The Government must speed up the introduction of a promised licensing regime for non-surgical cosmetic procedures to prevent vulnerable people being exploited.
The Impact of body image on mental and physical health report identifies a rise in body image dissatisfaction as the driver behind a new market that to date has remained largely unregulated. The dangers posed by non-surgical cosmetic procedures in vulnerable groups were evident throughout the inquiry, say MPs.
The Government has new powers to introduce a licensing regime for non-surgical cosmetic procedures however a consultation on what that regime should look like is still awaited.
Legislation should require online commercial content to carry a logo to identify body images that have been digitally altered while the Government is urged to work with the industry and the ASA to discourage advertisers and influencers from doctoring their images.
The wide-ranging report also calls for a Government review of the growing use of anabolic steroids for cosmetic purposes and proposes a safety campaign for those at risk. Long-term use has been linked with cardiovascular disease and brain changes.
On obesity, MPs were disappointed by a Government decision to delay restrictions on buy-one-get-one-free deals and urge immediate action. The report also calls for further research on tackling obesity while eliminating weight stigma and discrimination.
Health and Social Care Committee Chair Rt Hon Jeremy Hunt said: “The government must act urgently to end the situation where anyone can carry out non-surgical cosmetic procedures, regardless of training or qualifications.
“We heard of some distressing experiences – a conveyor belt approach with procedures carried out with no questions asked, procedures that have gone wrong, the use of filthy premises.
“It was clear throughout our inquiry that some groups are particularly vulnerable to exploitation in this growing market that has gone largely unregulated. We need a timetable now for a licensing regime with patient safety at its centre to reduce those risks.
“We hope that ministers will listen to our recommendations and set about creating the safety standards that anyone seeking treatment has a right to expect.”
From cost of living to the Ukraine conflict, the next Prime Minister will face a series of challenges when they enter 10 Downing Street in September.
As the Conservative leadership contest continues, it is important that the debate be substantive and based on evidence. UK in a Changing Europe and Full Fact have partnered to produce a series of evidence led, research-based assessments of the key issues confronting the country.
The briefings have been written by experts in their field with contributions from the Institute for Fiscal Studies, the London School of Economics, Health Foundation and others.
We based our choice of issues on the IPSOS Issues Index, topics of most current concern to the UK public, and areas of debate between leadership candidates so far.
The report contains briefings on:
Macroeconomics by Stephen Millard (National Institute of Social and Economic Research)
Tax and Spend by Ben Zaranko (Institute for Fiscal Studies)
Economic Inequality by Robert Joyce (Institute for Fiscal Studies)
Education by Carole Willis (National Foundation for Educational Research)
Climate, the Environment and Net Zero by Gareth Redmond-King (Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit)
Health and Social Care by Anita Charlesworth (Health Foundation)
Immigration by Madeleine Sumption and Peter William Walsh (Migration Observatory)
Brexit by Anand Menon (UK in a Changing Europe)
Housing and Planning by Paul Cheshire (LSE)
Security, Defence and Foreign Affairs by Malcolm Chalmers (Royal United Services Institute)
The Union by Nicola McEwen (UK in a Changing Europe)
Faith and Trust in Politics by Will Jennings and Gerry Stoker (University of Southampton)
Our aim in putting together this collection was not to tell people what to think but to provide information that will help them make up their own minds—as well as equip journalists with the best available evidence as hustings continue
As the briefings highlight, there are considerable trade-offs both within and between policy areas. With this in mind, we believe that these summaries will provide a useful primer for scrutiny of the candidates’ positions on policy as the contest continues through the Summer.
We hope that the report provides some context for this debate and provides voters with a timely and accessible analysis of the key issues in the leadership contest.
Yours sincerely,
Anand Menon (UK in a Changing Europe) Will Moy (Full Fact)
PM writes letter of support to England’s Lionesses
Scottish Government gets in on the sporting glory act too
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has written to the England Women’s Football team, wishing them luck in the Euro 2022 final:
At least he didn’t mention the War …
All-female crew to lead RAF flypast over Wembley for Euro 2022 final
A C-130 Hercules transport aircraft, crewed by three women, will be flanked by two Typhoon fighter jets as they fly over Wembley Stadium before England’s historic fixture with Germany.
