Tag: Politics

90th Anniversary of the Battle of Cable Street – to honour the past and shape the future

A COMMITMENT TO ACTION

Sunday 4 October 2026 is the 90th anniversary of the Battle of Cable Street when ordinary men, women, and some feisty children, literally stood shoulder to shoulder in the East End of London determined that organised fascists would not march through their community (writes TUC’s Laurie Heselden).

This remains a massive moment in our history but the celebrations that are being organised 4 October 2026 are not a heritage event – they are a commitment to action.

In the mid-1930s the economy was recovering from a deep recession. During the crash the UK’s trade flows had halved, the output of heavy industry had fallen by a third, and the unemployment rate reached 25 percent in 1933. People were hurting and angry.

Politics at the time was febrile and divided. Oswald Mosley had founded the “Blackshirts” in October 1932 as the paramilitary wing of the British Union of Fascists, modelled on Mussolini’s Blackshirts in Italy and Hitler’s Sturmabteilung in Germany. Mosley’s programme was explicitly founded on antisemitism. Mosley’s plan to march his Blackshirts through the East End in October 1936 both targeted the Jewish community and was designed to provoke violent division.

But his “Blackshirts” did not pass.

We also live in troubled times, with our economy ‘bumping along the bottom’ since 2008 after a global financial crash that was caused by greedy bankers, a cost-of-living crisis, millions of ‘working poor’, the consequences of illegal wars, and the politics of hate, division and rupture in our news, in our workplaces and in our communities too.

In the UK migrants are stereotyped and vilified, Muslims are stereotyped and vilified, antisemitic incidents are on the rise and many people with racist views feel emboldened to express those views openly. We have political parties using racism as a wedge issue and we have hundreds of masked men dressed in black blocking roads, intimidating the public, and targeting RNLI volunteers.

Across Europe far-right parties have gained considerable electoral support in the last 30 years, and policies that were recently regarded as extreme have become normalised. A far-right party is in government in Italy, and far-right parties participate in government in Austria, Finland and Slovakia.

The Front National, now National Rally, has been a feature of politics in France for decades, it is the largest opposition party in the National Assembly, has the largest number of MEP seats, has just won more seats in the French Senate, and is a force in the upcoming Presidential election. 

The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) recently won its highest ever vote in a regional election in Germany’s eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt, far ahead of mainstream rivals, winning 43.8 percent of the vote, just 3 seats short of an overall majority. A far-right party has not controlled a German state since World War Two. To date other political parties have maintained a firewall against working with the AfD, but from December it could be in government in Saxony-Anhalt, with powers over policing, local education and culture. This would be an immense moment in European politics.

This isn’t a re-run of the 1930s. The politics of today has its own dynamics, and today we have the modern-day problem of far-right tropes, lies and disinformation on social media. But there are parallels to the 1930s and there are lessons that we can learn from the Battle of Cable Street.

Resistance matters

The weather 4 October 1936 was fine. The easy thing to do that day was to get out of the way, ignore the Blackshirts, and go to Victoria Park for the day. But all that is needed for evil to triumph is for good men and women to do nothing.

Bravely, tens of thousands answered the call, organised, built barricades, acted with courage and solidarity, defended their streets and saw off the Blackshirts and the police. Their victory still resonates today.

Networks, Organisation and Leadership matter

The defence of Cable Street didn’t just bubble up from the pavement, it was mobilised, organised and led. These skills are learned and honed. Organised labour does what it says on the tin. Trade unions are one of the few social structures with reach across workplaces, communities and the public realm.

The union movement has a responsibility to lead the challenge against the politics of hate. If you are not in a union, join one. If you are in a union, organise and change the world.

Solidarity in the community and beyond is essential

Cable Street was not a narrow victory for one group. Nor was it a victory for an alliance of segmented groups. It was a triumph for a diverse and politicised local community of trade unionists, communists, socialists, members of the Labour Party and ILP, and working-class families, many of them Jewish and Irish.

Jewish women garment makers were women, maybe mothers, active members of a union, possibly Communist Party members, and almost certainly activists challenging awful housing standards, opposing evictions and participating in rent strikes.

