Scottish Labour MP for Edinburgh North and Leith, Tracy Gilbert, has welcomed the lifting of sanctions on Syria.
Tracy Gilbert MP wrote to the Minister for the Middle East, Hamish Falconer MP, following concerns raised by her constituent, Youssef Al Hariri. Al Hariri contacted Tracy Gilbert’s office expressing his deep concern about the ongoing sanctions in Syria. In response, the Minister confirmed that the UK had recently revised aspects of its Syria sanctions regime.
As of 6 March, the UK government lifted asset freezes on 24 Syrian entities including the Central Bank of Syria, Syrian Arab Airlines, and energy companies.
In a letter from the Minister for the Middle East to Tracy Gilbert MP, he confirmed that: “On 6th March we lifted asset freezes on 24 Syrian entities that were previously used by the Assad regime to fund the oppression of the Syrian people, including the Central Bank of Syria, Syrian Arab Airlines, and energy companies.
“These de-listings underscore our commitment to help the people of Syria rebuild their country and economy.”
Speaking after the meeting, Tracy Gilbert MP said: ““I was grateful to meet with members of the Syrian community here in Edinburgh and to share the government’s response.
“While these policy changes were already underway, it’s thanks to input from constituents like Youssef Al Hariri that the UK government takes the positive decisions to support Syria as it tries to end the decade long civil war, move on from the oppression of the Assad regime and develop for the future.”
Youssef Al Hariri said: “I am grateful to Tracy Gilbert for taking the time to visit our group today and for bringing positive news. This is an important step forward by the British Government, and it is most welcome.
“However, it is vital that this positive progression continues and at a swift pace to avoid further instability in Syria. I look forward to working closely with Tracy and her team as we continue to push for peace.”
The Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds is pushing ahead with efforts to safeguard British Steel. Today [Tuesday 15 April] he will travel up to Immingham as the raw materials that have been waiting in the dock are unloaded and transported to the site, following the government settling payment for them.
The materials – which have arrived from the US – are enough to keep the blast furnaces running for the coming weeks, with officials continuing to work at pace to get a steady pipeline of materials to keep the fire burning.
A separate ship which contains yet more coking coal is on the way to the UK from Australia. This cargo was the subject of a legal dispute between British Steel and Jingye over the weekend that has now been resolved. The materials have been paid for using existing DBT budgets.
New legislation passed last weekend, in an unprecedented move, gives Government the power to direct the company’s board and workforce, ensure they get paid, and order the raw materials to keep the blast furnaces running. It also permits the Government to do these things itself if needed.
The government acted to protect 37,000 jobs in supply chains and ensure we can build the infrastructure needed to deliver growth which is fundamental to the Plan for Change.
On Monday, Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds confirmed the appointment of Allan Bell as interim Chief Executive Officer, and Lisa Coulson as interim Chief Commercial Officer, both with immediate effect – ensuring the right expertise is in place to keep the site running smoothly.
After intensive work over the weekend, the government has secured coke and iron ore pellets for the blast furnaces and is confident there will be enough materials to keep the furnaces burning.
Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said:“We will always act in the interest of working people and UK industry. Thanks to the work of those at British Steel, and in my department, we have moved decisively to secure the raw materials we need to help save British Steel.
“Our industries depend on UK steel and – thanks to our Plan for Change – demand is set to shoot up: helping build the 1.5 million homes, railways, schools and hospitals we need to usher in a decade of national renewal.”
First Minister John Swinney has announced he will bring forward the Scottish Government’s legislative programme to ensure the country is as prepared as possible to secure its future in the face of the uncertainty facing the global economy.
Speaking during a press conference at Bute House this morning, the First Minister announced the Programme for Government will be presented to the Scottish Parliament on Tuesday 6 May 2025.
It will set out the actions the Scottish Government will take to ensure resilience and deliver on the four core priorities to eradicate child poverty, grow the economy, tackle the climate emergency and ensure high quality and sustainable public services.
The First Minister also set out plans to immediately begin work with key partners in the business community and trade unions to map out the actions required in Scotland, and the UK as a whole, to respond to emerging economic challenges and ensure the needs of the devolved nations are at the heart of UK decision-making.
First Minister John Swinney said: “I know that this is a time of great uncertainty for people, that many families and businesses are worried about what global events will mean for them.
“We face yet another storm, after almost two decades of knocks and challenges – the financial crisis, austerity, Brexit, Covid, the energy price spike following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the subsequent inflation spike. Each has weakened us in some way, but none has defeated us.
“The Programme for Government will be laser-focused on delivery. It will set out what I believe my government can and will deliver for the people of Scotland over the coming year.
