Tag: Scottish Parliament

Protection of shopworkers law to come into force on 24 August

Usdaw welcomes Scottish legislation and urges UK Government to follow suit

Retail trade union Usdaw has welcomed yesterday’s announcement by the Scottish Government, confirming that a new law to protect shopworkers from violence, threats and abuse will come into force on 24 August 2021.

The ground-breaking legislation was supported by MSPs after Usdaw’s long-running campaign led to the Protection of Workers (Retail and Age-restricted Goods and Services) (Scotland) Bill, which was successfully steered through the Scottish Parliament by Daniel Johnson MSP (Labour, Edinburgh Southern).

Tracy Gilbert, Usdaw’s Scottish Regional Secretary, said: “We welcome today’s confirmation that ground-breaking legislation to protect shopworkers from violence, threats and abuse will come in to force on 24 August. We again thank Daniel Johnson MSP and all MSPs for listening to the pleas of our members and giving them the legislative support they so desperately need.

“Retail staff have been on the frontline throughout the coronavirus crisis, helping to keep our communities fed, despite the risks of contracting the virus. Our 2020 survey showed that 9 in 10 shopworkers had been abused last year. This new law firmly backs up Usdaw’s clear message that abuse is not part of the job.

“We are now looking to work with the Scottish Government, police and retailers to promote the new law. We want criminals to understand that assaulting and abusing shopworkers is unacceptable and will land them with a stiffer sentence. Our hope is that this new legislation will result in retail staff getting the respect they deserve.”

Paddy Lillis, Usdaw General Secretary, said: “The Scottish Parliament is leading the way on protection of shopworkers. Today our petition for similar legislation in the UK Parliament is being debated in the House of Commons (see below).

“We urge MPs to support the aims of our petition and persuade the Government to back legislation to protect shopworkers. They have the perfect opportunity by accepting an amendment from Sarah Jones MP to the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill, which we hope will be supported in the bill committee.

“Retail employers, leading retail bodies and the shopworkers’ trade union are jointly calling for legislation, so it is time for the Government and MPs to listen.

“We are now looking for MPs to support key workers across the retail sector and help turn around the UK Government’s opposition and follow Scotland’s lead.”

A survey of over 12,000 retail workers has found that only 1 in 5 shopworkers who reported incidents of abuse or violence were satisfied with the official response from the police or their employer.

Westminster’s Home Affairs Committee has published the findings of its survey, which asked retail and other shopworkers to share their experiences of incidents of violence and abuse. Two thirds of those who reported incidents suggested no help was given to them after receiving an initial response from their employer or the police.

The Committee asked retail workers about the frequency of incidents, how these were reported, what action was taken by the police or employers and what should be done to prevent abuse in future. The majority of respondents had both witnessed and experienced verbal or physical abuse at work.

The survey found that 87% of respondents had reported incidents to their employer but, in 45% of these cases, no further action was taken. Half of respondents reported incidents to the police, of which only 12% led to an arrest.

A third of respondents did not report incidents to their employer because they believed nothing would be done or it was ‘just part of the job’. Over a quarter did not report incidents because they believed the police would not do anything about it. 

Respondents felt that better security at retail premises and more severe punishments for offenders would help prevent incidents in the future.

The public survey was held as part of the committee’s inquiry into ‘Violence and abuse towards retail workers’. The findings are published ahead of today’s Westminster Hall debate on an e-petition calling for more protection for retail workers.

The Committee’s Chair, Yvette Cooper MP, said: “During the Covid crisis, we’ve seen an appalling and unacceptable increase in reported attacks and abuse against shop workers.

“No one should feel unsafe at their place of work and there are no circumstances where such behaviour should be tolerated. Thank you to everyone who took the time to share their experiences with the Committee.

“The sheer number of responses we have received shows just how widespread this problem is. In far too many cases retail workers don’t report incidents as they feel nothing will be done or that they’re expected to deal with such appalling incidents as part of their job. That’s simply not the case and it’s clear that action is needed to change this.

