Speaking at the British Veterinary Association (BVA) annual Scottish Dinner in the Scottish Parliament last week (8 May), BVA President Dr. Anna Judson highlighted how vets in Scotland have shown resilience in the face of ongoing challenges to the profession. She also called for important legislative reforms for animal welfare and for futureproofing the veterinary professions.
Addressing guests including Jim Fairlie MSP, Minister for Agriculture and Connectivity, BVA Honorary Member Edward Mountain MSP, other Members of the Scottish Parliament, as well as senior representatives from animal health and welfare organisations and colleagues from across the veterinary profession,
Dr Judson highlighted issues including the significant threats from avian influenza and the expected spike in Bluetongue virus cases; the impact of the XL Bully ban on vets in practice; and the intense pressure on vet teams following the negative media coverage of the proposed Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) investigation into the UK’s vet services market for pets.
Speaking about the CMA review, Dr Judson reiterated BVA’s support for “healthy competition and informed consumer choice”, highlighting the organisation’s new guidance to help vet practices provide greater client choice by improving transparency around fees and practice ownership.
She also cautioned about the impact of “inaccurate and unfair media reporting” on vet teams, saying: “We’re keen to see healthy competition and informed consumer choice within the veterinary services market and this external scrutiny is a welcome opportunity to reflect and ensure we’re continuing to deliver the best possible service for both patients and clients.
“However, we are also acutely aware of the impact the CMA review is having on the profession. Inaccurate and unfair media reporting, characterising vets as scammers who are preying on pet owners’ desire to do the very best for their animals, is leading to many vet teams reporting increased levels of abusive behaviour from clients, both in person and online.
“Of course, this portrayal of vets simply isn’t true and as a practising vet of more than 30 years, who knows first-hand the quality of care which vet teams deliver day in, day out, it’s painful to see our profession misrepresented in this way.
“I’m pleased to be able to stand here and tell you that BVA is tackling this issue head on, both with the media and by ensuring the veterinary profession’s perspective is fully heard and understood by the CMA.”
Dr Judson emphasised the importance of reflecting on what the profession can do “to rebuild the trust between us and our clients” and the steps BVA is taking to support all vets.
She said: “We have developed guidance for our members and the wider veterinary profession on how practices can be more transparent in relation to vet fees and practice ownership, improving how we explain prescribing and dispensing options for veterinary medicines, and ensuring we explain different treatment options which take into account the full range of clients’ circumstances, known to vets as providing ‘contextualised care’. It’s a positive step that will help move the profession forward.”
Despite the challenges posed by the CMA investigation, the BVA President acknowledged that it also presented an opportunity for positive change and expressed the hope that it would act as a catalyst for a much-needed reform of the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966.
Dr Judson called on gathered delegates to help BVA put pressure all political parties to keep this issue on the agenda and ensure this UK-wide legislative change happens, saying: “We cannot build a modern and effective veterinary profession on the foundations of legislation which was created in a very different era.
“The current Veterinary Surgeons Act fails to embrace the potential of the wider veterinary team. We do not work in isolation as vets, we are closely supported by others – such as registered veterinary nurses, vet techs, musculoskeletal professionals and equine dental technicians, yet these important roles are not recognised.
“The legislation fails to offer any legal protection for the title of veterinary nurse. Highly skilled and qualified, registered veterinary nurses work closely with veterinary surgeons, yet no formal training or qualifications are actually required for someone to call themselves a ‘veterinary nurse’.
“This must be rectified. As must the Act’s failure to regulate veterinary practices, meaning that individual vets and veterinary nurses are held accountable for business decisions which can directly impact on animal health and welfare. This is simply not appropriate.”
Dr Judson went on to highlight BVA’s calls for another key legislative change for animal welfare and public health. Speaking about the recent bans against XL Bully-type dogs, she welcomed the opportunity to work closely with Scottish Government as the details of the ban were developed.
However, she cautioned that breed-specific legislation has “consistently failed to protect people since its introduction,” saying: “Alongside our work to support the veterinary profession through these bans, we are continuing to press the UK Governments, in Scotland working alongside MSPs, for a complete overhaul of the dangerous dogs legislation.
“Breed specific legislation as enshrined in the Dangerous Dogs Act is ineffective and hard to enforce. It must be replaced with breed neutral legislation which deals with aggression in all dogs, and has responsible dog ownership and training at its core. Only then can we properly protect the public.”