“The economic headwinds are blowing strong across the Atlantic and they demand a response that is both immediate and measured. My Programme for Government will set out what practical steps we will take to strengthen our response to those headwinds and ensure Scottish business and our economy is positioned well to create jobs and grow the economy.
“I want to make sure the UK Government understands where we need them to do much more to protect Scotland’s economic interests.
“As a result, I will be bringing together our key partners in the business community and the trades union movement on Wednesday to map out the actions we can take, here in Scotland, and which can be complemented across the UK, to respond to the emerging economic realities. That work will influence my government’s approach, and I want it to shape the response at a UK level into the bargain.
“A Scotland that is wealthier, fairer, more resilient – that is my ambition. I want people feeling more confident about the future and more secure in the midst of the uncertainties, because they have a government that is fighting Scotland’s corner.
“A government that is bringing people together, so that our response to the challenges we face is rooted in a Scotland that is united, prepared and determined, a Scotland confident in its ability to, once again, weather the storm and come out of that storm a great deal stronger.”
The Scottish Government will take steps to ensure Scotland is as “resilient as we can possibly be” in the face of global economic uncertainty, First Minister John Swinney has said.
Responding to the events of the last few weeks, the First Minister has called for a UK Government response that reflects the fact that “the world is changing around us”.
First Minister John Swinney said: “I know that this is a time of great uncertainty for people, that many families and businesses are worried about what global events will mean for their finances. That is why I want us to be united and creative in our response, to ensure that we are as resilient as we can possibly be.
“My view is that UK response should include removing the self-imposed economic straitjacket of the Chancellor’s fiscal rules and reversing the job – and growth – destroying increase in employers’ National Insurance contributions. The world is changing around us and quite simply, the UK government needs to change too.
“It should include closer alignment with the European Union. If trade barriers are being constructed across the Atlantic, they must be swept away in the Channel and North Sea.
“And it should include investment in Scotland’s green industrial future. If British Steel is to be nationalised to protect it, then so too should Grangemouth.
“If a supercomputer is to be built in the London-Oxford-Cambridge triangle, then the cancelled supercomputer for Edinburgh should be restored.
If carbon capture and storage is to proceed on Tyneside and Merseyside, it should be given an immediate green light for the north-east of Scotland too.
“This is what it means to get serious about Scotland’s economic future. Given the scale of the threat, anything less is not good enough.”
Scottish SecretaryIan Murray MP said: “The SNP were told a decade ago that the Grangemouth refinery would close. They and the Tories did nothing. 3 years ago they could have intervened but nothing.
“Labour win in July and suddenly the SNP want to pass blame. Total charlatans. If they truly cared they’d have done something, anything – but ZERO.
Parliament recalled to introduce emergency powers that will allow the Government to protect the Scunthorpe site
Unique action to gives the best chance of safeguarding steelmaking, protecting jobs, national security and supply chains.
This strategic decision aims to secure domestic steel production for nationally important projects like airports, rail and housing and deliver growth at part of the Plan for Change.
Steelmaking is set to continue in Scunthorpe following urgent action by the UK Government.
The Prime Minister requested the recall of Parliament to vote on emergency legislation to prevent the blast furnaces being shut down.
The move will maximise the chances of securing domestic steel production – a crucial national capability which was at risk of collapse under the site’s current ownership. This is a very specific intervention taken in exceptional circumstances.
British Steel’s owners Jingye confirmed their intention to close the blast furnaces at Scunthorpe immediately, despite months of negotiations in good faith and a generous offer of co-investment from the UK government of £500 million.
If the blast furnaces were to be immediately switched off, this would put at severe risk the future of steelmaking at this unique site.
The legislation will give the Government the power to direct the company’s board and workforce, ensure they get paid, and order the raw materials to keep the blast furnace running.
In the meantime, the Government has instructed the company’s UK management to continue the running of the plant to ensure the furnaces keep burning. This legislation means that anyone employed at the plant who takes steps to keep it running, against the orders of the Chinese ownership, can be reinstated if sacked for doing so.
Steel is vital for both the UK’s national security and manufacturing, and crucial for the Government’s mission to build 1.5 million new homes in the UK as part of its Plan for Change, with construction projects requiring millions of tonnes of steel.
Given global economic instability, it is crucial that manufacturing is protected at home. That’s why the Government took action earlier this week to support the car industry by easing the path to the EV mandate and deliver a £30 million package to support the reopening of Doncaster Sheffield Airport, which is expected to support 5,000 jobs and boost the economy by £5 billion.
Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said: “We will always do what is necessary to keep Britain secure at home and strong abroad. We are doing what previous governments have failed to, acting in the national interest to help secure UK steelmaking for the future.
“We negotiated with British Steel’s owners in good faith ever since coming to office. We made a generous offer of support to the company and I am deeply disappointed that we have been forced to take these measures, but Jingye have not been forthright throughout this process, and left us no choice but to act.
“We’re in a new and changing world where it’s never been more important to support our security and build our resilience, so that we can have strength abroad and renewal at home, and that’s what this government has done.”
A Bill was voted on by MPs on Saturday 12 April to ensure continuity of production at the Scunthorpe site – avoiding the danger and cost of allowing it to stop.
Funding for the site will come from the Government’s £2.5bn steel fund, to help rebuild the industry over the next five years.
Keeping democracy healthy in Europe is key theme, says organiser
Scotland’s second Festival of Europe is being held at the French Institute, Edinburgh, on 10th and 11th May. Backed by the European Movement in Scotland and a wide range of other organisations, a major theme of the two-day event is “The Future of European Democracy”.
The Festival comes at a time when far right parties are on the rise across Europe and, as Donald Trump’s administration changes the global order that has been in place since the end of World War 2.
Mark Lazarowicz, one of the conference organisers and a former Edinburgh MP, says: “The world is more unstable today than at any time in the past 80 years. There are powerful political forces at work here, in Europe, the USA and globally that want to tear down the institutions and ideas that have brought freedom, dignity, security and stability to millions.
“We have assembled an outstanding cast of speakers who will explain where we are now and look at how we can keep democracy healthy in Europe.”
Among the issues to be discussed are proposals to revitalise the European project of political and economic integration, how the EU should respond to hard right politics, how political parties and civil society can strengthen liberal democracy and what the prospects for closer ties between Scotland, the UK and the EU.
On the economics front, the recent report on the future of European competitiveness is being seen as a vital blueprint for Europe, a matter made far more urgent by America’s new protectionist trade policy. A conference session will look at how the report recommendations can be implemented the implications for economies across Europe, including Scotland and the UK.
MSP Clare Adamson and Alistair Mackie, Chief Executive of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, will look at progress on the Face the Music campaign. Brexit has meant that artists, performers and technical specialists who support performers have lost income and bookings across Europe.
To book tickets for The Future of European Democracy Conference and all the other events taking place as part of the Festival of Europe go to
Tanja Bueltmann, Professor of International History at the University of Strathclyde. She specialises in the history of migration and diaspora. She is also a citizens’ rights campaigner and founder of the EU Citizens’ Champion campaign.
Mark Leonard is co-founder and director of the European Council on Foreign Relations, currently the Henry A Kissinger Chair in foreign policy and international relations at the US Library of Congress, Washington DC.
Sophie Pornschlegel is Deputy Director of Europe Jacques Delors, a Brussels-based think tank. She is also a Policy Fellow with Das Progressive Zentrum in Berlin.
Alyn Smith was an SNP Member of the European Parliament for Scotland from 2004-2019 and SNP MP for Stirling from 2019 to 2024. He was the party’s Westminster lead on Europe until last year.
Sir Graham Robert Watson was a Liberal Democrat Member of the European Parliament between 1994 and 2014. He is a previous leader of the Liberal Group in the European Parliament,
Sandro GoziMEP sits for France in the European Parliament. He is Chair of the European Parliament Delegation to the EU-UK Parliamentary Partnership Assembly. He is a former Minister for European Affairs in the Italian government.
Catherine Barnard has been Professor of European Union and Employment Law at the University of Cambridge since 2008. She has also been Deputy Director of the UK in a Changing Europe think-tank.
Cecilia Jastrzembska is President, Young European Movement (YEM). She has worked as a senior policy advisor in UK government departments. She has also held leadership roles in the Young European Socialists. She speaks and writes on feminism, climate change and AI, and European citizens’ rights.
Stephen Gethins has been an SNP MP from 2015-2019 and from 2024. He was SNP Spokesperson for International Affairs and Europe at Westminster. He is Professor of Practice in International Relations at the University of St. Andrews. He has worked in the NGO sector specialising in peace-building, arms control and democracy in the Caucasus and the Balkans.
Alistair Mackie, Chief Executive of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. Originally from Ayrshire, Alistair Mackie was appointed Chief Executive of the RSNO in 2019. A classical musician before entering management, he was principal trumpet with the London Sinfonietta and a professor at The Royal College of Music.
Clare Adamson MSP is Convener of the Scottish Parliament’s Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee. She will talk about the committee’s work and the cross-party parliamentary support for the Face the Music campaign.