This lesson remains vital, antisemitism cannot be tackled in isolation, racism cannot be tackled in isolation, tackling xenophobia is a common cause, and winning good jobs for all is a collective task. The fights are linked and mutually dependent. History proves we achieve more together than we do apart.

Division is toxic and drags us all down. Join our Unity Works campaign for updates

Building stronger communities

Cable Street 90 is not a coalition built to organise an event and then dissolve. We know that through intense joint working we will forge a stronger broad based local community that is better able to advocate and organise for the community, and better able to respond robustly to hate politics online and on its streets. It is capacity building.

So, Cable Street 90 is not a heritage event, it is a call to action. Let’s make every street Cable Street

The TUC organised a briefing to discuss the significance and lessons of the Battle of Cable Street, European perspectives, with CGIL (Italy), CGT (France) and CCOO (Spain) and other key partners, on 2 October at Congress House, Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3LS. More information

TUC LESE is part of the Cable Street 90 coalition that has organised rallies and a march in the East End of London, 4 October. Assemble outside Whitechapel Tube Station, E1 1BY, at midday for an opening rally, march moves off 13:00 and processes to St George’s Gardens. This is a celebration and family event. Please bring trade union banners and flags. 

Burnham sets out plans for a new National Care Service – but pensioners to pay

The Prime Minister announced a new settlement for older people yesterday: a state pension ‘that rises every year’, no personal care charges and a high-quality National Care Service to give peace of mind in later life

  • A National Care Service will be established in the next Parliament, providing free personal care for older people, based on need rather than ability to pay.  
  • The current State Pension Triple Lock will be maintained – but only until April 2030. From then, it will be adjusted so the State Pension rises by at least inflation or 2.5% each year with a new link built in to keep pace with earnings over time. 
  • Savings under the adjusted Triple Lock will be used for a new National Care Service, with Baroness Casey to recommend how and when it is built up.

The Prime Minister announced a ‘new settlement’ for older people: a state pension that rises every year, no personal care charges and a high-quality National Care Service to give peace of mind in later life.

The vision set out today draws a line under decades of drift with a clear plan to fix the system so that people can receive the dignity and security they need.   

The Prime Minister warned today that if we don’t fix our broken social care system, it will eventually break the NHS too. There are huge costs to the NHS both through pressures on A&Es and an inability to discharge patients home because of a lack of adequate social care. 

The new National Care Service will be introduced in phases, so its scope can grow as the savings increase from adjusting the Triple Lock, and as workforce and provider capacity are built up. It will be fully funded – and not through borrowing.

Baroness Casey will recommend how this could be done through the work of her independent Commission, which is being informed by public deliberation and ongoing cross-party talks. Her report is due in summer 2027.  

The current Triple Lock will be maintained throughout this Parliament, increasing the State Pension by over £2,000. But from April 2030, the adjusted Triple Lock will mean the State Pension continues to rise by 2.5% or inflation – whichever is higher – and by even more if that is required to maintain its value relative to earnings.

This will ensure the living standards of pensioners keep up with the rest of the population. For example, if the value of the State Pension is around a third of average earnings by 2030/31, as average earnings rise, the State Pension will rise in line with that too.

This adjusted Triple Lock will mean that if inflation spikes, pensioners will be protected. If wages rise, pensioners will share in that, with the State Pension tracking earnings over time. Nobody’s pension will ever go down. And State Pensions will be put on a sustainable footing for decades to come.

The Government will legislate for the change during this Parliament. 

Adjusting the Triple Lock is estimated to reduce state pension spending by £15 billion a year by the end of the 2030s, rising to £50 billion a year by 2050.

The UK will continue to have one of most generous approaches to increasing the State Pension in the world, according to the government – but British pensioners have the LOWEST STATE PENSIONS IN EUROPE.  

The plans provide a credible pathway to delivering a National Care Service that will put an end to years of neglect where vulnerable people have been left at risk as a result of Westminster’s failure to face up to the difficult issues. The new system will include personal care, helping with things like eating, bathing and using the toilet. 