“The Committee is currently assessing the wider evidence we’ve received – I hope the Government responds constructively to the serious issues we have identified.”

Cole-Hamilton calls for early decision on vaccinating children

Liberal Democrat Health Spokesperson Alex Cole-Hamilton has lodged a parliamentary motion calling for the Joint Committee on Vaccines and Immunisation to accelerate the process by which it will come to a view on whether the Covid 19 vaccine rollout can be extended to children.

Mr Cole-Hamilton, lodged the motion after it was revealed that the number of Scottish children aged 0-9, hospitalised with Covid-19 has risen to 10. He is keen for the JCVI to come to a view as to whether or not it is safe to offer vaccines to young people given that it is already being rolled out to children as young as 12 in countries like Canada. This follows widespread reports various reports that the Delta strain of the virus could be more harmful to young people than previous variants.

Commenting, Mr Cole-Hamilton said: “I am in no way trying to influence the decision of the JCVI, nor am I asking them to cut corners, but I am concerned about the threat that the new Delta variant could pose to children.

“There is international data to support the benefits of some vaccines in children. If it’s is possible to safely vaccinate our children and young people I would like to see that done as quickly as possible.

“Canada is one of the first countries in the world to start vaccinating children, and they are confident enough to do so based on the existing data and the view of their own regulators. I’m not for a minute suggest that we follow their lead for the sake of it, but we do need to treat the potential threat of the Delta variant on young people for what it is- a matter of urgency.”

“The sooner we have a decision from the JCVI on use of the Covid-19 for children, the sooner we can put a plan in place for how best to protect them.”

Running Scotland: SNP and Greens to discuss formal agreement

Talks on Co-operation Agreement announced

Scottish Ministers will enter structured talks with the Scottish Green Party, supported by the civil service, with a view to reaching a formal Co-operation Agreement.

The initiative is part of a refreshed pledge to change politics in Scotland for the better by working with opposition parties to find the best solutions to the toughest of problems, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said.

In the weeks leading up to the next Parliamentary Recess talks will be ongoing and focus on agreeing policy areas which the government and the Scottish Green Party will co-operate on.

During a statement to Parliament this afternoon the First Minister told the Chamber that she is committed to compromise and constructive conversations as she extended an open offer to collaborate with all of the elected parties.

A cross-party steering group on Covid Recovery has already been established by the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Covid Recovery to welcome all contributions to secure a strong recovery from the pandemic.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “In Scotland and across the world we have massive challenges to confront and overcome: a global pandemic, the climate emergency, and the need to build an economic recovery that is strong, sustainable and fair.

“In the face of all of that, people across Scotland expect – indeed, demand – a grown-up and co-operative approach to politics that puts the interests of the country first.

“We want to reach out and find the best solutions to the toughest of problems. Our duty is to co-operate and not to find the lowest common denominator, but as a way of raising the bar higher.

“I can confirm that the Scottish Government and the Scottish Green Party will enter structured talks, supported by the civil service, with a view to reaching, if we can, a formal Co-operation Agreement.

“Exactly what the content, extent and scope of any Agreement will be is what the talks will focus on but what we hope to achieve is potentially groundbreaking.

“The key point for today is that we are both agreeing to come out of our comfort zones to find new ways of working for the common good to change the dynamic of our politics for the better, and give meaning to the founding principles of our Parliament.

“What we are embarking on will require compromise on both sides but it will also require us to be bold and given the challenges we face, that is a good thing, in fact it is the whole point. By working together we can help build a better future for Scotland.”

Responding, Scottish Greens Co-Leader Lorna Slater MSP said: “Scotland desperately needs a green recovery from the pandemic that leaves no-one behind, while time is running out for meaningful action on the climate emergency. 

“The Scottish Greens have always worked constructively with other parties, delivering meaningful change like free bus travel for young people, and earlier this month the public returned the largest ever Green group to parliament to take that work further and faster. We hope that through these talks we can deliver real change.”

The Greens have drawn from the experience of their colleagues in Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand, and have held discussions between the two-parties’ Co-Leaders in recent weeks. 