The BVA President ended her speech by thanking BVA Scottish Branch colleagues for all their hard work and support, and welcoming Vivienne Mackinnon, who was formally elected as the new Branch Junior Vice President at the AGM on Tuesday afternoon.
Jim Fairlie MSP, Minister for Agriculture and Connectivity, responded to the speech as BVA’s Guest of Honour.
First Minister Humza Yousaf has called on governments to accelerate financial support for countries most affected by climate-induced loss and damage, in a keynote speech during Climate Week NYC.
In the speech, the First Minister set out the details of how Scotland’s loss and damage finance – pledged at COP26 and COP27 – is being mobilised.
A total of £5 million has been awarded to the Climate Justice Resilience Fund who support vulnerable communities in the Global South who have experienced loss caused by climate change, with a specific focus on women and young people.
In addition, the Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund (SCIAF) will receive a further £300,000 to support communities in Malawi impacted by Storm Freddy.
Scotland’s Humanitarian Emergency Fund will also receive an additional £1 million to support communities affected by disasters, disease or conflict, in recognition that climate change is increasingly driving humanitarian emergencies abroad.
The First Minister said: “Not a single community on Earth will be left untouched by the effects of climate change, but that suffering is not and will not be divided equally.We must ensure the communities facing the worst hardship, with the least resources, are not left behind.
“At COP26, Scotland became the first country in the global north to pledge financial support to address that Loss and Damage.
“At COP27 we again led the way, committing another £5 million for the neglected area of non-economic loss and damage. We have made good on those promises but the need for urgent responses to climate shocks is only increasing.
“That is why I am also announcing a further £1 million programme to address loss and damage to be delivered through Scotland’s Humanitarian Emergency Fund.
“Scotland might be a small country but I hope these actions will inspire others to join us in not only making pledges, but in urgently mobilising the finances that are needed on the ground today.”
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak made a speech at Queen’s University in Belfast on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement
The Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement will always be remembered as one of the most extraordinary political achievements of our lifetimes.
Because step by step, faltering at first, people on all sides began to do things that were once unthinkable, in the search for peace.
But you don’t need me to tell you that because many of you in this room created it.
It is humbling to be with you today.
And with the people of Northern Ireland, who have endured so much.
After three long decades where violence and terror were part of everyday life…
…a generation has grown up in a place that is vastly more peaceful, more prosperous, and more at ease with itself.
Of course, we meet here today in circumstances that are far from perfect.
But my argument today is this: the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement remains the best and only foundation for peace and prosperity.
And if we can take inspiration and instruction from the way peace was achieved 25 years ago… we can fulfil the true promise enshrined in that Agreement.
The promise of: Stable devolved government. A prosperous economy. And a more united society.
That’s the future for Northern Ireland we must build.
Now to do that, we must first ask why.
Why did peace talks succeed in 1998 when so many failed before?
I believe that’s because people on all sides showed courage, imagination, and perseverance.
First, those who worked for peace had the personal courage to keep going in spite of daily threats to them and their families.
And the political courage to take risks in pursuit of a higher goal.
John Hume, over his entire career, never relented in his insistence on non-violence.
David Trimble took enormous risks to do what he thought was right for the union.
And they were rightly honoured as the preeminent architects of peace, with a joint Nobel peace prize.
Gerry Adams and Martin McGuiness persuaded Republicans to join a constitutional, power-sharing Assembly.
And, encouraged by the intensive efforts of Mo Mowlam, the leaders of loyalism also lent their weight behind the deal.
Female leaders from the Women for Peace and the Women’s Coalition worked so hard for peace.
And Bertie Ahern showed the wisdom and statecraft to see the historic opportunity.
At a critical moment, he recognised unionist concerns over the proposed North-South arrangements and stepped back.
Trimble himself, in his last public appearance, at this university, just weeks before he passed away…
… embraced his old counterpart and thanked Bertie for giving him the space to act.
These acts of courage were more powerful than a thousand bombs and bullets.
Because there is nothing glamorous about violence.
There is nothing glorious about terror.
Squalid acts are always justified with some false dream about what they will achieve.
But they have never worked – and they never will.
Instead, let us glorify moderation; romanticise respect; and make heroes of those with the courage to reject absolutes, not kill for them.
