Tag: Politics

Home Secretary sets out ‘moral imperative’ to stop smuggling gangs

The Home Secretary convenes ministers and law enforcement partners to destroy the gangs that undermine border security and risk lives on small boats

The Home Secretary will convene a landmark operational summit of cabinet ministers and law enforcement partners today (Friday 6 September), as she sets out the moral imperative to destroy the criminal smuggling gangs making millions out of small boat crossings.    

Her comments come after the horrific tragedy in the Channel this week that saw the deaths of at least 12 people, with others reported to be still in a critical condition.    

The Home Secretary will be joined at the NCA headquarters in London by ministers including the Foreign Secretary David Lammy, Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood, Attorney General Lord Hermer, as well as representatives from the National Crime Agency (NCA), Border Force and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).   

The UK Intelligence Community (UKIC) is deploying formidable covert capability to support the NCA to penetrate and dismantle the gangs at every level of operation – from facilitators to financiers.   

UKIC will also attend this landmark meeting, which will set out the progress being made on intensifying the enforcement activity aimed at disrupting, intercepting and destroying the criminal network moving people, boats and engines into Europe and across the continent to the French coastline.    

Ministers and law enforcement partners will examine the findings from the analysis commissioned by the Home Secretary on the operational capabilities of the criminal smuggling gangs. Discussion will also be focused on collaboration with European enforcement agencies, including Europol, and plans will be put forward to rapidly enhance this through the government’s new Border Security Command in the coming months.  

NCA Director General Graeme Biggar will highlight how close co-operation with the Bulgarian authorities and an established NCA presence in that critical transit country has led to more than 40 small boats and engines being intercepted in recent weeks. This material, now removed from the smuggling supply chain, could have enabled up to 2,400 people to attempt the deadly crossing.    

He will also set details of around 70 further live investigations, including:    

  • working with the Libyan police to target gangs trafficking migrants through Libya, with raids on warehouses where migrants are housed, often in appalling conditions, before making their onward journey to Europe
  • collaboration with French authorities to investigate the death of a woman killed in an overloaded boat on 28 July

This meeting led by the Home Secretary comes as she spoke to her French counterpart, Gérald Darmanin, this week to discuss increased co-operation to dismantle the gangs.  

Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, said: “Exploiting vulnerable people is at the heart of the business model of these despicable criminal smuggling gangs. Women and children were packed into an unsafe boat which literally collapsed in the water this week.

“At least 12 people were killed as part of this evil trade. We will not rest until these networks have been dismantled and brought to justice. 

“The last two months has seen encouraging progress, with significant seizures of boats and equipment in Europe. But there is work to do, and the Border Security Command will bring all the relevant bodies together to investigate, arrest and prosecute these networks, as well as deepen our ties with key international partners.   

“At the same time, we are swiftly removing those with no right to be in the UK, which will ensure we have a fair, firm and functioning asylum system where the rules are respected and enforced.”

NCA Director General Graeme Biggar said: “People smuggling puts lives in mortal danger.   

“As well as arresting suspects and seeing our investigations lead to convictions and sentences, we’re operating around the world to disrupt the perpetrators. This includes helping seize more than 410 small boats and engines since last spring, preventing thousands of crossings.    

“Tackling the callous criminals behind organised immigration crime is one of the NCA’s highest priorities. We continue to expand our activity to deliver ever greater impact against the threat.”

In recent weeks, the Prime Minister has led a ‘reset’ in the relationship with Europe, with work to increase security co-operation and tackle illegal migration at the heart. This has already led to a 50 per cent uplift in the number of NCA officers stationed in Europol, working on organised immigration crime.    

Last week, the Home Secretary announced an additional 100 specialist investigators to disrupt people smuggling globally. In addition to the Europol presence, the NCA has enhanced its international liaison officer network, responsible for cracking down on criminal networks in specific areas.    

A new post is open in Austria and officers are being permanently deployed to Romania. Headcount is also increasing in South East Asia, in key countries where gangs are advertising Channel crossings. These are just the first steps of an intensification of the UK’s international law enforcement and bilateral partnership arrangements and serves as a platform for Border Security Command operations.   

The tragedy off the French coast on Tuesday 3 September highlights the increasingly extreme measures the gangs are willing to contemplate, as more people are crammed into less seaworthy vessels. It has been reported that most of those who died were women and children.  

Intelligence reveals smugglers have also increased the price they charge for migrants to cross the Channel, including charging for children to get into boats, as the business model comes under pressure from UK and partner law enforcement.