Patrick Harvie MSP said: “Politics does not have to be about point-scoring and short-termism. Green parties across Europe and in countries like New Zealand have in recent years rolled up their sleeves and worked with other parties to deliver a better future.

“But they have also shown that there is more than one way for government and opposition parties to work together, without losing the ability to challenge one another. We believe the people of Scotland want to see grown-up politics like this, and will approach the forthcoming talks in this spirit”

Talks between the Scottish Government and the Scottish Green Party are expected to conclude before the next Parliamentary Recess.

MSPs to elect First Minister today

Holyrood’s MSPs are set to elect a First Minister for the sixth session of the Scottish Parliament today (Tuesday 18 May 2021). Under the Scotland Act 1998, a new First Minister must be elected within the first 28 days of the election, or another Scottish Election must be held.

The election process will take place at 2pm, with the new Presiding Officer announcing, in alphabetical order, the names of the nominations received.

Each nominee will then speak for five minutes in support of their candidacy before the voting process begins via the Parliament’s digital voting system. 

After a candidate is selected, each party leader will be invited to speak for five minutes each, taken in party size (largest party first) with the successful candidate being called to speak last.

The approximate timings are as follows: 

9.30 am: nomination period opens

1.30 pm: nomination period closes 

2.00 pm: Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament, Alison Johnstone MSP, presides over the election of a First Minister. 

While Lib Dem leader Willie Rennie has thrown his hat into the ring, it would be a shock of cataclysmic proportions should anyone other than the SNP’s Nicola Sturgeon be announced as the victor! The SNP won 64 of the 129 seats in the parliament at the election on 6 May.

Alex Cole-Hamilton: “I won’t let you down”

The newly re-elected MSP for Edinburgh Western, Alex Cole-Hamilton, has been sworn in to Parliament, following a record breaking victory in last week’s election. 

Mr Cole-Hamilton held his seat with a majority of 54.7%, up from 41.9% in 2016. In the process Mr Cole-Hamilton received 25,578 votes, which is the highest amount of votes ever received  by a candidate in the history of the Scottish Parliament.

Alex Cole-Hamilton said yesterday: “It is a huge privilege to be returned to Scottish Parliament for the constituency that I love and that has been my home for the last ten years.

“My constituents have been and always will be my first consideration in this job.

“Five years ago the people of West Edinburgh put their trust in me to serve them in parliament, last week, they restated that trust in a truly remarkable way. It is a responsibility that I take extremely seriously and I will not them down.”

Covid, Climate and Constitution: briefing paper highlights key issues for Holyrood parliament

Dealing with the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, tackling the climate emergency and the post-Brexit devolution settlement will feature heavily in the work of the new Scottish Parliament, according to a new paper by the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe).

Published as our new MSPs return to Holyrood, the Key Issues for Session 6 paper outlines the challenges facing MSPs as they confront the scale of the COVID-19 recovery, with researchers stressing a balancing act is required to promote recovery while keeping new variants at bay.

Following Brexit, MSPs will also have to contend with the new constitutional arrangements and the impact on the powers of the Scottish Parliament. SPICe also highlight the ‘twin crisis’ of climate change and biodiversity loss, with significant changes expected in coming years to tackle this emergency across all sectors of the economy and society – raising the challenge of how Parliaments can best engage with and scrutinise disruptive change. 

The briefing explores 26 key issues alongside the three themes, covering each major area of devolved policy – from mental health provision and changes in family law, to the business base in Scotland and changing car use.

Speaking as the briefing was published, Clerk and Chief Executive of the Scottish Parliament David McGill said: “The Key Issues for Session 6 briefing is an example of the vital work that SPICe produces for parliamentarians. It outlines the key subjects likely to be of particular interest for the new Parliament with tailored, impartial analysis of the issues that matter to MSPs.

“While the new Session will deal with a range of issues over the next five years, SPICe has identified the broad themes likely to feature heavily in the work of the Parliament as well as the key issues from across all areas of devolved policy.