Second, making peace required leaps of imagination.
To conceive of a system for sharing power between traditions.
To design an agreement with three strands of equal importance…
To enshrine the principle of consent – so that Northern Ireland remains a part of the United Kingdom for as long as its people wish…
…while protecting the aspirations of those who seek a different future through peaceful means.
And for the first time…
…the people of North and South were both given the opportunity to support this deal…
…and they did so, in overwhelming majorities.
And let us never forget the crucial work after 1998 to build a broader consensus – helped by the leadership of Dr Ian Paisley.
Third, the peace took extraordinary perseverance.
In the aftermath of the Shankill bomb and Greysteel massacre in 1993, many thought the peace process was over…
…but just two months later John Major and Albert Reynolds delivered the Downing Street Declaration.
George Mitchell persuaded all parties to sign up to the principles of democracy and non-violence, without which the talks could not have begun.
In the difficult final hours, President Clinton’s timely interventions helped get the deal done.
And whenever people walked away, Tony Blair sought to bring them back…
…always committed, always attuned to the concerns of all parts of the community.
Together with Bertie Ahern, he showed us what’s possible when the UK and Irish governments work together…
…a partnership I know will continue alongside my friend, Leo Varadkar.
And in the spirit of perseverance, it’s also fitting to recognise the contribution of the security forces.
Like my predecessors, I acknowledge that at times they made mistakes.
But we must also recognise their bravery, suffering, and sacrifice – and that of the police.
Without their courageous service, there would have been no peace process at all.
They created the conditions that ultimately allowed their own presence on the streets to be reduced or entirely withdrawn.
So: courage, imagination, and perseverance. hose qualities brought an imperfect but enduring peace to a place taught to believe no such peace was possible.
So to all those who led us to that peace… including those here in this hall and those no longer with us… …let us take this moment to say to you: Thank you.
For those of us, like me, who inherit this extraordinary, even intimidating legacy…
…our challenge today is to fulfil the promise of the work that you began.
To honour your legacy, we need to create a more stable devolved government in Northern Ireland.
And that means getting the institutions up and running.
I believe there are two tasks.
First, to remove the biggest block to the institutions returning.
That’s why, when I came into office, I made it a priority to fix the Northern Ireland Protocol.
And we were deeply conscious of the lessons of history as we did so.
That’s why our aims were to:
Balance and respect the aspirations of all parts of the community.
Protect the relationships between East and West as much as North and South.
And persist through careful, detailed negotiation.
And I pay tribute to Ursula von der Leyen who I am so pleased to see here today.
The Windsor Framework is a breakthrough moment.
It solves practical problems and, crucially, strengthens Northern Ireland’s place in our Union and our UK internal market.
It gives the Assembly significant new powers – ready for when it sits again.
And I am confident we can build broad support for it across all communities.
So I share people’s frustration that the institutions are not back up and running.
But that points to our second task.
We must keep working to persuade all parts of the community that returning to the institutions is the best path.
And we will do that.
We will talk, we will listen, we will try to persuade – and we will not give up.
And I want to speak directly for a moment to the representatives of unionism…
…who include many diverse voices and whose concerns with the Protocol we have focused on addressing.
I urge you to work with us to get Stormont up and running again.
That’s the right thing to do on its own terms.
And I’m convinced that it’s also the right thing to do for our union.
I am a proud unionist.
We believe passionately that Northern Ireland is stronger within the UK…
…and the UK is stronger with Northern Ireland within it.
But we must also build support beyond those of us who already identify as unionists.
To do that, we have to show that devolved government within the United Kingdom works for Northern Ireland.
The fact that the institutions have been down for nine of the last 25 years should be a source of profound concern.
Over the long term that will not bolster the cause of unionism – I believe that deeply.
So we need to get the institutions up and running – and keep them up and running.
And let me also say to those who would seek to reform the institutions right now: I understand your frustrations.
But history reminds us that nothing in Northern Ireland has ever been achieved by trying to get round one community or another.
So any conversation about reform can only begin once the institutions are up and running again…
…and if it attracts widespread consent.
The Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement left us an extraordinary and precious legacy.
When we look back in 25 years from now…
…surely we should aspire for our legacy to be nothing less than this:
That the institutions have been up and running for every single year.