The aircraft will fly over at 4:57pm, immediately after the national anthems, before kick-off. The Hercules will fly from RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire and both Typhoons will take off from RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire.
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said: “I wish the best of luck to the Lionesses as they take on Germany at Wembley.
“It’s a landmark day for English football and women’s sport and it’s fantastic that the Royal Air Force will be marking the occasion with a flypast featuring an all-female aircrew.”
The Hercules is captained by Flight Lieutenant Lauren who has been in the Air Force for 12 years. She has deployed all over the world, including Afghanistan, where she helped train the first female Afghan pilots.
Speaking about the flypast, Flight Lieutenant Lauren said: “I am proud to be piloting the lead aircraft for the flypast over Wembley. I’ve flown missions all over the world with the RAF, but this will be one of the most memorable.
“It’s been inspiring to watch the Lionesses progress and I will be loudly cheering them on as soon as I land back at RAF Brize Norton.”
Ahead of the match, the RAF and RAF Coningsby station Women’s football teams sent good luck messages to the Lionesses.
The Hercules aircraft flies a wide variety of operational missions including the delivery of humanitarian aid, with the ability to airdrop a range of stores and can operate from natural surface landing zones. To conduct these missions, it is vital that Hercules crews are highly skilled in low-level flying. Recently the aircrafts have been supporting NATO exercises in Eastern Europe, airdropping stores for the troops on the ground.
The Typhoon Fighter Ground Reconnaissance Mk 4 (FGR4) is the RAF’s fourth Generation Multi-role combat aircraft. The Typhoon provides Quick Reaction Alert with Crews on 24/7 readiness in defence of the UK, and the aircraft has been flying daily NATO air policing missions in Eastern Europe.
Meanwhile our Scottish Government is also keen to be associated with sporting success:
SUPPORTING THE COMMONWEALTH GAMES
Athletes representing Scotland at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games have the full support of the Scottish Government, according to Culture Secretary Angus Robertson.
Speaking ahead of arriving at the 2022 Games, Mr Robertson said he hoped Team Scotland would be inspired by their record success at the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games and looked forward to supporting those hoping to bring medals home in badminton, boxing, table tennis, lawn bowls, gymnastics, basketball, swimming and mountain biking.
The week also marks one year to go until Scotland hosts the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships.
Mr Robertson said:“Scotland is fully behind all those representing our country at the 2022 Commonwealth Games and I want to offer my best wishes to competitors from across the Commonwealth taking part in this year’s games.
“The 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow was a superb, inspiring and enriching event for us all and I hope that many of the athletes competing in Birmingham will draw on that inspiration – including inspiring those Scottish athletes to bring medals home.
“Major events enrich our cultural and sporting life, and the start of Birmingham 2022 also coincides with a countdown to the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships. From 3-13 August 2023, Scotland will host the biggest cycling event ever held with 13 World Championships combining into one mega event – so let’s capitalise on the excitement of this year’s Games and look forward to the Championships next year.”
Sports Minister Maree Todd said: ““It has been a pleasure to be at the Commonwealth Games to welcome the athletes competing on behalf of Team Scotland. Seeing their dedication and hard work paying off as they participate at this sporting level is inspiring.”
During her time in Birmingham, Ms Todd has officially opened Scotland House, the Scottish Government’s Games base, and has attended the opening ceremony of the Games.
Health Secretary Humza Yousaf will be at the Games next Saturday (6 August) to catch some of Team Scotland in action, as well attending the launch of Athletics Trust Scotland’s campaign to transform lives through the power of athletics at Scotland House.
Official statistics for 2021 show decrease of just 1%
While welcoming an end to seven annual increases in drugs deaths, Drugs Policy Minister Angela Constance made clear the situation remains “unacceptable”, and work will continue at pace to address the emergency.
The latest National Records of Scotland statistics show 1,330 people lost their lives in 2021 – a decrease of 1% and Ms Constance says it is clear there remains much work to do to save lives.
A national mission was announced in January 2021 to tackle rising death deaths in Scotland with additional funding of £250 million over the course of this Parliament.