Swinney: We WILL deliver support for families

Programme for Government 2024-25

Eradicating child poverty, building prosperity, improving public services and protecting the planet will be the top priorities of the Scottish Government, First Minister John Swinney has pledged.

Outlining his first Programme for Government (PfG) as First Minister, Mr Swinney set out how the Scottish Government will deliver commitments that are ‘affordable, impactful and deliverable’.

The First Minister highlighted that child poverty is his ‘first and foremost’ priority and that he will reform support for whole family services to make them ‘easy to access, well-connected and responsive to families’ needs.’

Key announcements include:

  • the expansion of Fairer Future Partnerships ensuring services work to help families by maximising their incomes – supporting parents back into work and improving their wellbeing
  • ensuring the NHS has the resources it needs, today and in the years to come, freeing up 210,000 outpatient appointments and delivering around 20,000 extra orthopaedic, ophthalmology and general surgery procedures annually in Scotland’s new National Treatment Centres
  • making Scotland more attractive for investment and promoting home-grown entrepreneurs and innovators
  • delivering faster planning decisions for renewable energy schemes, protecting the planet by speeding up the transition to net zero

The First Minister said: “This Programme for Government will ensure that the people of Scotland have every opportunity to live well, thrive, and see promise in their future.

“This year’s commitments are affordable, impactful and deliverable. Together, they reflect my optimism that out of every challenge, we gain an invaluable opportunity to adjust our course, to interrogate our priorities and to renew our partnerships.

“I have been clear about the financial limitations surrounding this Programme for Government due to UK Government spending decisions. In the face of these significant challenges, it is critical that we direct available funding towards our four priorities – eradicating child poverty, building prosperity, improving our public services and protecting the planet.”

In his statement, the First Minister added: “No child should have their opportunities, their development, their health and wellbeing, and their future curtailed by the material wealth of their family.  Not ever, and certainly not, in a modern, prosperous society like Scotland.

“This is not only the moral compass of my Government, it is the greatest investment in our country’s future that we can possibly make.”

Reacting to the Programme for Government, Poverty Alliance chief executive Peter Kelly said: “It’s good that the First Minister talked about his strong commitment to ending the injustice of child poverty in our wealthy nation.

“But before today’s Programme for Government more than 100 of our members came together calling for action like boosting the Scottish Child Payment to £40 a week, affordable housing, and the delivery of stronger social security through a Minimum Income Guarantee. Many of these calls were not progressed within today’s Programme for Government.

“The First Minister was right to highlight the importance of welfare advice services that help people get the support they’re entitled to through social security. While a continued commitment to invest in the third sector is positive, the Scottish Government need to be clear as to how they will deliver long-standing promises for fair funding for the community and voluntary organisations that deliver that advice.

“He talked about affordable childcare and extra support to help people into work – but these commitments need to be matched with adequate investment. The Poverty and Inequality Commission have been clear that existing interventions are not at the scale necessary to deliver the change needed to meet our child poverty targets.

“He talked about closing the attainment gap in schools. But the latest figures show that children from poorer backgrounds are still being held back by poorer educational outcomes, so we need to hear what the Scottish Government is going to do differently.

“We welcome the fact that a Community Wealth Building Bill will be introduced into Parliament. But we need to make sure that it puts the voices of people in poverty at its heart, and starts to build new local economies that place wellbeing at their heart, and start to lessen Scotland’s unjust inequalities of wealth and power.

“We’re very disappointed that there will be no Human Rights Bill for Scotland. Poverty is a breach of people’s human rights, and we need to make sure they have the power to hold public bodies to account when their rights aren’t respected. The delay to this Bill will make it more difficult for the Scottish Government to deliver on their core mission of eradicating child poverty.

“We are a country that believes in justice and compassion. People in Scotland want our political leaders to unlock our country’s vast wealth, build better budgets that give people the means to build a better future, and to create a true wellbeing economy that supports fair work, and a just transition to the net zero future that we urgently need.”

Morgan Vine, Head of Policy and Influencing at Independent Age said: “In the context of tightening budgets it is vital we look for innovative ways to help the growing number of older people in poverty in Scotland.

“Now, more than ever, we need a comprehensive and coherent strategy to tackle the terrifying rate of poverty in later life. Without it, it is likely the 150,000 older people across the nation who are in financial hardship will continue to struggle to afford even a very basic quality of life. 

“Poverty at any age is extremely damaging to both mental and physical wellbeing. Through our work across Scotland, we have spoken to older people affected who shared with us what the cost of living has been like. We heard from those using foodbanks, and others waiting until the cold became ‘unbearable’ before using the heating at night. 