Following the Prime Minister’s vision for the core principles of the service, Baroness Casey’s independent Commission will continue its work to develop recommendations on how to deliver it in practice, and will soon begin the next phase of its ‘Big Conversation on Care’ to make sure everyone gets the chance to feed in their views. 

Around three in four adults over 65 are expected to need care and support during later life, with one in seven facing costs of more than £100,000. Currently, whether someone pays for care varies significantly by condition.

Two people with the same need for help with everyday tasks may face different rules if one needs support linked primarily to a health condition and the other to social care. The result is a broken system where the most vulnerable in society are at risk of losing everything just to access basic care. 

The service will not cover bed and board, for which existing means-tested council contributions will remain. Councils will continue to exclude the value of a home from financial assessments where a partner or dependent relative lives there, and deferred payment agreements will remain available to help eligible people avoid having to sell their home during their lifetime to meet care costs.  

Tackling the broken social care system is part of the Prime Minister’s pledge to take on the most difficult issues facing the country that have been left ignored by politicians for too long. ‘By facing up to the challenges that others have said are intractable, like fixing the youth unemployment crisis and ending rough sleeping, this government is working to bring back hope’.

REACTION:

Scotland’s First Minister John Swinney commented: “In Scotland, we provide free personal care for older people without punishing pensioners. Andy Burnham removing the triple lock would simply repeat the mistakes of Keir Starmer.

“The blame for the UK’s financial mess lies with successive Westminster governments, not pensioners.”

Helen Walker, Chief Executive of Carers UK said: “We applaud the Prime Minister for his absolute commitment to fundamentally reform our broken social care system and to build a National Care Service.

“It is a critical issue that affects us all. Almost everyone will give or receive care at some point in our lives. Yet 16 years since the last White Paper set out the fundamentals of what a National Care Service might look like, the complexity and problems with social care have grown far worse. Change has never been more urgent, and the Prime Minister has grasped this.

“Recent Carers UK research has found a staggering 1.1 million people have left employment to care within the last two years, the equivalent of 1500 people a day. One in five employees (20%) now has a caring responsibility.

“Great social care has the ability to transform lives, help people to stay in work and also create valued jobs.  As Baroness Casey’s work moves forward, we want to see the Prime Minister’s commitment today become a really ambitious settlement, with unpaid carers at its heart, that will truly deliver, providing people and families with the high-quality support they need.”

Responding to Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s speech at Labour Conference today and his commitment to the creation of a National Care Service, Kirsty McHugh, Chief Executive of Carers Trust, said: “The Prime Minister’s plan to build a National Care Service is bold, ambitious, and undoubtedly long overdue. For years, we have been calling for a sea change in social care, and it’s refreshing to finally hear those calls echoed back from the very top of Government.

“In the midst of planning for a National Care Service, we must ensure the needs of unpaid carers are heard and acted on. The demands of caring can have a devastating impact on people’s finances, wellbeing, and ability to live fulfilling lives.

Caring is an innate part of human life and to be celebrated, but many carers provide care for 100+ hours a week, with some delivering support around the clock – without pay or comprehensive support. We cannot forget the biggest providers of care – the millions of unpaid carers.

“We know from our 135+ strong network of local carer services that there are so many pockets of brilliant voluntary sector work taking place across the country. We want to see a National Care Service that builds on these foundations and places the needs of unpaid carers at its heart.

“Though the sector has heard commitments to reform time and again, never before has a Prime Minister placed social care so clearly at the front and centre.

“We are determined to work with the Government and other organisations across the system to ensure that a National Care Service goes beyond political promise and becomes a reality this time.” 

Joanna Elson CBE, Chief Executive at Independent Age said: “It was extremely welcome to hear the Prime Minister talk about what older people living on a low income are going through.

“Too often they are left out of the conversation, yet 1.7 million people over State Pension age are currently living in poverty, and another one million teeter dangerously on the edge.

“We were pleased, too, to hear the Prime Minister’s pledges to lower energy bills and improve housing standards – which will be welcomed by older people in financial hardship. 