The first year of the national mission has seen the introduction of Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) Standards, the expansion of residential rehabilitation provision, the setting of a new treatment target, increased funding to community and grass-roots organisations and the laying of ground work for innovation such as Safer Drug Consumption Facilities.
1,330 people lost their lives to drug misuse in Scotland in 2021, according to latest figures published by National Records of Scotland.
The number is 1% lower than 2020 which makes it the first year since 2013 in which drug misuse deaths have not increased. However, it is still the second highest annual total on record.
Of those who died from the misuse of drugs, 65% were aged between 35 and 54 years old and more than two thirds (70%) were men.
Dundee City had the highest age-standardised drug misuse death rate of all local authority areas (45.2 per 100,000 population for the 5-year period 2017-2021), followed by Glasgow City (44.4) and Inverclyde (35.7).
Julie Ramsay, Vital Events Statistician at NRS, said: “Drug misuse deaths have increased substantially over the past few decades – there were more than five times as many deaths in 2021 compared with 1996. 2021 is the first year since 2013 that drug misuse deaths have not increased.
“In 2021, after adjusting for age, people in the most deprived areas were more than 15 times as likely to have a drug misuse death as those in the least deprived areas. This ratio has widened over the past two decades.”
In 93% of all drug misuse deaths, more than one drug was found to be present in the body, and the type of drugs that are implicated in deaths has been changing. In 2015 there were 191 deaths involving benzodiazepines, last year there were 918, near five times as many.
This increase has mostly been driven by street benzodiazepines rather than those which are prescribed. Of all drug misuse deaths in 2021, 84% involved opiates or opioids (such as heroin, morphine and methadone). 69% involved benzodiazepines (such as diazepam and etizolam).
In 2020 (the most recent year available for the rest of the UK) Scotland’s drug misuse rate was 3.7 times that for the UK as a whole, and higher than that of any European country.
Ms Constance said: “Scotland suffers a terrible toll from drug deaths, leaving families grieving and in pain and my heart goes out to all those affected by the death of a loved one through drugs.
“These latest statistics provide yet more heart-breaking reading, and the situation remains unacceptable. While there is so much more work to do, every life saved means one less family grieving and I am determined we can use this halt in the upward trend of recent years as a platform for real change.
“My focus now is on taking action and delivering new investment to improve services and get more people into the treatment which works for them. Residential rehabilitation is one of a range of treatment options available and today I am visiting River Garden Auchincruive to speak to residents and staff about the services provided. Later I will be meeting some families affected by a loved one’s drug use and asking what more we can do to help.
“I am concerned about the rise in deaths among women and will look to expand on current steps we are taking including the provision of two Mother and Child Residential Recovery Houses which will enable women to receive support while staying with their children.
“Despite regional differences, we are focused on a national mission and I’ll continue to use all the powers at my disposal, including holding local leaders to account in implementing the MAT standards, to drive improvements across Scotland.
“We are already implementing many of the recommendations from The Drug Deaths Taskforce, which issued its final recommendations last week, and I will report back on further actions to Parliament.
“In the first year of the National Mission we built the foundations for change. Now, with the backing of £250 million over the course of this Parliament, we will deliver on those foundations and our new Oversight Group will provide scrutiny, challenge and expert advice on the National Mission as we continue our efforts to improve and save lives.”
River Garden Operations Manager Mikael Heddelin said: “We offer a very different approach to recovery which allows residents to leave behind their addictions.
“Importantly that comes from communal support of peers and meaningful and qualitative work via our on-site social enterprises. We provide training, help develop competence in a range of areas and facilitate reintegration back into society.
“Peer support and lived experience are key elements in the recovery journey at River Garden. Our ethos and culture allows our residents to recover without stigma and the local community play a huge part in what we do.”
River Garden resident Paul said: “I grew up in care and began using drugs at the age of 12. Throughout my life I tried various rehabs, none of them worked.
“At the age of 47 I joined River Garden. I have been here almost two years and I have purpose and self-worth. I’m happy and healthy and I feel good about myself.
“River Garden has been totally transformational for me. I really enjoy the work and the camaraderie. I have made many friends amongst the volunteers, the visitors and the contactors who work at River Garden.”
Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs commented: ““My deepest condolences are with the family and friends of those who have died due to drugs.
“In Lothian the number of people who died due to drug misuse last year has doubled from ten years ago.
“SNP Ministers approach to tackling drug deaths is an unequivocal failure with drug deaths continuing to rise in Lothian for the last six years.
“If Angela Constance, the Minister for Drugs Policy, can’t reduce drug deaths in her own region of Lothian, then this does not bode well for the rest of Scotland.
“SNP and Green Ministers must get on board with the Scottish Conservatives Right to Rehab Bill, to ensure that everyone who needs rehabilitation for drugs has access to it.
“These latest shocking numbers clearly suggest that there is a particular problem in turning around the situation in Lothian. If that is the case, then SNP Ministers must consider direct control over drug services to drive urgent reforms.”
New report calls on Government to update its energy bills support to help the most exposed households and consider introducing a social tariff.
Negligent energy regulator Ofgem enabled now bankrupt energy firms and inexperienced CEOs to increase energy bills further.
A national homes insulation programme is the permanent solution to bringing down bills and should be launched urgently.
The Government should immediately update its package of support to help households with soaring energy bills before the cost-of-living crisis grips even harder following October’s energy price cap increase, according to a new report by the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee.
It comes as people are feeling the squeeze of 40-year high inflation of 9.4% – to which the cost of energy is a big contributor – as wage increases struggle to keep up.
Support package out of date
The Government’s Energy Bills Support Scheme provides a £400 discount on energy bills in October for every household, a £650 means-tested one-off payment to eight million low-income households, £150 for those on disability benefits and £300 for pensioners. This was designed when the forecast for the October price cap was £2,800.
With wholesale energy prices continuing to rise industry experts now estimate that the price cap could increase to £3,244 in October, when the NEA forecast one in three (8.2 million) households face fuel poverty. A further rise is expected in January and MPs on the Committee warn that the size of the package has been ‘eclipsed by the scale of the crisis’.
Social tariff and support for vulnerable people
They also raise concerns that the current scheme does not sufficiently target low-income households and those in vulnerable circumstances, with the £400 discount going to some bill payers who don’t need it and repeatedly to people who own multiple homes. The Committee urges the Government to ensure that any update to its support scheme is better targeted at customers who need it the most.
As low-income households struggle to pay their energy bills and get deeper into debt, MPs call on the Government to work with energy suppliers to develop a scheme to help households pay off debts over a longer period.
In the longer-term, the report calls out the injustice of vulnerable people, who are unable to pay their energy bills, being moved on to more expensive prepayment meters.
The report labels this as “unacceptable” and urges the Government to consider replacing the market-wide price cap with a discounted social tariff for vulnerable customers, and a relative tariff for the rest of the market – that caps the difference between the cheapest and most expensive tariffs a supplier offers.
Committee Chair Darren Jones said, “Once again, the energy crisis is racing ahead of the Government. To prevent millions from dropping into unmanageable debt it’s imperative that the support package is updated and implemented before October, when the squeeze will become a full-on throttling of household finances and further tip the economy towards recession.
“We were told by a number of witnesses, ‘if you think things are bad now, you’ve not seen anything yet’. This Winter is going to be extremely difficult for family finances and it’s therefore critical that public funds are better targeted to those who need it the most.
“It’s an injustice that the poorest households continue to pay higher energy costs because they’re on prepayment meters. This must end and a social tariff should be brought forward.
“Ultimately, Ministers know that the long-term solution is to reduce our need for energy through insulation works that keep our homes warm in winter and cool in summer. If the Government is really taking this energy crisis and the country’s net zero targets seriously it will come forward with a bold, fully funded, national home insulation program before the end of the year.”
This could increase if the Government is unable to recover the cost of running the special administration of Bulb through its sale and decides that billpayers must pick up the costs, something the report says should be paid for through general taxation.
Ofgem’s incompetence over many years enabled inadequately resourced and inexperienced founders to start energy companies. It failed to supervise regulated companies, which in turn took high risk decisions including not hedging properly and using customers money to offer unsustainable prices that undercut well run energy companies. Ofgem failed to use its existing powers and didn’t bring action against energy suppliers even when it was clear that they should have done.