Because our focus must be on the future.
Getting the institutions back up and running is our most pressing challenge to honour your legacy.
But that’s only the beginning.
Together we must fulfil the true promise of the 1998 Agreement.
That future enshrined in the very words of the text – of “sustained economic growth”, and where we tackle the problems of “a divided society”.
I will give everything to help deliver that vision.
Because I talked earlier about learning the lessons from history.
One thing I took from George Mitchell is the idea that the agreement itself is only 20% of the task – the rest is delivery.
Once the Agreement was done, people asked of Tony Blair: Would he walk away?
He didn’t.
And neither will I.
Because there is work to be done.
So let me tell you what I’m going to do.
First, economic growth.
Progress has been remarkable – in April 1998, Northern Ireland had the highest unemployment rate in the UK.
Today – it’s the second lowest.
But we need to do more.
In 25 years, when we look back, I want to see that Northern Ireland has changed.
From an economy too reliant on the public sector…
To a thriving, dynamic economy built around the power and innovation of private enterprise.
I talk a lot about the idea of levelling up.
About making sure young people feel they can fulfil their dreams and aspirations in the place they call home.
That idea has particular resonance here in Northern Ireland.
And we won’t achieve it without a cascade of new investment – to create jobs and opportunity.
That journey has already begun.
Last week, President Biden came – and told the world to invest here.
He didn’t say that out of sentimentality.
He said it because he can see the opportunity for American businesses.
And because of the enormous potential of this place.
The potential of the people – resilient, ingenious, determined.
The potential of your businesses…
…with world-class strengths in cyber, life sciences, financial services, and the creative industries.
And one of Europe’s most thriving start-up scenes.
I know that journey to prosperity won’t be easy – and we aren’t there yet.
But this is my commitment to you:
I will use the full force of the UK Government…
…to help you make this one of the best places in the world…
…to start and grow a business, create jobs…
…train and learn new skills…
…and attract investment.
And just as we want to look back on a more prosperous, dynamic economy…
…so in 25 years, I also want us to look back on a more integrated and contented society.
Of course, we cannot simply wish away those social realities that have been present for decades.
The tragic loss of Lyra McKee and the attack on DCI John Caldwell remind us how far we still have to go.
But people are already voting with their feet in the choices they make for their children’s education and their social and sporting lives.
A growing body of the electorate does not define themselves solely as Unionist or Nationalist, British or Irish.
A growing portion of people sample life in a different part of these islands but still return.
And a growing number of local communities are signalling that their patience with thuggery is over.
But there’s yet more to do.
In 25 years’, should not the poisonous grip of the paramilitaries… those gangsters and drug dealers who wrap themselves in the fake cloak of legitimacy… be broken once and for all?
In 25 years’, should not a fragment of a peace wall be nothing more than a stop on the tourist trail?
In 25 years’, should integrated education not be the norm rather than the exception?
Of course, we won’t build that better future overnight. And it won’t be easy.
Every time I visit Northern Ireland, I feel more optimistic and hopeful.
Because to paraphrase the late David Trimble…
…there may be hills ahead of us, but there are mountains behind.
I want to close by reflecting on an extraordinary story.
Just weeks before the agreement, two lifelong friends, Damien Trainor and Philip Allen, were murdered at Poyntzpass.
One was a Protestant, the other Catholic.
The people who murdered them may have hoped to sow chaos and division and derail the peace talks.
They failed.
Because the story of this remarkable friendship inspired one of the most decisive breakthroughs of the whole peace process…
…the agreement to share power between equal first and deputy first ministers, in a co-premiership, with one from each community.
As Mark Durkan, the SDLP’s lead negotiator, said at the time: “The stories of Philip and Damien’s special friendship… could be a parable for the sort of society that we might create if we could reach agreement”.
And he was right.
That is the promise of the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement.
In UN address the PM will call on democracies to harness the power of cooperation seen since Putin’s invasion of Ukraine to constrain authoritarianism.
PM will argue the free world must prioritise economic growth and security – including ending dependency on authoritarians – to win the new era of strategic competition.
UN speech will also stress the need to properly invest in our physical security and will recommit to spending 3% of UK GDP on defence by 2030.
Prime Minister Liz Truss will use a speech in New York today (Wednesday) to warn fellow democratic leaders against any complacency when it comes to defending our values and preserving a world order that rewards freedom.