“Before a double lock is implemented, we need to know that the UK Government has fully considered, and put in place protection for, older people on low incomes. Any changes that are made to the State Pension must ensure no current or future pensioners on a low income lose out.  

“It is important to see action to tackle pensioner poverty directly.  For instance, we would love to see a public take-up strategy to drive up the numbers receiving vital entitlements like Pension Credit and Housing Benefit.

“In the spirit of the Prime Minister’s speech, everyone in this country needs to know they can rely on a strong social safety net if they reach older age without an adequate income.” 

Nicola Sturgeon to teach ‘Leadership Under Pressure’ in New Global Masterclass for Women

Former First Minister is first faculty leader announced for Corridors of Power, a new leadership programme for women in business and politics

Former First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon is to teach women from around the world how to lead under pressure, in a new masterclass. Launching in Edinburgh next January, the programme will feature several Prime Ministers and global leaders as faculty leaders.

Sturgeon is the first faculty leader announced for Corridors of Power, a five-day leadership programme including created by The Power Diaspora Forum (TPDF), the international platform founded by Scottish entrepreneur Veenoo Sharma to connect women to capital, influence and decision-making power.

Her full-day masterclass, Leadership Under Pressure: Lessons for Women in Power, will draw on her eight years as First Minister to show women in politics and business how to hold their ground when the stakes are highest.

Participants will learn how pressure shapes leadership at every level: in the decisions leaders make, in how they deal with others, and in the extra scrutiny women often face.

The masterclass will explore how political and institutional decisions are really made, the difference between formal authority and informal influence, and how to build coalitions and win over people who fundamentally disagree with you. It will cover negotiation and compromise, including knowing when to concede and when to stand firm, and how to maintain relationships through disagreement.

It will also examine the particular pressures on women leaders: establishing credibility in powerful environments, exercising authority where women are often judged more harshly, and carrying the responsibility of decisions with genuine consequences.

Nicola Sturgeon is Scotland’s longest-serving First Minister and the first woman to hold the role.

Nicola Sturgeon said: “We need more women in leadership across all walks of life. However, in our traditionally male-dominated world, women aspiring to or holding positions of power face unique challenges.

“I am delighted to be taking part in the Corridors of Power TPDF Masterclass to help a new generation of female leaders overcome these challenges. I am looking forward to sharing the skills and experiences I gained over many years of political leadership, and as well as an insight into the lessons I learned along the way.”

Veenoo Sharma, Founder of The Power Diaspora Forum, said: “Corridors of Power is built on a simple idea: who better to teach women about leadership and power than former First Ministers, Prime Ministers and leaders who have actually led countries?

“These are people who have made decisions at the highest level, navigated crisis, scrutiny and challenging circumstances, and carried the responsibility that comes with leading a nation.

“Bringing that lived experience directly to women is incredibly powerful. At TPDF, we believe women should be empowered through experience, not simply through discussion, and Nicola Sturgeon embodies exactly what this programme is about.”

Corridors of Power is open to women around the world working in, or aspiring to, senior roles in business and politics. Further faculty leaders including Prime Ministers and global leaders will be announced in the coming weeks.

To join the waiting list, please visit:

https://www.thepowerdiasporaforum.com/corridorsofpower

Edinburgh West MP Christine Jardine to stand down at next general election

EDINBURGH WEST Lib Dem MP Christine Jardine has announced that she will not stand in the next general election.

Ms Jardine told followers on Twitter: “I’ve taken the decision not to stand as Lib Dem candidate in Edinburgh West at the next GE.

“It has been a fantastic decade. I want to thank @EdwardJDavey for all his support over the years. I’m confident our next chapter will be even more successful and I’m sad I won’t be there.”

Former MSP calls for urgent action on racism after alleged Glasgow attack

Foysol Choudhury MBE, former member of the Scottish Parliament, has called for urgent action to tackle racism and hate crime following the alleged racially motivated assault of Bangladeshi man Iftekhar Ul-Islam in Glasgow:

I am extremely concerned and deeply saddened by the alleged racist assault on Iftekhar Ul-Islam in Glasgow on 16 September.

I have spoken personally with Iftekhar and his wife. He has sustained injuries to his head and face, he has been left traumatised by the event, and now is too frightened to leave his home.

