private investments have been made on the understanding over the last two decades that the tram network would extend to Granton in one form or another.
Current Position
Despite widespread political support for the trams at various points over the last three decades, it is clear that political will for the route to Granton is falling. I also suspect that there will be calls at the Transport and Environment Committee to only proceed with the South route for trams to the Bioquarter.
Taking such a decision would entrench the inequality and poverty experienced by too many in Granton, Muirhouse and Pilton. Such a decision would be based on political will, not the facts. The Strategic Business Case sets out the performance of both the North route to Granton and the South route to the Bioquarter against the TPOs and the STAG criteria. The appraisals were favourable for both routes and is demonstrated by the analysis below.
Table 1: Analysis of Multi-Criteria Assessment Framework Scoring Framework for each route (Section 4.5.6 of Strategic Business Case)
Benefit/ Impact
Roseburn
Orchard Brae
South East Corridor
Major Benefit (+++)
2
0
2
Moderate Benefit (++)
9
6
10
Minor Benefit (+)
2
4
2
No benefit or impact (0)
1
6
1
Minor cost or negative impact (-)
1
2
3
Moderate cost or negative impact (–)
3
0
0
Major cost or negative impact (—)
0
0
0
Table 2: Analysis performance against STAG Criteria (Section 4.5.7 of Strategic Business Case)
Benefit/ Impact
Roseburn
Orchard Brae
South East Corridor
Major Benefit (+++)
3
2
3
Moderate Benefit (++)
8
7
7
Minor Benefit (+)
4
4
5
No benefit or impact (0)
5
3
3
Minor cost or negative impact (-)
1
6
5
Moderate cost or negative impact (–)
2
1
0
Major cost or negative impact (—)
0
0
0
Next Steps
At the Transport and Environment Committee on Thursday 10th September, I encourage Elected Members to proceed with the officer recommendations on Agenda Item 6.
For the past three decades there has been wide spread support for the vision and ambition for trams to run between the City Centre and Granton in one form or another. Councillors of many groups have championed the route over the past three decades because of the transformative benefits it can have for Granton, Pilton and Muirhouse. The legacy of those Councillors is a legacy of ambition, proceeding
with the officer recommendations allows that ambition to take a further step in being realised. Tearing up that ambition would entrench inequality and poverty, particularly in Granton, Muirhouse and Pilton and would be a dereliction of responsibility by Councillors.
I hope you will take the ambitious decision for Granton, Pilton and Muirhouse and the whole of Edinburgh on Thursday.
Yours sincerely,
Tracy Gilbert MP
Member of Parliament for Edinburgh North and Leith
Chris Murray MP has welcomed the official opening of the Edinburgh Innovation Hub at Queen Margaret University, a major new centre for innovative businesses which has received £28.6 million in UK Government funding.
Chris Murray MP attended the launch of the new Hub, opened by Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Scotland Melanie Ward and Scottish Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Tourism and Transport Stephen Flynn.
The £40 million Edinburgh Innovation Hub is a joint venture between East Lothian Council and Queen Margaret University (QMU), and forms the first phase of the planned Edinburgh Innovation Park.
It is part of the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal. It is supported by £28.6 million from the UK Government,£1.4 million from the Scottish Government and £10 million from East Lothian Council.
The new facility provides specialist laboratory, office, meeting and conference space for innovative businesses, with a particular focus on life sciences, food and drink, technology, start-ups and related sectors.
The Hub has already welcomed companies including Forge Minerals, Aurora Avionics and Riverwood Ecology, with a further life sciences company recently signing a lease to move around 40 employees into the facility.
The opening represents a significant investment in Edinburgh and the region’s innovation economy and is intended to support the growth of high-value businesses and create highly skilled employment.
Chris Murray MP said:“It was fantastic to be at the opening of the Edinburgh Innovation Hub and to see the businesses already making use of this impressive new facility.
“This part of Scotland has been short-changed for too long, with not enough Government support to create the jobs of the future.
“So as the local MP, I am delighted to see such significant UK Government investment, driven by our brilliant Scottish Labour Ministers. This money will help to create opportunities for innovative businesses to scale up and deliver high-skilled jobs right here in Edinburgh and East Lothian.