At the first ever session of the UN General Assembly held in the shadow of a large-scale war of aggression in Europe, the Prime Minister will highlight the threat from authoritarian states working to undermine security and stability around the world.
She will outline her vision for this new, more competitive era, which will require likeminded democracies to fight to defend our ideals. This fight begins with ensuring the UK and its partners have the strong economic foundations they need to constrain authoritarianism.
The Prime Minister will outline her plans to build a British economy which attracts growth by rewarding innovation, championing investment and enterprise, and welcoming the best talent around the world.
She will also set out the steps the Government is taking to ensure the British economy is free from malign interference. This includes increasing our energy independence and safeguarding the security of our supply chains.
In her speech, the Prime Minister will tell the UN: “The commitment to hope and progress must begin at home – in the lives of every citizen that we serve…
“We want people to keep more of the money they earn, because we believe that freedom trumps instruction…
“…We are reforming our economy to get Britain moving forward once again. The free world needs this economic strength and resilience to push back against authoritarian aggression and win this new era of strategic competition…
“…We will no longer be strategically dependent on those who seek to weaponise the global economy.”
As the UK boosts the dynamism and resilience of our own economy, the Prime Minister will also make the case for democracies working together to protect one another’s economic security.
The strength of democratic economies, rooted as they are in the aspirations of their people, is a clear counterpoint to autocratic states, which sow the seeds of their own demise by stifling aspiration and creativity.
The Prime Minister will make the case for harnessing that strength and denying authoritarian states the opportunity to manipulate the global economy.
She will tell the UN General Assembly that the G7 and other likeminded partners must act as an economic NATO, collectively defending our prosperity and coming to the aid of any partner targeted by an aggressive regime.
This economic security goes hand in hand with physical security. The Prime Minister will therefore reiterate her commitment to protecting the UK and our allies, including by increasing defence spending to 3% of UK GDP on defence by 2030.
The Prime Minister is expected to say: “Just as we are building a plan for growth at home, we are also developing a new blueprint for our engagement with the world.
“We will build resilience and collective security – because they are vital for freedom and democracy. We will be a reliable, trustworthy and dynamic partner.”
To ensure the UK’s diplomatic, military and security architecture is keeping pace with evolving threat posed by hostile nations, the Prime Minister has commissioned an update to the Integrated Review.
The UK’s Integrated Review of security, defence, development and foreign policy was published in March 2021 – before Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine created the greatest security challenge ever experienced by NATO.
Professor John Bew, the Prime Minister’s special adviser for foreign affairs and defence, will lead a Downing Street process to update the review.
The refreshed strategy will ensure we are investing in the strategic capabilities and alliances we need to stand firm against coercion from authoritarian powers like Russia and China. The update is expected to be published by the end of this year.
By properly investing in defence, the Prime Minister will ensure that the UK maintains our position as the leading security actor in Europe, so that we are ready to stand up for peace, prosperity and freedom across the world – just as we have done in Ukraine.
The Prime Minister will highlight these efforts in her speech. She will pay tribute to the bravery and determination of the Ukrainian people, and commit to continue standing up for human rights and democracy around the world.
The Prime Minister is expected to say: “This is a decisive moment in British history, in the history of this organisation, and in the history of freedom.
“The story of 2022 could have been that of an authoritarian state rolling its tanks over the border of a peaceful neighbour and subjugating its people.
“Instead, it is the story of freedom fighting back …
“But this must not be a one off … Britain’s commitment to this is total.
“Together with our friends and allies around the world, we will continue to champion freedom, sovereign and democracy.
“And we will define this new era as one of hope and progress.”
Boris Johnson gave his final speech as Prime Minister on the steps of Downing Street
Well this is it folks, thanks to all of you for coming out so early this morning.
In only a couple of hours from now I will be in Balmoral to see Her Majesty The Queen and the torch will finally be passed to a new Conservative leader: the baton will be handed over in what has unexpectedly turned out to be a relay race – they changed the rules half-way through but never mind that now – and through that lacquered black door a new Prime Minister will shortly go to meet a fantastic group of public servants.