The Festival of Europe website contains information on other events being held across Scotland to mark Europe Day. They include Edinburgh performances by award winning singer, Christine Bovill and walking tours in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Fife that will look at Scotland’s historic ties with Europe.
The Pentland Ukrainian Support Group (PUSG) is holding a Europe-themed party.
The Citizens Rights Project is holding a conference looking at the issues and challenges facing EU citizens in Scotland.
Tracy Gilbert, Scottish Labour Member of Parliament for Edinburgh North and Leith, has today welcomed the announcement that 78,393 individuals in Edinburgh will benefit from an increase in the state pension, a significant boost for pensioners in the constituency.
The rise will help alleviate some of the financial pressures that many pensioners face, providing them with greater security and stability in their later years.
Tracy Gilbert MPsaid: “Across the city 78,393 people will see an increase in their state pensions. This is exactly the kind of action that the Labour Government will take to support those who have worked hard.
When budgets are tight this will be a much-welcomed increase. It is a reminder that Labour will always fight to protect pensioners and ensure they can retire with dignity and security.”
The Greeting Card Association-backed petition calling for MPs to scrutinise changes to the postal service has reached 10,000 signatures – crossing the threshold which mandates a response from government.
Milestone reached as Ofcom consultation deadline on reforms looms and Royal Mail raises stamp prices again on Monday 7 April
The Greeting Card Association’s campaign to keep the Royal Mail service reliable, national and affordable, has received a significant boost as its parliamentary petition reached 10,000 signatures.
Despite Royal Mail’s claims that it should be allowed to reduce second class postal deliveries to as few as two days per week and cut Saturday deliveries altogether, over 10,000 UK voters have now joined the GCA’s call for proper parliamentary scrutiny of any proposed changes.
This petition, which also calls on MPs to regulate the price of first-class mail and mandate the Royal Mail meet existing delivery targets before changing the Universal Service Obligation (USO), now must receive a formal response from the government.
And the crossing of the 10,000-signature threshold is timely – the Royal Mail’s regulator Ofcom is currently consulting on those proposed changes setting a 10 April deadline for responses but has made it clear it can make changes to the USO without any involvement from MPs[1].
The posts highlight the concern caused by the current uncertainty over Royal Mail’s ownership and the threat to the price and reliability of the postal service if they are allowed to dilute the service.
Royal Mail has failed to meet delivery commitments outlined in the current USO since 2022 but has consistently raised prices. A first-class stamp is now 75 per cent more expensive than three years ago offsetting the £15m-plus fines levied by Ofcom on Royal Mail for missed delivery targets.
The cost of a first-class stamp price is up a staggering 170 per cent over the last decade, and the price rise that takes effect on Monday (7 April) when the price rises to £1.70, will be the sixth in under three years.
GCA members believe the proposed weaking of the USO will lead small businesses and consumers to rely on an increasingly unaffordable, uncapped and unregulated first-class service to ensure cards and important letters are delivered on time.
The GCA, which represents over 500 publishers, retailers, agents, specialist suppliers and distributors that make up an industry worth over £1.5bn to the UK economy now awaits the government’s official response to its petition.
Amanda Fergusson, chief executive of the GCA said: “Our members are deeply concerned that they’re being railroaded into accepting reforms that will make the Royal Mail service they depend on, less reliable and affordable.
“We now look forward to receiving a formal government response to their petition.
“We know a postal service that’s a mere shadow of the service Royal Mail should be delivering, will cause real damage to small businesses, consumers, high streets and communities.”
It calls on the Government to amend legislation to require parliamentary scrutiny of any change to the Royal Mail’s Universal Service Obligation (USO).
It also asks the government to insist any changes to the USO are dependent on:
Royal Mail meeting existing performance delivery targets for letters and cards
New regulation for the price of first-class mail to avoid further above-inflation rises and
Royal Mail maintaining a national, affordable, and reliable postal service that supports high streets and communities across the UK.
Deputy First Minister urges UK Government to restore Scottish Parliament’s full powers
Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes has urged the UK Government to “restore the democratic voice of the Scottish Parliament” by repealing the Internal Market Act and providing full restoration of powers that were removed by the previous UK administration.
A Scottish Government Position Paper on the Internal Market Act 2020 published today says the Act should be repealed and replaced with a system built around the Common Frameworks approach and agreed by all devolved administrations and the UK Government.
Two votes in the Scottish Parliament, in October 2023 and February 2025, have called for the full restoration of the powers of the Scottish Parliament but have been ignored.