“Andy Burnham and the Labour Government are determined to deliver growth and invest in good jobs in the industries of the future, and the Edinburgh Innovation Hub is a great example of what that ambition looks like in practice.
“We have an enormous amount of talent and potential across Edinburgh and Musselburgh, across life sciences, technology, aerospace, environmental innovation and more. This Hub will allow this talent to build the businesses of the future right here in Musselburgh.
“I look forward to working with the Hub, Queen Margaret University, the Scottish Government, East Lothian Council and the UK Government to make sure that potential is realised.”
UK Government Minister for Scotland Melanie Ward MP said:“The opening of the Edinburgh Innovation Hub is a vital step in backing Scottish innovation and building a modern, resilient economy.
“Significant UK Government investment of over £28 million is giving start-ups the specialised lab space they need to accelerate breakthroughs, scale up quickly, and create high-skilled jobs across the region.
“This project shows the tangible impact of targeted UK Government support. While the Hub acts as a flagship engine for the regional economy, its impact links directly into communities right across Scotland.
“By connecting cutting-edge innovation with national supply chains – from Scotland’s space sector to freshwater ecology – we are using targeted regional investments to bring growth, high-skilled jobs, and economic opportunities to every postcode across Scotland.”
Action to be taken on cost of living, local regeneration and essential services to drive down costs and support families.
Taskforces will tackle the immediate priorities of the public, building on action already taken including cutting bus fares and cracking down on subscription traps.
First Secretary of State, Louise Haigh to drive forward work across government to develop local solutions for local communities.
Three new cross-government taskforces are being launched in the new Office for the Prime Minister & Cabinet, tackling systemic issues like the cost of living and public control of essentials and supporting local communities.
The three taskforces will coordinate departments and ministers, focusing on the priorities set out by the Prime Minister to Cabinet yesterday.
The priorities will be driven forward by First Secretary of State, Louise Haigh, who will work across central and local government – including with regional Mayors as the government continues to pass powers from Westminster.
Immediate action will focus on challenging everyday rip-offs, the visible decline of local town centres and the failure of many privatised utilities to deliver basic services at a fair price.
First Secretary of State Louise Haigh said: “The Prime Minister has been clear that the government’s priorities are the public’s priorities.
“This is about putting people back in control of the things that matter most to them and ensuring that the everyday essentials are more affordable and more accountable.”
Based in the Office for the Prime Minister and Cabinet, the taskforces will be fully integrated with No10 and across government to deliver the change the public rightly expect to see.
Details on the three priorities and taskforces:
Cost of Living
On the cost of living, earning back public trust begins with understanding the pressures facing families at the kitchen table. Action has already been taken in this area, including cuts to bus fares, support with energy bills and cracking down on subscription traps, but we must go further.
The taskforce will look to address the long term issues facing families, many of which have too often fallen through the cracks.
Public Control
For decades, the essential services that underpin daily life – housing, water, energy and transport – have suffered from over-privatisation, leading to high costs for the public. The Government is clear that the public has a right to expect these services to be affordable and accountable.
The public control taskforce will rewire the state, examining how public control across those four sectors can be utilised to return them to public service, and bring down costs for families. Looking at areas including market reform that could support these aims.
Community Renewal
Our communities have been left behind, high streets falling into disrepair, rubbish piling up at the sides of our streets – we will reverse that, improving people’s everyday experience of where they live.
Working with local leaders, we will create a genuine plan to rebuild Britain, not just replicating high street strategies that have gone before, ensuring communities are supported to drive through solutions, and deliver growth in every postcode.
Alyn Smith has been announced as the new Minister for Innovation, Technology & Tertiary Education.
Subject to parliamentary agreement and the approval of His Majesty the King, Mr Smith will succeed Ben Macpherson, who stepped down last week.
The First Minister made the appointment via video call as Mr Smith is currently suffering a minor illness.
The First Minister said: “I am very pleased to appoint Alyn Smith as Minister-designate for Innovation, Technology & Tertiary Education.