The people who got Brexit done
the people who delivered the fastest vaccine roll out in Europe
and never forget – 70 per cent of the entire population got a dose within 6 months, faster than any comparable country
That is government for you – that’s this Conservative government – the people who organised those prompt early supplies of weapons to the heroic Ukrainian armed forces, an action that may very well have helped change the course of the biggest European war for 80 years.
And because of the speed and urgency of what you did – everybody involved in this government – to get this economy moving again from July last year in spite of all opposition, all the naysayers we have and will continue to have that economic strength to give people the cash they need to get through this energy crisis that has been caused by Putin’s vicious war.
And I know that Liz Truss and this compassionate Conservative government will do everything we can to get people through this crisis.
And this country will endure it and we will win.
And if Putin thinks that he can succeed by blackmailing or bullying the British people then he is utterly deluded and the reason we will have those funds now and in the future is because we Conservatives understand the vital symmetry between government action and free market capitalist private sector enterprise.
We are delivering on those huge manifesto commitments:
making streets safer – neighbourhood crime down 38 per cent in the last three years
13,790 more police on the streets
building more hospitals – and yes we will have 50,000 more nurses by the end of this parliament and 40 more hospitals by the end of the decade
putting record funding into our schools and into teachers’ pay
giving everyone over 18 a lifetime skills guarantee so they can keep upskilling throughout their lives
3 new high speed rail lines including northern powerhouse rail
colossal road programmes from the Pennines to Cornwall,
the roll-out of gigabit broadband up over the last three years, since you were kind enough to elect me, up from 7 per cent of our country’s premises having gigabit broadband to 70 per cent today.
And we are of course providing the short and the long term solutions for our energy needs – and not just using more of our own domestic hydrocarbons but going up by 2030 to 50 GW of wind power, that is half this country’s energy electricity needs from offshore wind alone, a new nuclear reactor every year.
And looking at what is happening in this country, the changes that are taking place: that is why the private sector is investing more venture capital investment than China itself, more billion pound tech companies sprouting here than in France, Germany and Israel combined and as a result unemployment as I leave office, down to lows not seen since I was about ten years old and bouncing around on a space hopper.
And on the subject of bouncing around and future careers let me say that I am now like one of those booster rockets that has fulfilled its function and I will now be gently re-entering the atmosphere and splashing down invisibly in some remote and obscure corner of the pacific.
And like Cincinnatus I am returning to my plough and I will be offering this government nothing but the most fervent support.
this is a tough time for the economy, this is a tough time for families up and down the country – we can and we will get through it and we will come out stronger the other side – but I say to my fellow Conservatives it is time for the politics to be over folks and it’s time for us all to get behind Liz Truss and her programme and deliver for the people of this country.
Because that is what the people of this country want, that’s what they need and that’s what they deserve.
I am proud to have discharged the promises I made my party when you were kind enough to choose me,
winning the biggest majority since 1987 and the biggest share of the vote since 1979.
delivering Brexit
delivering our manifesto commitments – including social care
helping people up and down the country
ensuring that Britain is once again standing tall in the world
speaking with clarity and authority
from Ukraine to the AUKUS pact with America and Australia
because we are one whole and entire United Kingdom whose diplomats, security services and armed forces are so globally admired
and as I leave I believe our union is so strong that those who want to break it up, will keep trying but they will never ever succeed
thank you to everyone behind me in this building for looking after me and my family over the last three years so well including Dilyn, the dog
and if Dilyn and Larry (the Downing Street dog and cat)can put behind them their occasional difficulties, then so can the Conservative party.
And above all thanks to you, the British people, to the voters for giving me the chance to serve all of you who worked so tirelessly together to beat covid to put us where we are today.
Together we have laid foundations that will stand the test of time, whether by taking back control of our laws or putting in vital new infrastructure: great solid masonry on which we will continue to build together, paving the path of prosperity now & for future generations.
And I will be supporting Liz Truss and our new government every step of the way.
COP26 PRESIDENT ALOK SHARMA RETURNS TO GLASGOW TO DELIVER SPEECH
The First Minister will urge countries to ensure current strains placed on the international order, including by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, do not result in the promises made at COP26 being broken on a visit to the USA this week.
In a keynote address to the Brookings Institution in Washington DC, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon will today call on global partners to lead by example as they step up actions to keep global temperature rise below 1.5 degrees whilst addressing concerns over energy security.