“This cannot continue. If the Scottish Government wants to make Scotland the best place in the world to grow old, it is essential they introduce a long-term strategy to address pensioner poverty. Older people on low income are facing a bleak winter, they urgently need to see action on the Scottish Government’s commitment to tackle poverty.” 

Joanne Smith, NSPCC Scotland policy and public affairs officer, said: “It’s heartening to see the First Minister’s explicit focus on the early years in his Programme for Government.

“In a challenging context, we need strategic leadership and coordination to ensure that money is spent where the evidence tells us it will make the biggest difference to babies, children, families and communities.

“Eradicating child poverty and Keeping the Promise can only be delivered by making the very best support available to families in the earliest years, to prevent unnecessary suffering to children and enable them to thrive.

“Delivering the Government’s ambitious vision for children requires cultural, structural and legislative change. A critical first step must be urgent reform of the Children’s Hearing System to protect the distinct needs and rights of babies who come into the care system.

“Getting it right for our most vulnerable citizens must become Scotland’s number one investment priority.”

Iain Munro, CEO, Creative Scotland said: “Creative Scotland notes the intention to review the way the sector is supported, as announced by the First Minister in the Programme for Government, and we look forward to hearing more details.  

“We welcome the continued commitment to provide an additional £100m in funding for Culture and will work with the Scottish Government on the effective allocation of that funding, to the benefit of culture and creativity in Scotland.

“We also welcome today’s confirmation of £6.6m, originally committed to Creative Scotland by the Scottish Government at the start of this financial year, reinstating budget removed in the previous year.

“We continue to see unprecedented levels of demand for the Open Fund for Individuals and will process the high volume of applications we have received. With the budget now confirmed, we will work to re-open this fund.

“We are sure today’s confirmation of the release of this funding will be welcomed by the creative community of Scotland.”

Read the Programme for Government 2024-25

Read the First Minister statement to the Scottish Parliament, 4 September 2024

Programme for Government: SCVO repeats call for Fair Funding

VOLUNTARY SECTOR FACING ‘UNPRECEDENTED CHALLENGES’

Tomorrow’s Programme for Government from the Scottish Government must include urgent action to deliver multi-year funding and progress Fair Funding to support voluntary organisations, their staff and their volunteers, and the people and communities our sector works with, says SCVO.

Read SCVO’s full briefing: https://buff.ly/478TpKI

SCVO and colleagues across the voluntary sector welcomed the Scottish Government’s commitment to deliver Fairer Funding for the sector by 2026, including exploring options to implement multi-year funding deals.

Despite this renewed focus, 18 months on from the policy prospectus, there has been little progress.

Our sector continues to face unprecedented challenges.

In the Programme for Government (PfG) action is urgently needed to deliver multi-year funding and progress Fair Funding to support of voluntary organisations, their staff and their volunteers, and the people and communities our sector works with.

Background

For over a decade, the Scottish Government has recognised the need for multi-year funding, committing to longer-term funding for the voluntary sector across multiple government strategies, including within several Scottish Budgets and Programmes for Government, and the Economic Strategy.

In April 2023, the Scottish Government’s policy prospectus, New leadership – A fresh start, renewed these ambitions, committing to delivering Fairer Funding for the sector by 2026, including exploring options to implement multi-year funding deals. This was followed in May 2023 by a commitment in the Medium-Term Financial Strategy to adopt multi-year spending plans.

Despite this renewed focus, 18 months on from the policy prospectus, there has been little progress. The most recent Scottish Budget made no further commitments, deferring action on any multi-year funding to the upcoming Medium-Term Financial Strategy, and making no reference to voluntary sector funding.

The problem

It is widely understood that our sector is facing unprecedented challenges. Years of underfunding and poor funding practices, and crises such as the pandemic, and the cost-of-living crisis have put the sector under increasing pressure, exacerbating financial and operational challenges.

The running costs and cost-of-living crises continue to put pressure on voluntary organisations – with demand for services increasing, costs rising, and financial uncertainty ongoing.

The Third Sector Tracker found:

The most recent Third Sector Tracker results were published earlier this month and cover the three months to April 2024.

By April 2024, the Third Sector Tracker found:

  • 62% of organisations believed that rising costs had affected the ability to deliver core services or activities since December 2023.
  • 47% of organisations reported cost increases in their top three challenges.
  • 33% of respondents had not been able to deliver all their planned services in the preceding 3 months.
  • Only one third (32%) of respondents have been able to meet all of the increased demand for their services in the preceding 3 months. For the organisations who had been unable to meet increased demand, the main difficulties included: staff capacity (54%); raising funds to meet the demand (50%); and volunteer capacity (41%.).