Ministers and regulators believed deregulation would drive competition, but it instead left an over- exposed and unregulated market which ultimately crashed, costing taxpayers billions of pounds. This market failure is only comparable to the banking crisis of 2008, according to MPs.
Ofgem is pressing ahead with a major package of regulatory reform to reverse its previous shortcomings and shore up the financial resilience of the market, but the Committee remains sceptical of Ofgem’s ability to undertake this task. If measures are poorly designed and executed, they risk further destabilising the market and distorting competition.
Insulating homes to permanently reduce demand
Helping customers pay their energy bills is not a sustainable position for Government and volatile gas prices are expected to be a longer-term concern for the country. It is therefore urgent and essential that Ministers bring forward a fully funded, national campaign to insulate people’s homes – street by street, community by community – in order to reduce the country’s demand for energy.
This report urges the Government to stop announcing short-term policies and moving existing budgets around and instead fully fund a national retrofit programme that businesses, homeowners, and tenants can invest and take part in.
Such a programme is required not just to reduce the cost of energy in winter but to also keep homes cool in extreme heat, reduce the cost of cooling as well as heating, and help the country hit its net zero targets as set out in the Committees previous report on Decarbonising heating in homes
The UK Government’s intended approach to current free trade agreement negotiations with Israel raises concerns over human rights issues, according to Trade Minister Ivan McKee.
In a letter to Penny Mordaunt, Minister of State for Trade Policy, Mr McKee said the Scottish Government has specific concerns in relation to the human rights record and ongoing conflict in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
The Minister also raised that the UK Government has not included a full impact assessment on a potential new deal and how it would impact the UK nations. Mr McKee’s response also states that it is clear no potential benefits from a new agreement would mitigate the negative effects of Brexit.
The letter reads:
Dear Penny
Launch of UK-Isreal Free Trade Agreement negotiations
Thank you for your letter of 20 July announcing the launch of free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations with Israel.
The Scottish Government welcomes opportunities for Scottish businesses and our economy to grow, in particular in trade in services, where the coverage of the existing trade agreement with Israel is limited. However, we must be sure that any new agreement is in the best interests of Scotland and consistent with the principles in Scotland’s Vision for Trade. I wrote to you recently setting out in detail Scotland’s interests in this FTA.
The scoping analysis that you have now published does not give any detail on the likely economic impact of this deal on Scotland. However, any benefits from increased trade will not make up for the loss in trade as a result of Brexit. Given that your own modelling shows the recent deals with Australia and New Zealand are likely to have a detrimental impact on the agriculture and semi-processed food sectors, it is important to see the impact of all proposed FTAs on Scotland and our economy in advance of negotiations.
I have called on the UK Government to ensure that current and future trading partners comply with their human rights and international law obligations. We have specific concerns in relation to the human rights record and ongoing conflict in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs). In particular, we are concerned about reported labour rights violations of Palestinian and migrant workers under Israeli working practices.
It is vital that you ensure that that goods and services sourced from illegal settlements in the OPTs are excluded from this agreement in a way that can be reliably enforced. It is also important that any expansion of trade in architectural and construction services within Israel does not lead to involvement in the punitive demolition and destruction of Palestinian public and private property in the OPTs, which is a violation of international law.
It is disappointing that you have not undertaken a human rights impact assessment in advance of negotiations, as we have consistently called for, but urge you to fully consider these important issues and use the trade negotiations to progress human rights objectives.
I would also welcome further information on what plans you may have to similarly develop the current trade agreement with the Palestinian Authority of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
As you know, I have repeatedly made the case for a full role for the Scottish Government and Scottish Parliament in the development of trade agreements. I welcome the engagement that has taken place so far but will continue to press for the Scottish Government to be fully involved in these negotiations to ensure they achieve the best outcome for Scotland and promote human rights.
‘We now face the greatest workforce crisis in history in the NHS and in social care’
The NHS and social care face the greatest workforce crisis in their history, compounded by the absence of a credible government strategy to tackle the situation, say MPs in a new Health and Social Care Committee report.