“Alyn is one of the most experienced parliamentarians in the UK, having served in both the European and UK Parliaments before being elected as an MSP. He has broad international experience and has shown long-term interest in skills, universities and colleges.
“Scotland’s future prosperity will be built on the talent of our people, the strength of our universities and colleges, and our ability to turn world-class ideas into jobs, investment and opportunity.
“My new Programme for Government sets out an ambitious agenda for post-school learning and development – from protecting free university tuition, expanding apprenticeships and delivering a new national skills plan, to supporting university research and spin-outs, and connecting business with academic institutions to drive innovation and growth.
“Alyn will work closely with Màiri McAllan to drive that agenda, working across government with other ministers and in partnership with industry and the education and skills sectors to deliver for Scotland’s people, communities and businesses.”
Mr Smith studied Law and European Law at the University of Leeds and completed a Masters degree in European Studies at the College of Europe in Warsaw. After teaching English in India and working with Scotland Europa in Brussels, he qualified as a lawyer and practised commercial law in London and Edinburgh.
In 2002, Mr Smith joined the office of Richard Lochhead MSP before becoming an adviser to the SNP Group in the Scottish Parliament on European, justice and business policy. He was elected as a Member of the European Parliament for Scotland in 2004 and was re-elected in 2009, 2014 and 2019.
Mr Smith served as Member of Parliament for Stirling from 2019 to 2024 before being elected as the MSP for Stirling in May 2026.
Patients will receive better care, with shorter waits, as a result of the most significant structural reform of our NHS in the devolution era, First Minister John Swinney announced yesterday, as he unveiled a major modernisation programme of Scotland’s public services.
Setting out his Programme for Government, the First Minister pledged that all the actions of his government would be focused on delivering lasting improvements to people’s lives as he presented a package of measures to help with the cost-of-living crisis.
The First Minister said the Scottish Government would also continue to drive improvements in the priority areas of eradicating child poverty, growing the economy, investing in public services and tackling the climate emergency as he outlined work to reduce NHS waiting times and action to tackle violence against women and girls.
Key announcements include:
Replacing the current 14 territorial health boards with two strategic health boards which – alongside other measures – will free up more time and capacity for treatment
Delivering a national breakfast club for all primary schools from August 2027 and, by 2031, providing childcare support 52 weeks a year for children from nine months old to the end of primary school
Tackling poverty by increasing the Scottish Child Payment to £40 per week for eligible babies under 1 during 2027-28
Investing £205 million in winter heating payments for pensioners, families with disabled children and struggling households
Recognising that hostility to women and girls is a serious societal problem by defining misogyny as a distinct form of prejudice and abuse
Expanding the £2 bus fare cap beyond the Highlands and Islands to the Strathclyde Partnership for Transport area from Monday 7 September followed by a national roll-out by the end of this Parliament
Improving public services by removing unnecessary duplication and overlap, getting resources more directly to the frontline services
Over the next three months, with partners, reach a clear shared direction on substantial reform tolocal governance, including social care
Bringing the national environment public bodies into a single overarching body to make environmental interventions more impactful
Supporting better jobs and higher incomes by making Scotland a better place to invest and do business
First Minister John Swinney said: “This ambitious Programme for Government has radical and widespread public service reform at its heart to deliver real, lasting improvements to people’s lives.
“By rewiring a system of services designed for the last century, we will simplify and reshape organisations on which everyone relies and ensure every pound of investment achieves maximum impact.
“As we do so, we will build on the most generous cost of living package anywhere in the UK while continuing to tackle inequality, poverty and division.
“This is a Programme for Government to deliver a fairer, healthier and more prosperous nation.”
The First Minister also stated that Scotland would only reach its full potential by becoming an independent nation.
“We will give the leadership for Scotland to decide her own future and advance our belief that Scotland will be better off with Independence.”