As local councils fund far more voluntary organisations than Scottish government, the fallout from the local government settlement will also have a significant impact on voluntary organisations, further exacerbating these pressures. Similarly, any reduction in local services will result in further increased demand for some voluntary organisations.

The Emergency Budget Response has also left organisations awaiting confirmation of Scottish Government funding vulnerable.

The solution

SCVO and colleagues across the sector welcomed the Scottish Government’s commitment to delivering Fairer Funding for the sector by 2026, including exploring options to implement multi-year funding deals. Without action in the Programme for Government (PfG), achieving this target becomes increasingly unlikely.

To make progress, the  PfG should commit to aligning the Scottish Government’s “Fairer Funding” principles with SCVO’s definition of Fair Funding– which was developed through significant research and engagement with Scotland’s voluntary sector. This includes commitments to:

  • A longer-term funding model for the voluntary sector across all Scottish Government departments.
  • Define multi-year funding for voluntary organisations as a three-year minimum commitment.
  • Record progress by collecting and publishing what proportion of grants and contracts are delivered on a multi-year basis and accommodate other essential Fair Funding elements.

To be meaningful and support a sustainable sector, multi-year funding must also recognise and incorporate other essential Fair Funding elements including:

  • Flexible, unrestricted core funding
  • Inflation-based uplifts
  • Accommodate at least the Real Living Wage and uplifts on par with those offered to public sector staff.
  • Full costs recovery, which includes core operating costs.

Long term funding should also be provided to local authorities, to allow them to enter into multi-year agreements with voluntary organisations. Between one quarter and one third of voluntary organisations receive funding from local authorities.

Without these commitments, achieving “Fairer Funding” by 2026 becomes increasingly unlikely.

To make and monitor progress, it is also essential that the PfG takes action on transparent funding, including developing timelines, goals, and actions to both monitor progress, and ensure progress can be scrutinised by the voluntary sector and Parliament.

Testimonials

“Like all voluntary organisations, we have very short-term funding, so while our contracts are on paper secure, everyone knows their job is only as secure as the current piece of short-term funding” – Registered charity

“Everything we do is dependent on funding, and amounts are often not confirmed until very late in the financial year” – Registered charity

“Due to annual funding from Scottish Government, which doesn’t cover our core costs, recruitment is often on short-term contracts or is subject to ongoing funding, of which there is no guarantee” – Voluntary sector intermediary

Conclusion

Scotland’s voluntary sector is an employer, a partner, and a vital social and economic actor central to delivering on the Scottish Government’s three missions of equality, opportunity, and community.

The Programme for Government is an opportunity for the First Minister and the cabinet team to recognise and support the many contributions of voluntary organisations, their staff and their volunteers across Scotland by making progress towards the Fair Funding our sector desperately needs.

To achieve this the Scottish Government must commit to progressing multi-year funding, develop timelines and goals, and make plans to monitor progress. To support a sustainable sector, multi-year funding must also recognise and incorporate essential Fair Funding elements.

Additional information

SCVO’s full proposals for the 2024/2025 Programme for Government cover two areas and can be found here:

  1. Delivering Fair Funding by 2026
  2. Transparent funding

Second Mother and Child Recovery House opens

Children’s charity Aberlour helping mothers through recovery

A second residential rehabilitation service to support women and their children through recovery from addiction / substance use has been opened in Falkirk.

The Scottish Government has invested £5.5 million to support the development of this Aberlour Childcare Trust facility, as well as a house in Dundee which opened in January 2023.

The houses offer 24/7 support and keep families together by letting children of women with problematic substance use stay with their mothers during their recovery.  

Wellbeing Minister Maree Todd said: “This house will allow women to access residential rehabilitation services and keep their family together. 

“We know there is a strong link between women having children removed from their care and risk of drug-related death. Treatment is more effective when families are kept together and it also reduces the harmful impact on children.

“Widening access to residential rehabilitation is a key part of our National Mission on Drugs. We have made £100 million available for residential rehabilitation from 2021 to 2026 to ensure 1,000 people receive public funding for their placement each year by then. That includes £38 million as part of our commitment to increase the number of beds to 650.”

Aberlour Chief Executive SallyAnn Kelly OBE said: “We are delighted to open our new Mother and Child Recovery House in Falkirk. It follows the opening of our first house in January 2023 in Dundee, which has transformed the lives of mothers and their children. 

“Both houses offer a unique service enabling women with problem drug and alcohol issues to keep their young children with them as they recover.