Nobody should have to feel unsafe travelling to work or walking through our streets because of the colour of their skin or their ethnic background.

I am attaching the joint statement from the Scottish Bangladeshi Organisations Network, representing organisations from across Scotland. The statement calls for justice and accountability and urges Police Scotland to conduct a full, thorough and timely investigation.

According to the statement, Iftekhar was approached in Glasgow city centre, near the bus station, before being attacked in broad daylight. It states that racist language was used during the alleged assault and that his calls for help went unanswered.

This is extremely serious, and I am deeply worried that things are going from bad to worse.

As a former MSP, I am particularly concerned about the wider spread of racism and racial hostility in our communities. Political rhetoric matters. When politicians use divisive issues or language for political advantage, we need to consider the impact this can have on minority communities and the atmosphere in which people live.

I am not suggesting that political statements directly cause individual crimes. Those responsible for criminal acts must be held individually responsible. However, we must also recognise that public discourse can influence how communities feel about one another.

We cannot allow racism to become normalised.

I raised these issues repeatedly in Parliament

During my five years in the Scottish Parliament, I repeatedly raised racism, Islamophobia, anti-racist education and the need for stronger action.

In October 2023, I asked the Scottish Government how it intended to implement Scotland’s anti-racist curriculum principles. (Scottish Parliament)

In June 2025, I raised the issue of racism and racist bullying in schools, including concerns about whether anti-racist policies and toolkits were actually being implemented and whether racist incidents were properly recorded and followed up. (Scottish Parliament)

In March 2025, I questioned the First Minister about the rise in anti-Muslim hate incidents and asked about progress in implementing recommendations from work on Islamophobia in Scotland. The First Minister acknowledged that the rise in anti-Muslim hate incidents was a serious concern. (Scottish Parliament)

I also raised the importance of education about racism and colonialism, including the role museums can play in helping young people understand these issues. (Scottish Parliament)

I have consistently argued that education must be part of the solution. Unfortunately, I do not believe anti-racist education has always been taken as seriously as it should have been.

What needs to happen now?

We need action, not simply statements.

There must be a thorough investigation into what happened to Iftekhar. Victims of racist attacks must receive appropriate support, and racist incidents must be properly recorded and followed up.

We also need to ask whether enough is being done to prevent racism before it becomes violence.

Are schools receiving the resources and support needed to tackle racism effectively?

Are racist incidents being properly recorded and acted upon?

Are politicians and public figures doing enough to challenge racism rather than allowing division to grow?

And are we doing enough to educate young people about racism, prejudice and the contribution of Scotland’s diverse communities?

The Bangladeshi community is an important part of Scotland. During my time in Parliament, I established and convened the Cross-Party Group on Bangladesh to strengthen Scotland-Bangladesh relations and provide a forum for Scotland’s Bangladeshi community. (Scottish Parliament)

I have always believed that Scotland should be a country where everyone can live, work and raise their families without fear because of their race, ethnicity or faith.

Racism is not somebody else’s problem. It is a problem for all of us.

I stand with Iftekhar, his family and the Scottish Bangladeshi community in calling for justice, accountability and urgent action.

Something has to be done now. We cannot wait for another victim.

Joint statement from the Scottish Bangladeshi Organisations Network:

Fire and Rehire on hold as talks to resume next week

GLASGOW CITY COUNCIL STEPS BACK FROM THE BRINK

Glasgow City Council has agreed to pause the process of dismissing and re-engaging staff following constructive discussions with the Scottish Government and trade unions yesterday.

Workforce convener Cllr Allan Casey said:”I’m pleased that we’ve reached a position following a meeting with the Scottish Government and the three unions where a pause has been agreed, allowing the ACAS package to be put back on the table and creating the space for further intensive negotiations with the joint trade unions.

“Our goal remains clear: to secure collective agreement on a new pay and grading scheme that is free from discrimination and can be put to the workforce in a ballot.

“Both I and the wider Council leadership remain fully committed to working with trade unions and staff to deliver a fairer and more sustainable pay structure for the future.”