The First Minister also confirmed Scottish Government plans to introduce nine Bills over the course of 2026-27:
Budget Bill
Buildings (Heating and Energy Performance) and Heat Networks (Scotland) Bill
Council Tax (Scotland) Bill
Damages (Scotland) Bill
Food Prices (Scotland) Bill
Football Banning Orders (Scotland) Bill
Legal Aid (Scotland) Bill
Misogyny (Criminal Law) (Scotland Bill
Public Service Renewal (Scotland) Bill
REACTION:
Peter Kelly of Scotland’s Poverty Alliance commented: “It was good to hear a promise to eradicate child poverty – and we welcome the further development of the Whole Family Wellbeing approach.
“However, we know that secure, adequate incomes are the bedrock of efforts to eradicate poverty. That means progressively increasing the Scottish Child Payment to £55 a week by the end of this Parliament.
Without that scale of change, it’s hard to see how the First Minister will keep that promise to Scotland’s children.”
COSLA President, Councillor Shona Morrison, has responded to Scottish Government’s Programme for Government announcement:“Today’s Programme for Government is a significant statement of the Scottish Government’s priorities, and we will take time to consider its detail carefully.
“There are important implications for local government and council services, particularly the proposed NHS reforms and what they will mean for the future delivery of social care.
“Over the coming days, COSLA will engage closely with our member councils and with Scottish Ministers to ensure these proposals are focused on what is best for communities across Scotland and respect the democratic legitimacy of local government.
“Public services work best when decisions are taken as close to communities as possible. We look forward to meaningful engagement with the Scottish Government and believe that the dialogue on the future of local governance must be carried forward with councils and COSLA as the collective voice of local government.”
Jonathan Carr-West, Chief Executive, Local Government Information Unit (LGIU),said: “While we welcome the focus on reforming the public sector to make it work better for citizens, LGIU is concerned that two concurrent, three-month consultations on the restructuring of local government and the reform of social care mean the views and expertise of the local government sector will not be adequately represented.
“Local government reorganisation is a serious undertaking. And it will be impossible to achieve without an agenda to save local government finances, which is conspicuously absent from this Programme.
“The Scottish Government should enter this endeavour with the expectation that it will be hard, and that making a success of it will be impossible without buy-in from across the sector and clear aims about what the desired outcomes are.
“The same is true with social care. The last major social care reform attempt was the introduction of the National Care Service, the structural part of which failed in part because of limited engagement with local government.
“We appreciate the Government’s newfound urgency to tackle both the social care crisis and empower the regional and local tiers of government, but it is hard to see how a three-month sprint to round off decades-old debates will ensure that all relevant voices are heard.”
In response to the Programme for Government, Mary Glasgow, Chief Executive of Children First said: “We are delighted that our calls for whole family support, investment in a national Bairns Hoose programme, a public health approach to online harm and a greater emphasis on prevention have been included in today’s Programme for Government.
“Prevention is rightly at the heart of the Scottish Government’s ambitions, but it’s been the goal for more than 15 years. The gap between policy intent and the reality of children’s lives has never been wider. The First Minister will understand why people are impatient for change.
“It is disappointing that the specific, funded commitments needed to put Scotland back on track to meet its child poverty targets have not been included. We do not need further reviews or consultations – the next budget must deliver the action and investment children and families need.
“Children First share the Scottish Government’s aim for every child to live free from poverty, safe from harm and for children’s rights to be protected at every stage.
“We look forward to working alongside the Scottish Government and hope that local government, partners and communities will make the same commitment, because it will take everybody to close the gap between what Scotland says and what Scotland does.”
Billy Alexander, Associate Director for the Stroke Association in Scotland, said:“We welcome today’s commitment from First Minister, to ensure every stroke patient in Scotland who needs a thrombectomy gets one – regardless of the time or day. Whilst long overdue, this way could herald a genuine turning point for stroke care in Scotland.
“Thrombectomy is a lifechanging treatment that can mean the difference between someone returning to an independent life or living with significant long-term disability. Yet, all too often, the time or place someone has their stroke can determine whether they receive it.
“The test now will be implementation. We need a clear, sustainable, robustly funded, and time-bound plan that delivers equitable access to thrombectomy around the clock and across the country.
“That same level of ambition is also needed to drive wider improvements across stroke care, from the point of emergency and treatment through to rehabilitation and long-term recovery. Only then will every stroke survivor in Scotland be properly supported to live well after stroke.”