“They provide specialist support that helps women develop skills and encourages them to build new futures for themselves and their children. We understand the need to work alongside women to address their fears.

“We are grateful to the Scottish Government for funding this much-needed new service.”

Westminster Government: How we’re ‘fixing the foundations’

We want to create wealth everywhere, but first we must fix the foundations of our country.

In the first few weeks of this Government, an audit found a £22 billion black hole in the public finances. It means we’ve had to take tough decisions, like means-testing the Winter Fuel Payment. Our Budget in October will be difficult.

But we have already taken action to improve the lives of working people in every corner of the country, from unlocking planning decisions to help build 1.5 million new homes to setting up Great British Energy, to create good jobs and provide clean energy to cut people’s bills in the long term.

Here are some of the things we are doing to fix the foundations of this country.

Setting up a new National Wealth Fund 

Growth is the number one priority of this government. That’s why we set up the National Wealth Fund. 

It is a publicly owned investment fund that will help attract investment into our country, stabilise our economy and create wealth for future generations.  

It will help unlock private investment into the UK by directly investing in new and growing industries, and help create thousands of jobs in clean energy industries.  

Accelerating housing planning 

We’re overhauling our housing system to meet the needs of working people and put communities first.  

Our plan will include introducing mandatory planning targets to aim to deliver on our ambition to build 1.5 million new homes over the next five years.  

The new targets will boost housebuilding in areas most in need, to help more people buy their own homes, and help drive growth – making everyone in the country better off. 

Putting passengers first  We’ll put our rail system back on track with new laws to deliver for passengers.  

They will improve the railways by reforming rail franchising, establishing Great British Railways and bringing train operators into public ownership. 

Protecting taxpayer money 

We’ll introduce legislation that makes sure nobody can play fast and loose with public finances. 

A new Bill will strengthen the role of the Office of Budget Responsibility, meaning significant fiscal announcements must be properly scrutinised and that taxpayers’ money is respected. 

Protecting workers’ rights  

We’ll improve workers’ rights with new legislation – a significant step towards delivering this Government’s plan to make work pay. 

We will ban exploitative zero-hours contracts, end fire and rehire, and introduce basic employment rights from day one.  

And we’re changing the way the Minimum Wage is set so it keeps in line with the cost of living, in a move to put more money in working people’s pockets. 

Launching GB Energy  

Producing clean energy and creating good jobs will be our focus for the rest of the year. Great British Energy, a publicly owned, clean-energy company, will own, manage and operate clean power projects, such as wind farms, across the country.

 Great British Energy will be headquartered in Scotland and paid for by a windfall tax on oil and gas giants. It will invest clean power projects across the United Kingdom, such as wind farms, which are the cheapest forms of electricity generation to build and operate.  

This will help make our country energy independent, tackle climate change and save families money. And investing in clean domestic power will create jobs and build supply chains in every corner of the UK.

Holyrood’s Finance Committee visits University of Dundee

MSPs from the Scottish Parliament’s Finance and Public Administration Committee  visited the University of Dundee on Thursday (29 August).

The cross-party committee of MSPs learned about the contribution life science research can make towards growing Scotland’s economy.

The visit forms part of its parliamentary inquiry into ‘Managing Scotland’s public finances’, which aims to influence the Scottish Government’s Budget before it is announced in autumn.

The MSPs are examining how the Scottish Government uses its capital expenditure to achieve innovation, productivity, and growth – and whether its priorities are the most effective choices.

Finance and Public Administration Committee Convener Kenneth Gibson said: “Our parliamentary inquiry is about examining the effectiveness of the Scottish Government’s overall approach towards managing Scotland’s public finances.

“With a really challenging fiscal and economic outlook, it’s vital that we look critically at boosting innovation, productivity and growth.

“Life sciences already contribute to the Scottish economy, but we want to learn more about its potential for growth and what that could mean in terms of high-value Scottish jobs, high return research and successful spin-out companies.”

“A key part of our inquiry is examining how the Scottish Government currently uses its capital expenditure to boost growth – but we want to ensure its priorities are the right ones ahead of the coming budget.

“Our visit to the University of Dundee’s school of life sciences, to meet leading figures in the field, will give us a good insight into what scope there is to expand research and boost innovation and growth.

“We’ll take the learning from our visit back to Holyrood to inform our inquiry and our recommendations to the Scottish Government ahead of the budget.”

Principal and Vice Chancellor of the University of Dundee, Professor Iain Gillespie, said: “We are delighted to welcome the Finance and Public Administration Committee to Dundee and help boost innovation and growth.