In a statement on behalf of UNITE, UNISON and GMB trade unions, an STUC Spokesperson said: We are pleased at the lifting of the threat of fire and rehire and that meaningful negotiations will take place next week.

“We also welcome the Scottish Government’s clear statement that the practice of fire and rehire’ does not align with the principles and expected practice of Fair Work.”

Equal pay talks between GLasgow Council and trade unions broke down on Thursday.

In a statement then, the council said: “Recent intensive talks between Glasgow City Council and the Joint Trade Unions have broken down without agreement.

There is now no agreed way forward between the council and the joint trade unions. This means that in order to lawfully bring our discriminatory pay and grading structure to an end and replace it with a non-discriminatory scheme we will have to dismiss all of our non teaching staff and issue new contracts. Letters will be sent to staff next week and the new contracts will take effect on January 1st.

“In the last week the Council put forward an offer which would have seen a substantial injection of cash to fund additional back pay and take the possibility of dismissals off the table.  

The Council offer was dependant on all three TU’s balloting their members to let them determine whether the offer was acceptable – GMB and UNITE agreed to ballot members and avoid dismissal letters being issued but Unison regrettably withdrew their support on Wed Sept 23.  They have made it clear that they are not prepared to ballot their members.  They provided no substantive reason for this.

Director of Communications and Corporate Governance Colin Edgar said: “The council has gone as far as it can. The new pay and grading scheme removes unequal pay and sees pay rise or stay the same for 90% of staff – the council’s total pay bill will be substantially higher.

“For those staff who are in detriment our Joint Trade Unions negotiated an increase in pay protection from 6 months to 12 months.  Additionally, some Trade Unions are devoting energy to local consultations to mitigate the impact on those colleagues in detriment – focussing on providing specific solutions.

“We acknowledge the joint statement made by GMB and Unite unions earlier today. Officials had hoped to have further talks with UNISON this afternoon to understand why they are not willing to consult their members, but they did not attend a scheduled meeting.

“The offer which has been unilaterally rejected by UNISON would have taken dismissals off the table and seen additional cash for those members of staff, and members of all unions, who are due back pay.

“It beggars belief that they would betray their own members in this way.

“If the Joint Trade Unions ballot their members on these enhanced terms and make a collective agreement we will of course withdraw these notices. If they are unable to do that then staff will be reengaged on the terms set out in the recently agreed City Administration Committee report which do not include the enhancements.

“We understand that issue of dismissal notices, regardless of how much we reassure people that we intend to re-engage, will cause significant concern to our staff which is why we have worked so hard to avoid this necessity. We value our staff and we want their service with us to continue. This is purely precautionary, but it could and should have been avoided.”

ECCAN: Political Roundtable

🗣️ Speak to your local politicians!

What issues matter most to you and your community?

Join ECCAN and Hope for the Future for a Political Roundtable, bringing Edinburgh communities and elected representatives together to discuss climate and nature – and the changes you want to see.

We’re pleased to confirm Lorna Slater MSP, Christine Jardine MP and Councillor Chas Booth will be joining us, with more representatives to be announced soon.

Come along to ask questions and raise the climate and nature issues that matter to you and your community.

📅 30th September | 10:30am–2pm

📍 Greyfriars Charteris Centre

Want to prepare beforehand? Join our free online refresher with Hope for the Future to revisit key tools and ideas and get ready for the roundtable.

💻 23rd September | 1–2pm | Online

Both sessions are free. Book via the link in our bio.

Time for a “bold, confident and unapologetic” approach to future of the BBC

The Communications and Digital Committee has written to the Secretary of State at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, setting out its view on key proposals for the next BBC Charter ahead of publication of the Government’s White Paper. 

The Committee says this is not a “routine” Charter review and that the 2028 Charter must equip the BBC to navigate dramatic changes in how public service media is distributed, discovered and consumed.