Debbie Horne, Scotland Policy and Public Affairs Manager of older people’s charity Independent Age, said: “We welcome the Scottish Government’s commitment to tackling the cost of living crisis.
“At Independent Age, we hear every day from older people being squeezed by rising costs. Action is urgently required to support the 130,000 pensioners currently in poverty in Scotland.
“We know that too often the social security system fails to reach the older people who need it most, with hundreds of millions of pounds going unpaid every year. Commitments today to maximise the take-up of social security payments hold real potential to boost incomes for older people in financial hardship and we look forward to working with the Scottish Government to progress this welcome and vital work.
“Today’s announcement that the Heat in Buildings Bill will be introduced and the commitment to ongoing winter heating support for pensioners is also very important. Our research has shown that almost 4 in 5 older people on a low income have cut back on heating, so it’s clear that measures to improve the energy efficiency of homes and support older people with energy costs is urgently needed.
“Despite these positive steps, to meaningfully tackle the range of issues facing the one in eight older people in Scotland who live in poverty, we need sustained strategic action to boost incomes and reduce costs through a national pensioner poverty strategy. In a wealthy and fair society, both the Scottish and UK Governments must do more to make sure every older person can live well.”
The British Dental Association Scotland has expressed its profound scepticism that plans for wholesale reform of Scotland’s health boards represents a silver bullet and has called for forensic scrutiny from MSPs.
Today First Minister John Swinney told the Scottish Parliament that “to ensure more joined-up delivery, to improve access to care and to reduce inequality for some patients” the fourteen current health boards would be reduced to two. While the professional body is wholly supportive of these objectives, following publication of the Programme for Government it is unclear how any of them will be achieved via these proposals.
The BDA will be addressing the Health, Care and Sport Committee this week, stressing the risk of unintended consequences.
BDA Scotland Director Charlotte Waite said:“It is a truth universally acknowledged that top-down reorganisations of the NHS rarely deliver the goods for taxpayers, patients, or practitioners.
“These plans need to be subjected to forensic scrutiny. They only thing we can be sure of at this stage is unintended consequences.”
Responding to the Programme for Government, Anna Fowlie, Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations’ (SCVO) Chief Executive, said: ”I’m pleased to see that the Programme for Government recognises the essential role the voluntary sector plays in addressing some of Scotland’s biggest challenges, from child poverty and gender-based violence to community cohesion and public service reform.
“We welcome the Scottish Government’s commitment to a Third Sector Partnership, founded on trust, collaboration and mutual respect. We look forward to working with the Scottish Government to deliver the kind of partnership with government that voluntary organisations have long called for, one that brings meaningful change.
“We also welcome commitments to multi-year funding in a number of areas, and the first public recognition that the voluntary sector, alongside communities, must play a significant part in shaping public service reform. I look forward to seeing these commitments delivering significant progress in delivering Fair Funding across government portfolios and public bodies.
“Finally, I welcome the First Minister’s commitment to strengthen community cohesion and counter those who seek to divide Scotland. Voluntary organisations across Scotland are on the frontline of supporting people targeted by bigotry, racism and hatred, while bringing communities together in the face of division.
“Their work demonstrates the very best of Scotland: compassion, solidarity and a determination to ensure everyone belongs. Achieving that ambition will require sustained recognition, support and investment from the Scottish Government.”
By-elections in Southside/Newington (Ward 15) and Portobello/Craigmillar (Ward 17) take place this Thursday (3 September).
We’re urging residents in these wards to remember their polling cards and to cast their votes.
Residents in these wards who are aged 16 or over and have registered to vote can participate in Thursday’s by-elections.
One new councillor will be elected for each ward. The current electorate for Ward 15 is 24,666 and for Ward 17 it’s 28,062.
Returning Officer for Edinburgh, Paul Lawrence said:“With these by-elections fast approaching, I encourage residents in these wards to take this opportunity to have their say on Thursday. Please remember your polling cards and check your polling place. These new councillors will represent your communities on issues affecting your local area 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’re voting by post, please return your completed ballot as soon as possible to make sure your vote is counted.