“As the UK’s top university for both biological sciences research and for nurturing spinout success we are a key driver of the economy, learning and skills, as well as a vital part of the scientific ecosystem that is addressing the great health challenges of our time.

“Investment in research and innovation is an investment in the nation’s health and wealth, and we are happy to share our expertise in creating high value companies and anchoring jobs in Scotland.”

The committee’s Dundee visit will provide insight into:

  • funding of research & development at the University
  • commercialisation: turning research into innovation
  • creating, support and scaling of high growth spin-out companies

Background provided by the University of Dundee:

Dundee has been the UK’s top ranked university for Biological Sciences in the last two Research Excellence Framework (REF) exercises. It was also named the UK’s best university for supporting spin out companies by venture capitalist firm Octopus Ventures last year.

While at the University, members of the Finance and Public Administration Committee toured Dundee’s Drug Discovery Unit (DDU), which bridges the gap between academic scientific research and industrially experienced drug discovery.

DDU’s successes include the invention of cabamaquine, a new compound currently in human trials that has been shown to treat malaria with a single dose, while potentially protect people from contracting the disease and prevent its spread.

The committee also viewed the site of Dundee’s Life Sciences Innovation Hub, which will anchor a new generation of high-growth companies and high-value jobs in the city, and visited the Centre for Targeted Protein Degradation (CeTPD).

The University is one of the world leaders in targeted protein degradation, a field of research which has received billions of pounds of investment in recent years and is making the treatment of diseases previously thought to be undruggable a reality.

 Another Tory MSP endorses Tom Tugendhat MP for Leader

Liz Smith CBE MSP endorses Tom Tugendhat MP for Conservative Leader and his vision for public services

  • Shadow Finance Secretary Liz Smith CBE MSP endorses Tom Tugendhat for Leader of the UK Conservative Party after he outlined his vision for public services
  • She argues Scotland deserves better than 17 years of SNP failure on public services and prioritising constitutional reform over delivery
  • Joining 11 other MSPs, she recognises Tom is the only person who understands the challenges Scotland is facing and will deliver a true, conservative approach to public services 

Scotland’s Shadow Finance Secretary Liz Smith CBE MSP joins eleven of her Conservative Colleagues in Holyrood and endorses Shadow Security Minister Tom Tugendhat for UK Conservative Party Leader. 

Echoing her Conservative colleagues, Liz is clear that she wants to see the end of 17 years of SNP failure, which have left Scotland’s public services crumbling. She argues the Scottish people deserve a government which will deliver on their priorities – securing jobs and economic growth and improving schools and health care – rather than being obsessed with constitutional reform.

Liz says she wants a Conservative Party Leader in Westminster who will deliver for Scotland – someone who believes that unionism is indivisible from conservatism and who will fight to protect the Union. 

She knows that Tom is the only person who can do this and that he is the only candidate who has taken the time, over many years, to get to know Scotland whilst on regular visits and also whilst meeting members and local associations. 

Following his public services speech in London today, she commends him for having a conservative vision which will benefit every nation in the United Kingdom. Tom called for a bold new approach to public services that empowers professionals to innovate and boost productivity, rather than be stifled by centralisation and bureaucracy. Liz strongly supports this and the need to prioritise individuals and choice – qualities the SNP has stripped from Scottish public services.

It is very clear from the most recent analysis from both the Scottish Fiscal Commission and the Fraser of Allander Institute that the SNP has to bear most of the responsibility for the financial pressures facing Scotland. As a result, Scots now face emergency cuts to SNP spending and the prospect of public services falling further behind those in the rest of the UK.

Liz argues Tom is the only one who can stand up for her conservatism, just as he has done in Parliament. Whether it was voting against Covid vaccine passports or not supporting the National Insurance rise.

Tom has always kept his promise to deliver for the people of Britain, which Liz highlights as a reason for her endorsement. Before Parliament, he served in military operations in both Iraq and Afghanistan to keep the Union safe. Tom also was the first to warn of the threats from Russian, China and Iran. And, as Security Minister, he introduced the National Security Act which oversaw the arrest and charging of more Russian and Chinese spies than in the previous decade.

As someone with a clear vision on how to fix public services and unite the Party, Liz believes Tom as Leader will be an electoral asset for the Scottish Conservatives at the next 2026 Holyrood elections. Scotland deserves better and Tom will take the Scottish Conservatives and Scotland into a new era. 

Responding to Tom Tugendhat’s speech, Liz Smith CBE MSP said: ““After 17 years, the SNPs obsession with unnecessary constitutional debates has resulted in a record of failure that keeps growing.