“This briefing can either be read from cover to cover or readers can dip into whichever issues interest them the most. I hope it proves to be both a thought provoking and useful reference tool in the months and years ahead.”

You can read the full briefing paper online here and via PDF copy here.

Alison Johnstone elected as Holyrood Presiding Officer

Alison Johnstone MSP has been elected as the Scottish Parliament’s sixth Presiding Officer.  Ms Johnstone is the first Green MSP to be elected to the role.

In her acceptance speech the new Presiding Officer thanked her colleagues for electing her to the position in what she called an “opportunity and a privilege”.

She later added: “I am so proud to have been elected as the Parliament’s sixth Presiding Officer.

“This is an incredibly important time for the country and I want to ensure that the Parliament is a place of open debate but we do that in an environment of mutual tolerance and respect.

“The Parliament is such an important place for not just me, but for people across Scotland. This is our most diverse Parliament yet, but there is still more to do, and I want to make sure that the Parliament is representative of all the people it serves.

“There is no doubt that we face some major challenges ahead including the pandemic and of course climate change.  I want to ensure this Parliament and all its Members have the opportunity to work together to address these vital issues.”

The election took place following a secret ballot of newly elected Members. Ms Johnstone was the only nomination for the post.

Alison Johnstone was first elected to represent the Lothians Region in 2011, and was a Councillor on City of Edinburgh Council before her election as an MSP.

She is a qualified athletics coach and previously held the East of Scotland titles for the 800m and 1500m.

Edinburgh Green branch has  congratulated Alison Johnstone MSP on her election as the Scottish Parliament’s first Green Presiding Officer.

Although Alison will now have to suspend party affiliation for the parliamentary term, she will continue to represent people throughout Lothian and manage casework.

Her election comes on top of a record result for the Greens in both Scotland and Lothian last week and is a further sign of how central Green politics now is to Scottish political debate.

Newly-elected Green MSP for Lothian Lorna Slater said: “I congratulate Alison on her election, and I know that she will be an even-handed moderator as Parliament addresses the pressing challenges that Scotland faces over the next five years.

“As only the second woman Presiding Officer, Alison is also well-placed to break new ground in defining the role of a PO in this more diverse parliament. I am confident that she will use it to increase the reach of Parliament and make it even more welcoming for people of all backgrounds.

“With the COP26 global climate summit coming to Scotland later in the year it will be good to have someone with strong Green credentials representing our parliament. Throw into the mix the forthcoming independence referendum and it’s clearly going to be a challenging role at a challenging time.”

Back to business at Holyrood

Newly elected MSPs are to be sworn in at Holyrood tomorrow (Thursday 13 May). The oath-taking and affirmations will be the first item of business in the new five-year session of the Scottish Parliament. 

Holyrood’s newly elected MSPs will then elect a new Presiding Officer for the Scottish Parliament. The election also takes place on the first day of parliamentary business for the Parliament’s sixth session.

Members must pledge their allegiance to Her Majesty the Queen before they can take part in any other parliamentary business at Holyrood. 

Leader of the largest party, Nicola Sturgeon, will be the first to be sworn in at 9.00am, followed by the other party leaders, and remaining MSPs in four groupings and in alphabetical order.  Outgoing Presiding Officer, Ken Macintosh, will preside over the oath-taking proceedings.

Following the swearing in of MSPs, a Presiding Officer and two deputies must be elected before any other parliamentary business is progressed at Holyrood.

Once all MSPs are sworn in, the Presiding Officer will suspend the meeting of the Parliament until circa 2.10pm when the election of a new Presiding Officer will take place.

The first duty of the newly elected Presiding Officer will be to preside over the election of his/her two deputies. The election of two Deputy Presiding Officers will take place at 10.30am on Friday 14 May.

First meeting of new parliament to take place on Thursday

The first meeting of the sixth session of the Scottish Parliament will take place on Thursday 13 May.