Please check your polling place as this may have changed since the last time you voted. If you bring your polling card to vote this will help us and speed up the process, but this isn’t mandatory.
Further information on voting in Ward 15 and Ward 17, including accessibility information and spoken ballot papers are also on the Council’s website.
Polling places will be open from 7am to 10pm on Thursday 3 September.
Polling Places (Ward 15):
Nelson Hall Community Centre (New for 2026)
Blackford and Grange Parish Church Centre
St. Catherine’s Argyle Church
Newington Trinity Church
Reid Memorial Church Hall
75th Braid Scouts’ Millar Hall
Cameron House Community Education Centre
Polling Places (Ward 17):
Portobello Library (New for 2026)
Branch Out Together
St Mark’s Episcopal Church (New for 2026)
Bingham Community Centre
St Martins Parish Church
Craigmillar Library
Hays Business Centre
Newcraighall Leith Victoria FC
The by-elections will use the Single Transferable Vote (STV) system, where voters rank candidates in order of preference, rather than using a single cross. Voters can rank as many or as few candidates as they like.
The electronic count will take place at Waverley Court, starting at the close of poll at 10pm on September 3.
The Communist Party of Britain’s (CPB) candidates in Edinburgh’s two by-elections have called out political opinion in the city.
The party is standing candidates Richard Shillcock (Southside/Newington ward) and Peter Olech (Portobello/Craigmillar ward) in the September 3rd council by-elections.
The Communist candidates note Edinburgh’s reputation for liberal politics. Many voters—particularly young ones—across Labour, Greens and the SNP see themselves as voting for a much better, new kind of Scotland.
But Communists are presenting crucially different policies to what is on offer from the other parties.
Communists say particular policies of Edinburgh’s established parties might sound good in isolation but they are overshadowed by the liberal commitment to rejoining the EU and/or to Scottish “independence”.
The EU. Rejoining the EU means accepting the EU’s foundational principles of the free movement of capital, goods and services, and its restrictions on state funding of industry.
Communists say we need to trade extensively with Europe but we need to be able to control the movement of capital and we need to be able to direct state-led investment if working people are ever to own and control a rebuilt productive economy.
“Independence”. Similarly, we need to control our own currency. A separate Scotland, in or out of the EU, means losing our central bank. Greece’s debt crisis had its roots in adopting the euro and losing its central bank.
Communists say the Scottish people have the right to decide whether to secede from the UK, but that better prospects for working people lie in strengthening working class organisation across Britain to win deeper and deeper federal autonomy in which working people own and control the productive economy.
Housing. Few idealistic voters would say “just let the market sort out housing”. But that is exactly what is happening when other parties’ housing policy is for a mix of measures like “affordable housing” at the expense of council housing. Communists say only large-scale, permanent investment in council housing, owned and run by the local authority, can solve the housing problem.
Women’s rights. Communists say that we need to urgently implement the Supreme Court ruling on sex in the Equality Act 2010. Local government should fully uphold women’s rights and protections under the Act, including the right to single-sex services. The Scottish Government should enforce the Act.
Violence against women. Liberal activists have been arguing that prostitution is “sex work”, that it is a mutually consensual transaction, that it can be empowering and that it should be decriminalised and destigmatised.
Communists say prostitution is not work. A woman’s body is not a workplace. Prostitution is unique sexual exploitation, reflecting class and sex inequalities. We need to support women to exit prostitution, with zero tolerance towards the sexual exploitation of women by men.
Caring for each other. There is strong liberal support—in the Greens, LibDems and SNP—favouring assisted dying.
Communists stand with disabled activists in opposing assisted dying. It cannot be made safe. It will disproportionately endanger disabled people. Communists call for adequate funding for end-of-life care.
The local by-elections were triggered following the resignation of two local SNP councillors who were recently elected as MSPs to Holyrood.
The Communist Party urges voters across Southside/Newington and Portobello/Craigmillar to use their ballot papers to vote for the policies they believe in—ones that will defend and extend the rights and the quality of life of working people.