The new paper comes as the consultation period for the UK Government’s statutory review of the Internal Market Act concludes. The UK Government specifically ruled out repealing the Act before its consultation began.
Ms Forbes said: “The Scottish Government’s position is clear, we must see the full restoration of the powers of the Scottish Parliament. The Internal Market Act should be repealed and the UK Government must work with the devolved governments to deliver an agreed and workable alternative.
“The Act was imposed by the previous UK Government without the consent of any devolved legislature. It remains the single greatest impediment to more effective and respectful intergovernmental relations.
“Neither the Scottish Parliament nor any of the other devolved legislatures gave their consent to the Act. It has introduced radical uncertainty as to the effect of devolved laws, effectively introducing a far-reaching and unpredictable new constraint on the powers of the Scottish Parliament.
“It also provides UK Ministers with an open-ended power effectively to nullify laws passed by a democratically elected – and accountable – legislature.
“It is deeply regrettable that the UK Government explicitly ruled out repealing the Internal Market Act before it began the review process and consultation but this new paper offers them an opportunity to work with the Scottish Government to restore the democratic voice of the Scottish Parliament.”
The earnings limit to be eligible to claim Carer Support Payment will go up from £151 per week to £196 per week in April.
Carers Support Payment, which remains the lowest benefit of its kind, will also rise from £81.90 to £83.30 – less than the price of a first-class postage stamp.
Unpaid carers who are in employment will benefit from a rise in the earnings limit on Carer Support Payment, allowing them to earn up to £2,340 more per year.
From 7 April, unpaid carers in paid work will be able to earn up to £196 per week, after tax, National Insurance and certain expenses, and still be eligible to claim Carer Support Payment. This is an increase of £45 compared to the previous earnings threshold of £151 and allows carers to work the equivalent of 16 hours at the National Living Wage.
Carers Scotland welcomes this change, which is the largest increase in the earnings limit for the benefit since it was introduced in 1976. It will allow unpaid carers to take on more paid work while receiving Carer Support Payment, providing vital income for those juggling employment with care.
Carer Support Payment is the main carer benefit, replacing Carers Allowance in Scotland. It is available if you spend at least 35 hours a week providing care and support to someone who is disabled, has an illness or long-term condition, who needs extra help as they get older or is affected by addiction.
The earnings limit increase will help unpaid carers in paid employment to stay in work, increasing their earnings potential and providing more financial security. It will also allow many carers whose earnings are above the previous limit to access Carer Support Payment for the first time.
Carers Scotland continues to call for the earnings limit to be tied to the National Living Wage so that carers do not have to reduce their hours as the earnings limit fails to keep up with increases to the National Living Wage. The charity says regulations to formally tie Carer Support Payment to the National Living Wage are vital.
However, for those who are unable to combine paid work and care, the value of Carer Support Payment remains low, despite the additional support of the twice yearly Carer’s Allowance Supplement 1. From 7 April 2025, Carer Support Payment will rise by 1.7% from £81.90 to £83.30 per week, which is less than the price of a first-class postage stamp.
UK Government plans for welfare reform are likely to have a subsequent impact on the Scottish budget and on the already limited incomes of unpaid carers and disabled people in Scotland.
There are an estimated 100,000 unpaid carers living in poverty in Scotland, with carers 56% more likely to be in poverty, and 60% more likely to be in deep poverty, than those without caring responsibilities.
Fiona Collie, Head of Public Affairs and Communications at Carers Scotland, said:“Carers Scotland welcomes the increase in the earnings threshold to £196 which will support more unpaid carers to earn more from paid employment alongside their Carer Support Payment. This change will also enable more carers to claim Carer Support Payment.
“The new threshold amount applies once a carer has taken away deductions for tax, national insurance and half of any pension contribution. Carers may also be able to deduct some of the costs to provide care whilst working.
“We would encourage all carers in employment or who are thinking about returning to employment to find out more about Carer Support Payment and the earnings threshold from the Carers Scotland website or by contacting the Carers UK advice line.”
Local MSP Gordon Macdonald commented: “I welcome this improved support for unpaid carers across the city.
“The Scottish Government to raise the earnings limit for Carer Support Payment once fully launched, based off feedback from carers and support organisations – this is now coming into place and supporting carers throughout the city.
“These changes will increase the number of unpaid carers able to access financial support.
“This is just one of many examples of increased powers in Scotland being used to improve lives here in Edinburgh – we could go so much further with the full powers of independence.
Alternatively, you can access the Carers UK helpline from 9am – 6pm Monday to Friday by calling 0808 808 7777 or email advice@carersuk.org at any time.