“Because of their mismanagement Scotland is lagging behind the rest of the UK when it comes to economic growth and we have plummeted down international educational rankings and our healthcare system is struggling.

“On top of this record of failure, hard working Scots now pay more income tax than in any other part of the United Kingdom. They now face the prospect of deep spending cuts and more tax rises after the Scottish Fiscal Commission said the SNP bears most of the responsibility for the financial pressures Scotland now faces.

“Now is the time to provide strong, united leadership based on truly conservative principles of lower taxes and public service which puts the public first.

“Tom knows what it will take to transform public services – by offering a new approach that prioritises individuals and choice. This is exactly what Scotland and our Union needs – public services focussed on delivering for individuals and their families rather than on unnecessary centralisation and bureaucracy.”

Welcoming Liz Smith CBE MSP’s support, Tom Tugendhat said: “Liz is right – we need a new approach to public services throughout the Union. And it is a privilege to have her endorsement to be the next Leader of the Conservative and Unionist Party. 

“It is an honour to now have over a third of the Conservative Scottish Party endorsing me. 

“I fought for all nations in this Union in Afghanistan and Iraq and in Parliament, this has never and will never change.

“A key part of why I am a Conservative is that I know unionism is indivisible from conservatism. As the Conservative Leader, I promise to always fight for the Union and deliver on the priorities of the Scottish people.”

SNP Conference: First Minister taught a lesson by his former teacher

The First Minister’s former school teacher sought to give a climate lesson to her famous ex-pupil today as the SNP conference got underway in Edinburgh.

The teacher was part of a group of activists from the Edinburgh Climate Coalition urging the SNP to stop rolling back on climate change action following the decision earlier this year to scrap its critical 2030 climate targets. 

The teacher wore a black gown and cap whilst standing in front of a large blackboard with repeated lines written on reminding the First Minister “I must try harder to protect the climate. I must try harder to protect the climate. I must try harder to protect the climate…” 

Environmentalists have been angered by the regressive approach taken under Swinney’s leadership including removing its opposition to drilling new oil and gas fields, announcing it will increase train fares and slashing millions of pounds from environmental restoration schemes. 

Activists spoke to SNP conference delegates and politicians as they went inside the conference urging them to put pressure on decision makers to get back on track. 

 Caro Wilkinson, who was John Swinney’s German teacher at Forrester High School in Edinburgh commented, “When I taught John Swinney, he was both intelligent and caring. His kindness was clear when he organised a class whip round when I was pregnant to buy me a teddy bear for my new baby.

“He is clever enough to know how urgent the threat of climate change is and so I hope he cares enough for the planet to take the action that’s needed.

“If he does, he’ll speak out against the huge Rosebank oil field, reject the proposed Peterhead gas fired power station and do what he can to put the Scottish Government back on course to fight climate change.”

Luke Henderson, Edinburgh Climate Coalition spokesperson added: “People around the world are already suffering from the impacts of changed climate in fires, floods and landslides but the Scottish Government is going backwards and slowing down the action that will improve lives and cut climate pollution.

“Renewable energy is already far cheaper than new fossil fuels whilst solutions like making public transport more affordable and accessible will help more people get to where they need to be.”

GMB Scotland accepts council pay offer and halts strikes

Union: Ministers must not blame spending cuts on public service pay 

Ministers must not blame public service pay deals for spending cuts, according to GMB Scotland.

The warning comes as the union announces members have voted to accept a council pay offer and halt looming industrial action.

The union, one of the biggest across Scotland’s local authorities, revealed a ballot of members in councils showed 78% of those voting supported the deal offering up to 5.6% for frontline workers.

The offer from Cosla, representing Scotland’s councils, came just days before the start of strikes in waste and cleansing earlier this month.

Keir Greenaway, GMB Scotland senior organiser in public services, confirmed the industrial action, suspended during the vote, would not now go ahead.

He said it was right the offer, delivering a minimum rise of 3.6% for all grades, was weighted to ensure full-time frontline staff got a rise of £1,292 – equivalent to 5.6% for the lowest paid – but criticised needless delays.

Greenaway said: “Council leaders’ lack of urgency and stubborn refusal to ask the Scottish Government for support meant negotiations and uncertainty went on far longer than necessary.

“It should not take imminent strike action to deliver a fair offer but, while it came too late, the deal was above inflation for all staff and weighted to benefit frontline workers most.

“That was what the unions had asked for and, given that, it is no surprise our members accepted it.”

GMB Scotland has criticised the Scottish Government, however, after ministers froze non-essential spending within 24 hours of the offer being made before warning of more cuts this week.