The Committee examined a number of proposals in the Government’s BBC Charter Review Green Paper. It found that:

  • The BBC is already under significant financial pressure. Therefore, any new or expanded responsibilities in the next Charter—in areas such as promoting regional growth, technological innovation or media literacy—must be matched by adequate funding or a clear acknowledgement that the BBC will have to do less in other areas. The Committee says the Government should be “bold, confident and unapologetic” in ensuring the BBC has the financial sustainability it needs to deliver any obligations set out in the new Charter.
  • There is no obvious benefit in giving the BBC a broad new public purpose to drive economic growth across the UK, as the Government has proposed. The BBC already contributes £6.7 billion to the UK economy and there is a risk that such a change could distort commissioning priorities and distract the BBC from its core public service objectives. Instead, the Committee says the new Charter should retain the spirit of the BBC’s current fourth purpose, which puts public value first, while articulating more clearly the BBC’s vital contribution to developing the UK creative economy.
  • In 2015, broadcast television reached 92% of people in the UK each week on average, compared to just 54% last year. To uphold the principle of universality in a changing market, the BBC will increasingly need to distribute content through third-party platforms such as YouTube. However, this comes at the expense of control over how content is presented, access to audience data and the BBC’s direct relationship with audiences. The new Charter should support both strong BBC-owned services and flexible third-party distribution.
  • Simply making content available on a platform does not guarantee that audiences will find it, and evidence to the Committee highlighted the need for stronger safeguards on prominence, data access, platform accountability and fair value. The Committee says the Government should set clear minimum expectations for agreements between public service media providers and video-sharing platforms, backed by new legislation if voluntary agreements prove insufficient.
  • Greater collaboration will become increasingly important if public service media providers are to overcome shared challenges and compete with global platforms at sufficient scale. The Committee welcomes discussions between the BBC and Channel 4 about an expanded iPlayer, but says any arrangement must be a genuine, mutually beneficial partnership that respects the different brands and funding models of participating organisations, while maintaining plurality and competition. If the Government also decides to give the BBC a new or strengthened duty for technology and R&D in the next Charter, this should be framed around innovation in the public interest and clearly linked to the broadcaster’s mission and public purposes.

Baroness Keeley, Chair of the Communications and Digital Committee, said: “The upcoming BBC Charter Review is fundamental for the future of public service media in the UK.

“It comes as national public broadcasters face ever greater competition for viewers from streaming platforms and international technology giants, and so cannot be designed in isolation from the Government’s wider digital and media policy. 

“The Government should use the BBC Charter Review White Paper to set out a coherent and ambitious strategy for public service media over the next decade. It must also be realistic about what can be asked of the BBC as it grapples with significant financial pressures. 

“We can see no obvious benefit in a specific requirement for the BBC to drive economic growth across the UK. It already makes a massive contribution to the UK’s creative economy. Including an explicit economic growth public purpose in the new Charter risks both mission drift and skewing commissioning towards more generic, more exportable content.”

One Block Too Many? MSPs take on Scotland’s Tumbling Policy Tower at Tourism and Hospitality Event

The ASSC and SHG host parliamentary reception to introduce MSPs to the visitor economy for the new parliamentary session, inviting politicians to test how much regulatory pressure the sector can take before it all comes tumbling down

The Association of Scotland’s Self-Caterers (ASSC) and the Scottish Hospitality Group (SHG) hosted a drop-in reception at the Scottish Parliament to introduce MSPs to Scotland’s vital tourism and hospitality industry as the new parliamentary session gets under way.

The event, hosted by Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Economy & Tourism Daniel Johnson MSP, was attended by politicians from the SNP, Labour, Reform Scotland, Conservative and Liberal Dem benches, alongside self-caterers and hospitality operators from across the country.

Amongst the MSPs in attendance was Scottish Government Minister for Innovation Alyn Smith MSP and Scottish Labour leadership hopeful Joe Fagan MSP. Speeches were provided by ASSC and SHG leads, Fiona Campbell MBE and Stephen Montgomery.

To bring the sector’s message to life, guests were invited to try their hand at a giant tumbling tower, built from blocks representing the many regulatory and fiscal pressures facing tourism and hospitality businesses. As with any such tower, removing a single block rarely brings it down but each one removed brings the whole structure closer to collapse. MSPs and industry figures took turns testing exactly that.