Writing to party leaders following the weekend election count, the Parliament’s Presiding Officer, the Rt Hon Ken Macintosh, has announced that newly elected MSPs will be sworn in on Thursday 13 May. The elections for the Parliament’s new Presiding Officer will also take place that day.

The Presiding Officer has the power to set the date under the Scottish General Election (Coronavirus) Act 2021. In deciding on the date the Parliament will first sit, the Presiding Officer consulted with both the Electoral Commission and Electoral Management Board.

Further details of the Parliament’s first days will be issued early this week.

TEXT OF LETTER FROM PRESIDING OFFICER TO PARTY LEADERS

I am writing in relation to my role under Section 9 of the Scottish General Election (Coronavirus) Act 2021 to “fix the day on which the Parliament is first to meet after the poll for the 2021 election”.

Following consultation with the Electoral Commission and Electoral Management Board, as required under the Act, I am pleased to announce that I am now able to fix the date of the first meeting of Parliament as Thursday 13 May, when newly elected Members will be sworn in and elect a new Presiding Officer.

Colleagues can expect to receive further information on the arrangements for both items of business from the Parliamentary Business Team in the coming days.

This date will now be made public and announced in the Business Bulletin.

I understand that this is a time of mixed emotions and fortunes for your parties and candidates. I would however like to take the opportunity to thank you for your support and co-operation throughout the last session and to also pass on my best wishes for whatever the next five years hold for you and your parties and for the Parliament.

Edinburgh’s Scottish Parliament Election 2021 results

The Scottish Parliament Election results for Edinburgh’s six constituencies and the Lothian Region were finally confirmed at the Royal Highland Centre on Saturday evening.

The Members of Scottish Parliament for each constituency and the Lothian Region List results are listed in full below and full details of the results are on the city council’s election pages: 

Edinburgh results by constituency:

Edinburgh Central Constituency: Angus Robertson, Scottish National Party

Edinburgh Eastern Constituency: Ash Denham, Scottish National Party

Edinburgh Northern & Leith Constituency: Ben Macpherson, Scottish National Party

Edinburgh Pentlands Constituency: Gordon MacDonald, Scottish National Party

Edinburgh South Constituency:  Daniel Johnson, Scottish Labour Party

Edinburgh Western Constituency: Alex Cole-Hamilton, Scottish Liberal Democrats

Lothian Region List Results

(Based on votes from the nine Lothian Region constituencies: Edinburgh Central, Edinburgh Eastern, Edinburgh Northern & Leith, Edinburgh Pentlands, Edinburgh South, Edinburgh Western, Midlothian North & Musselburgh, Almond Valley and Linlithgow).

Votes cast across region: 395,037. Turnout: 64.2%)

Candidate and Party

Miles Briggs, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Alison Johnstone, Scottish Green Party
Sue Webber, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Sarah Boyack, Scottish Labour Party
Jeremy Balfour, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Foysol Choudhury Scottish Labour Party
Lorna Slater, Scottish Green Party.

(3 Conservative, 2 Greens and 2 Labour elected from Lothians list)

Returning Officer Andrew Kerr announced the results for Edinburgh Central, Edinburgh Southern and Edinburgh Western on Friday 7 May and the results for Edinburgh Eastern, Edinburgh Pentlands and Edinburgh Northern and Leith as well as the list/Region vote were declared on Saturday 8 May. 

He said: “The 2021 Scottish Parliamentary Election has felt very different from previous elections and it is down to the hard work of many Council staff, particularly the Election Team, that this election has run so smoothly in Edinburgh.

“I’d like to take this opportunity to thank everyone involved, along with Police Scotland, the candidates and their agents, who have cooperated throughout the process.

“It has been a huge undertaking this year as we’ve had to adapt, putting in extensive additional Covid-19 health and safety measures to help keep everyone involved safe.  I would also like to thank the public for turning out in record numbers to have their say, helping to ensure representative vote for the capital.”

This year more than 300 people worked at the election count at the Royal Highland Centre, while a further 900 worked during the day at the city’s 140 polling places. 

For further details of the results and the Scottish Parliament Election, please visit the Elections section of the Council website.