Greenaway said: “Ministers implying a fair pay offer for our members means cuts to spending are only diverting attention from the real cause of the crisis in our public services.

“We have endured more than a decade of cuts not because of staff being paid fairly but because our governments, at Westminster and Holyrood, have failed to properly fund the public sector.

“Government is about choices but, when our public services are struggling to recruit and retain skilled staff, paying council staff fairly is not part of the problem but part of the solution.”

‘Two great countries – brought closer together than ever before’

KEIR STARMER’s SPEECH IN BERLIN YESTERDAY

Thank you. And can I first express my sincere condolences for the shocking attack in Solingen last week. Our country knows what it’s like to suffer such senseless and despicable acts and our thoughts are with all the families affected by this terrible event. 

And Olaf – thank you. It’s fantastic to be with you here in Berlin. 

Not, alas, my first visit here as Prime Minister. Football, it turns out… 

Decided to visit it’s second home in Spain, this time. But anyway – it was still an incredible experience… 

And a showcase for the fantastic hospitality of this great nation.  

So thank you for hosting yet another episode in English footballing trauma! I’ve been through a lot.

Anyway – I’m delighted to be back at this moment of opportunity for our two countries. 

Olaf – on every occasion we’ve met, we’ve talked about our ambitions for the future. Our values of security, prosperity, respect and our shared determination to harness the power of government for the service of working people.

That is what we are doing today. 

A new UK-Germany Treaty. A once in a generation chance to deliver for working people in Britain and in Germany. 

A new agreement… A testament to the depth and potential of our relationship. 

With deeper links on science, technology, development, people, businesses, culture. 

A boost to our trading relations.

Germany – of course, already the UK’s second largest trading partner in the world. And through that – a chance to create jobs here and in the UK and deliver that most precious of goods, for both our countries … Economic growth. 

Let me be clear – growth is the number one mission of my Government.  

And what we understand, clearly is that building relationships with our partners – here in Germany and across Europe is vital to achieving it. 

That is what our agreement today represents – the chance that we have. 

We’ll also deepen cooperation on shared social challenges. For example, on illegal migration. Because we cannot smash the smuggling gangs who perpetrate this vile trade without the help of our partners.

And I’m really glad that we had substantive discussions today about how we tackle the smuggling gangs and agreed to develop a joint action plan to tackle illegal migration. 

So we will renew our commitment to the Calais Group – enhance our intelligence sharing on organised immigration crime. but also – increase collaboration on tackling climate change. 

An important goal for the planet, of course for greater energy security, but also – for tackling the drivers of challenges like illegal migration at source.

 And finally – at the heart of this Treaty will be a new Defence Agreement. An agreement that builds upon our already formidable defence co-operation but which expands that relationship to face the threats of a volatile world, together. 

That of course means a shared resolve to stand up for the security of our people and the wider European continent. 

And that begins with our unyielding support for Ukraine – we discussed that in some detail today. 

Because, as Europe’s largest contributors to Ukraine’s war efforts, and as the nations with the highest defence expenditure among European countries in NATO, we know only too well the debt we owe to the Ukrainian people who fight not just to defend themselves, but for all the people of Europe. 

So today – we reaffirmed our commitment to stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes. We also share a common commitment to resolve the crisis in the Middle East, and agree on:

…Israel’s right to self-defence, in compliance with International Humanitarian Law… 

…the need for de-escalation across the region; and for restraint and caution to be exercised…

Unfettered humanitarian access into Gaza…

…agreement to a ceasefire and release of all hostages…

…and the importance of working together towards a political solution based on the creation of a Palestinian State alongside a safe and secure Israel.

The only way to provide long-term peace and security for both Israelis and Palestinians.

That of course – is not an easy goal. But it is one that we are committed to pursuing, together. 

Because – as today shows – Britain can advance its interests much more effectively when we stand with our friends and partners.

This Treaty is part of a wider reset – grounded in a new spirit of co-operation… with our shared understanding that this will be developed at pace and that we hope to have agreed it by the end of the year. 

A Britain reconnected… Resetting our relationships… Rediscovering our common interest…Delivering for working people. 

Britain and Germany already have an incredible relationship. We invest billions in each other’s countries. Thousands and thousands of jobs are supported through trade.

And every year, millions of people travel between our two countries; exchanging ideas, collaborating, creating and connecting.  But today – we build on that … A bright new future for UK-German relations.

Two great countries – brought closer together than ever before. The strongest strategic partners in Europe and on the world stage.

Thank you so much for hosting us here today.