In the NHS, persistent understaffing poses a serious risk to staff and patient safety in routine and emergency care.
The Workforce: recruitment, training and retention report outlines the scale of the workforce crisis: new research suggests the NHS in England is short of 12,000 hospital doctors and more than 50,000 nurses and midwives; evidence on workforce projections say an extra 475,000 jobs will be needed in health and an extra 490,000 jobs in social care by the early part of the next decade; hospital waiting lists reached a record high of nearly 6.5 million in April.
The report finds the Government to have shown a marked reluctance to act decisively. The refusal to do proper workforce planning risked plans to tackle the Covid backlog – a key target for the NHS.
The number of full-time equivalent GPs fell by more than 700 over three years to March 2022, despite a pledge to deliver 6,000 more. Appearing before the inquiry, the then Secretary of State Sajid Javid admitted he was not on track to deliver them. The report describes a situation where NHS pension arrangements force senior doctors to reduce working hours as a “national scandal” and calls for swift action to remedy.
Maternity services are flagged as being under serious pressure with more than 500 midwives leaving in a single year. A year ago the Committee’s maternity safety inquiry concluded almost 2,000 more midwives were needed and almost 500 more obstetricians. The Secretary of State failed to give a deadline by when a shortfall in midwife numbers would be addressed.
Pay is a crucial factor in recruitment and retention in social care. Government analysis estimated more than 17,000 jobs in care paid below the minimum wage.
A separate report by the Committee’s panel of independent experts (Expert Panel) published today rates the government’s progress overall to meet key commitments it has made on workforce as “inadequate”.
Health and Social Care Committee Chair Rt Hon Jeremy Hunt said: “Persistent understaffing in the NHS poses a serious risk to staff and patient safety, a situation compounded by the absence of a long term plan by the government to tackle it.
“We now face the greatest workforce crisis in history in the NHS and in social care with still no idea of the number of additional doctors, nurses and other professionals we actually need. NHS professionals know there is no silver bullet to solve this problem but we should at least be giving them comfort that a plan is in place.
“This must be a top priority for the new Prime Minister.”
TOM Tugenhadt was the latest candidate to be eliminated from the Conservative Party leadership contest when results of yesterday’s ballot was announced last night.
FOUR candidates now go through to the next round of voting. They are:
KEMI BADENOCH (58)
PENNY MORDAUNT (82)
RISHI SUNAK (115)
LIZ TRUSS (71)
The next round of voting takes place today – we’ll know the result at 3pm – and the shortlist will be reduced to two candidates before parliament breaks up on Thursday. Tory Party members will then choose between these final two candidates in a ballot that will take place over the summer recess.
The winner – and the UK’s next Prime Minister – will be announced on 5 September.
3pm UPDATE
KEMI Badenoch is the latest candidate to be eliminated following today’s vote. Exactly where Ms Badenoch’s votes go now will be crucial in determining which two of the final three candidates will fight it out for the votes of Tory party members over the summer to become our next Prime Minister.
First Minister: ‘Independence can strengthen and embed democracy in Scotland’
The only way Scotland can ensure decisions are taken in the best interests of its people is with independence, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said yesterday, as new analysis was published showing the extent to which the UK Government can override decisions taken by the Scottish Parliament.
The second paper in the Building a New Scotland series, Renewing Democracy through Independence, outlines how under the current system it is still only the UK’s Government and Parliament that can make decisions about certain issues that impact significantly on people’s daily lives in areas such as:
whether Scotland should be in the EU; devolution did not protect Scotland from being taken out of the EU against the clear views of the majority (62%) of Scottish voters in the 2016 referendum, nor from the “hard” form of Brexit imposed by the UK Government
key energy policies, such as levels of support for renewable projects, and an overall energy strategy that reflects Scotland’s net zero targets
on cutting or increasing taxes, pensions and benefits like Universal Credit; the Scottish Government spent £100 million to mitigate the effects of UK Government austerity policies in 2019 alone and protect low-income families in Scotland
powers over migration – despite Scotland being the only part of the UK where the number of people of working age is expected to fall over the next 25 years, meaning we need to attract talent from overseas.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “Today’s paper focusses on democracy and democratic renewal. It exposes the significant and increasing democratic deficit that Scotland suffers as part of the Union.