The speech is part of a series of engagements the First Minister will undertake in Washington DC. In meetings with policymakers and business leaders, the First Minister will stress that policy and economic goals must align to ensure a just transition to a decarbonised economy.
The First Minister will also meet with Congressional Caucuses including the Caucus for Women’s Issues, the Friends of Scotland Caucus, the European Union Caucus and members who attended COP26.
During Monday’s address, the First Minister is expected to say: “Six months on from COP26, the world looks very different, but many of the challenges we faced then remain. As things stand, the world is on course to exceed both 1.5 degrees of global warming and the 2 degree threshold – and scientific consensus is overwhelming that this will be catastrophic.
“We have seen the rules-based international order come under increasing strain, made more severe due to Russia’s brutal, illegal and entirely unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. Many European nations are reassessing their defence and security priorities – however, the security debates in Europe are not just about military capabilities and strategic alliances. The invasion of Ukraine is also forcing countries in Europe to rethink long-held assumptions about energy policy and energy security.
“Countries must prioritise, as far as we can, an approach to energy security that focuses on sustainability, with measures to promote energy efficiency, and to accelerate the development renewable and low carbon energy. In many countries those options are already the most secure and sustainable ways of meeting our needs, and increasingly they are becoming the most affordable options too – for example wind power is already the cheapest form of power in Scotland’s energy mix.
“Scotland is positioning ourselves as a testbed for green technologies – we are the location for the world’s largest floating windfarm, we are an established centre for the development and testing of new wave and tidal technologies, we have developed plans to trial carbon capture and storage, and we produced a hydrogen action plan last year. Our hope is that this innovation can benefit other countries, and create jobs and opportunities at home in Scotland.
“We need to move at pace to develop clean energy sources and act in a way which shows solidarity with communities in our countries who might otherwise get left behind, and with the global south.
“Europe’s debates on energy security matter to the wider safety and security of the entire world. Where we can, will be a constructive partner in those discussions. We will lead by example in our own actions, we will contribute to international energy security, and we will work with allies across the globe as we strive, together, to build a fairer, more secure and more sustainable world.”
While the First Minister makes her speech in Washington, COP 26 President Alok Sharma will be speaking closer to home – he’s back in Glasgow, home of the COP 26 event …
COP President Alok Sharma marks six months since landmark COP26 conference with Glasgow speech
Mr Sharma expected to say that while Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine has put unprecedented pressure on global energy security, the fundamental challenge of climate change must remain a top priority of governments around the world
The event follows last week’s productive May Ministerial on Implementation, hosted by the Danish Government in Copenhagen and co-chaired by the UK and Egypt, as COP27 President-designate
COP President Alok Sharma will today (16 May 2022) return to Glasgow’s Scottish Event Campus to mark six months since the conclusion of COP26 to warn world leaders that failure to honour commitments made at COP26 would be an ‘act of monstrous self-harm’.
Mr Sharma will set out his vision for the second half of the UK’s COP Presidency, as he is joined by representatives from business, civil society and young people in Scotland, alongside a virtual global audience.
Mr Sharma will outline the crucial importance of addressing the chronic climate crisis alongside more immediate concerns.
He will say that the world is facing serious crises. Russia’s brutal and illegal invasion of Ukraine has shifted geopolitics. As governments are responding to rising prices, food and energy security challenges and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, Mr Sharma is also expected to say that ‘the current crises should increase, not diminish, our determination to deliver on what we agreed here at COP26, and honour the Glasgow Climate Pact.’ He is expected to urge world leaders to show that ‘though the world has changed our resolve has not’
The COP26 President is expected to stress the urgency of countries fulfilling promises made at COP26 and that the global community must move much faster in taking climate action over the next six months, than over the last. ‘Work to deliver on the commitments made here in Glasgow has quietly continued.’ he is expected to say, yet “we need every nation to pick up the pace”.
Mr Sharma will also outline the increasingly stark scientific warnings of the impacts of climate change as recently set out in two major reports by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
This evidence, Mr Sharma is expected to say, ‘demonstrates unequivocally that the window of time we have to act is closing fast, that we must urgently adapt and reduce emissions, because current targets are not enough.’
Mr Sharma will also highlight the devastation caused by extreme weather conditions around the world, including ongoing heatwaves in India and Pakistan, where a billion people have been exposed to extreme heat of almost 50C.