The exercise also illustrated the argument behind a new infographic released by the two leading industry bodies: that businesses do not experience government policy one intervention at a time, but absorb the combined cost and administrative burden of everything introduced across government at once.

For self-caterers, that ranges from short-term let licensing and planning controls; and for hospitality businesses, from alcohol advertising restrictions, the deposit return scheme to Low Emission Zones. Moreover, that’s on top of shared pressures including visitor levies and rising business rates.

Tourism and hospitality are among Scotland’s greatest economic strengths, supporting jobs, businesses and communities in every constituency. But behind those numbers are people: the owners, operators, employees and entrepreneurs who welcome visitors, create jobs, invest locally and help make Scotland one of the world’s most welcoming destinations.

The ASSC and SHG hope the reception gave MSPs the chance to hear directly from some of those people, and to understand both the contribution they make and the challenges they are currently facing.

With all that in mind, the ASSC and SHG are now calling on national and local government to embed cumulative impact assessment into policymaking, so that any new measure affecting the visitor economy is considered not just on its own terms, but alongside the pressures businesses are already carrying.

With visitor spend reaching £11.4bn, the organisations argue that protecting the sector’s ability to invest, employ and grow is a matter of national economic importance, not just an industry concern.

Fiona Campbell MBE, Chief Executive of the ASSC, said: “Businesses do not experience government policies one at a time, they experience them all at once. Each new measure adds yet another block to an already growing burden.

When the regulatory burden keeps stacking up, businesses have less capacity to invest, employ and grow. We were therefore delighted to see MSPs get involved with our tumbling tower but while it was a fun visual, but there was serious thought behind it.

“Namely, that good policymaking must consider how various interventions interact and what the cumulative impact means for business. The reception was a valuable chance to start that conversation with cross-party MSPs and we look forward to building on that engagement throughout this parliamentary session and beyond.”

Stephen Montgomery, Director of the SHG, said: “Hospitality businesses are being asked to carry an ever-growing stack of taxation, regulation and additional costs, without the cumulative impact always being properly assessed.

“Every new block has to be paid for somewhere and government must look at the whole structure rather than adding measures one by one. What we now need, is government to speak to and include us in all the discussions, and take our factual evidence into account, before any policy is determined or implemented.

“Nevertheless, it was fantastic to welcome MSPs from across the political spectrum and we were greatly encouraged by the appetite for genuine engagement with our sector. We want to build on those conversations so that the industry and parliament are working together in partnership in the years ahead.

“After all, when hospitality and self-catering thrive, our communities thrive, our economy grows, and Scotland succeeds.”

Greens hail support for Data Centre halt

TIME TO HALT AI DATA CENTRES?

The Scottish Greens have hailed Outlander star Sam Heughan’s support for a moratorium on hyperscale AI data centres ahead of a crunch vote in the Scottish Parliament today brought by the Green MSPs.

The Outlander star has urged politicians to “listen to what communities and environmental organisations are saying” and halt climate-wrecking data centre applications until a national strategy is in place. 

The Scottish Greens have called for all applications for data centres above 50MW to be paused until a clear national strategy is in place, but the Scottish Government has fallen short of committing to a moratorium.

Scottish Green MSP Patrick Harvie said: “Sam Heughan is right that the Scottish Government should listen to communities and campaigners who are calling for a moratorium.

“We need an immediate pause on these applications until we can assess the impact on our energy systems and local environments. The current approach from the Scottish Government is unsustainable. 

“MSPs can show support for local communities by backing our calls for a proper national strategy and demanding the halt that is needed.”

You can ask MSPs to vote for a moratorium with a quick e-action from Friends of the Earth Scotland.

Stop Climate Chaos Scotland is calling for a moratorium ‘because of our profound concerns about the environmental impacts of these mega data centres’. 

The campaigners say data centre proposals that are already known about would require more electricity than Scotland’s total peak winter demand.

And the number of applications could triple under projections from the National Energy System Operator (NESO).

That would divert far too much renewable energy from heating our homes, charging our EVs and powering our public transport, and decarbonising our industry – all of which is needed to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels, and tackle the climate crisis.