“It shows that, far from being abstract, this inbuilt deficit has real life consequences for individuals, families and businesses across Scotland – from the impact of austerity to the implications of a Brexit we did not vote for.
“And it argues that only independence can both strengthen and embed democracy in Scotland – and provide a secure foundation from which to overcome challenges and fulfil our potential.
“This discussion could not be more timely or urgent. The democratic deficit Scotland faces is not a recent phenomenon – it has been there throughout devolution – but the evidence of it now is starker than ever.
“The fact is independence is not just the best route to renewing and securing democracy in Scotland – which is, in turn, so essential to building the economic and social future we want. Independence is the only credible route.
“That is why offering Scotland the choice of independence – a policy mandated by the Scottish people – is so essential.”
The Scottish Tories are clear in their opposition to Ms Sturgeon”s priorites:
Scottish Liberal Democrats deputy leader Wendy Chamberlain MP said: “This week we saw the worst ever waiting times in our A&E departments and soaring demand for foodbanks in Scotland.
“Energy bills are sky rocketing and families are struggling to put food on the table.
“It is clear that the cost of living crisis and the A&E crisis require our governments to focus on the problems affecting people now and get to work on fixing them.
“Yet today, Nicola Sturgeon instead decided to announce the latest entry in her series of papers for an unwanted independence referendum.
“Rather than spending taxpayers’ money on this series of vanity publishing exercises, the Scottish Government should be putting every penny to work to help people with the cost-of-living crisis.
“That’s where the energies of every minister should be focused, not on independence.”
AN Edinburgh Labour MSP has lambasted the Scottish Government’s record on the health service.
Commenting on the Scottish Government’s response to A&E waiting times, Foysol Choudhury MSP said: “The Scottish Government’s announcement of £50 million to address A&E waiting lists is both inadequate and poorly targeted for the scale of the crisis the NHS is now in. We are told it includes ‘alternatives to hospital-based treatment’ but given little detail about how this will be implemented or fit in to our existing care system.
“The crisis in the NHS is not limited to just A&E departments – it is systemic. I now regularly hear from constituents who cannot get NHS GP, dentist, or audiology appointments. When people are increasingly struggling to access primary care, it is no surprise that A&E departments are feeling the strain. Earlier this year I raised with the First Minister the fact that almost two fifths of cancers in Scotland are only being diagnosed at A&E, which is a sad indictment of the state of primary care in our country.
“I recently wrote to the Cabinet Secretary for Health & Social Care about the inaccessibility of GP appointments, with many of my constituents frustrated at what they feel is a morning telephone lottery for appointments. I was very disappointed by the response I got back, which suggested that my constituents should complain to their GP’s practice manager, as if this were not a systemic problem repeated in GP services across Lothian and indeed Scotland.
“It is simply not good enough for the Scottish Government to pass the buck to NHS staff on these issues, particularly when there is already poor morale within the health service as patients are increasingly frustrated by waiting times. The crisis of access across the NHS is putting lives at risk. The Scottish Government must now act to remedy it.”
RISHI Sunak has emerged as the front-runner in the race to become the next Prime Minister. The former Chancellor was the clear winner following the first round of voting by MPs yesterday.
Sunak topped the poll with 88 votes, Trade Minister Penny Mordaunt was a strong second on 67 and Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, who launches her campaign today, third on 50.
New Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi and former health secretary Jeremy Hunt were eliminated from the race, both failing to attract suffiicient support.
First Round Voting was:
Rishi Sunak 88
Penny Mordaunt 67
Liz Truss 50
Kemi Badenoch 40
Tom Tugendhat 37
Suella Braverman 32
Nadhim Zahawi 25*
Jeremy Hunt 18*
Eliminated *
The six remaining hopefuls – Kemi Badenoch, Suella Braverman, Penny Mordaunt, Rishi Sunak, Liz Truss and Tom Tugendhat – face another round of voting today when another candidate will be eliminated.
The field is expected to be narrowed down to two by the end of next week, then over the summer around 160,000 Conservative Party members will have their say on who they want as their next party leader – and our prime minister.