While welcoming progress made in the six months since COP26, Mr Sharma will look ahead to priorities in the lead up to COP27 and the UK’s work with Egypt to drive delivery ahead of the Summit in Sharm-El-Sheikh later this year.
Underscoring this urgent priority, Mr Sharma is expected to say: ‘Every country must respond to the call to revisit and strengthen their nationally determined contribution (NDC). And they must do so in 2022. The Glasgow Pact calls on countries to look again at their NDCs, not at some vague point in the future, but this year, in 2022.’
The Ministerial, held in Copenhagen on May 12 and 13, saw over 40 countries renew their urgent focus on implementation and practical action to deliver commitments and pledges made at COP26 and within the Glasgow Climate Pact.
At the meeting countries agreed that, despite the challenging global context, climate ambition and commitments remain serious and credible, from adapting to climate impacts, averting, minimising and addressing loss and damage, to reducing emissions and keeping 1.5C alive and mobilising finance.
Today, May 16, also sees the publication of the COP26 Sustainability Report, which demonstrates the lasting, positive legacy of COP26 on the city of Glasgow and beyond.
The report sets out the conference’s impact on Scottish charities and low-income families, including donations of 6,000 items of furniture, 15,000 square metres of carpets, and 600 laptops, some of which it is hoped will soon go to Ukrainian refugees.
It also confirms the UK’s achievement in implementing the International Standard for Event Sustainability Management making it the first COP summit to meet the international standard for carbon neutrality, PAS 2060.
Countries need to work together to deliver on the promises made in Glasgow COP26 President, Alok Sharma, will say today (Monday 24th January).
In his first major speech since COP26, Sharma will reflect on the commitments secured at COP26 and the historic Glasgow Climate Pact signed by almost 200 countries at the summit last year.
He will set out his agenda to turn ambition into action for the rest of the UK’s Presidency this year, outlining that whilst the summit has concluded, the world must maintain the urgency and the energy to honour the promises made, as we approach COP27 in Sharm-El Sheikh in November.
Today’s speech will outline the UK’s priorities to deliver on the Glasgow Climate Pact during its COP Presidency year:
Ensuring promises on emissions reductions are kept to keep 1.5 degrees alive. That every country honours the commitment in the Glasgow Climate Pact to strengthen their climate change targets to align with the Paris temperature goal as necessary in 2022, as well as for delivering on their net zero commitments and 2030 emissions reduction targets, particularly through policies to end coal power, halt deforestation and transition to clean vehicles
Delivering for climate vulnerable countries by ensuring commitments on adaptation and loss and damage are honoured. Working with donors to make progress towards doubling adaptation finance by 2025 and developing a clear proposal and funding for the Santiago Network by COP27
Get finance flowing. The UK through the COP Presidency will help ensure countries, international financial institutions and private financial institutions deliver on the commitments they have made to meet the $100bn goal. And we will aim to increase public-private partnerships to support climate action, building on the South African Just Energy Transition Partnership. We will support Parties to make progress on the post-2025 climate finance goal
Working together and continuing to be an inclusive Presidency. Pushing for further action across critical sectors and turning promises into clear delivery plans through established forums and international councils. The UK through the COP Presidency will work hand-in-hand with the COP27 President Egypt, COP28 President UAE, our international partners, business, youth and civil society, to deliver our priorities and keep climate at the top of the international agenda
COP President Alok Sharma is expected to say: “At COP26 itself almost 200 countries came together and agreed the historic Glasgow Climate Pact. In doing so they demonstrated that climate can create a space for cooperation amidst a splintered global politics, that the world can work together to improve our common future, to address major global challenges and to seize opportunities.
“The Glasgow Climate Pact was a product of international cooperation and a practical demonstration of Global Britain in action.
“There is no doubt that the commitments we secured at COP26 were historic. Yet at the moment they are just words on a page. And unless we honour the promises made, to turn the commitments in the Glasgow Climate Pact into action, they will wither on the vine. We will have mitigated no risks. Seized no opportunities. We will have fractured the trust built between nations. And 1.5 degrees will slip from our grasp.
“So my absolute focus for the UK Presidency year is delivery.”
Mr Sharma recently visited both COP27 President Egypt, and COP28 President UAE, to underline the importance of building strong partnerships with the next two hosts for the summit.
This week, he will meet the UNFCCC to discuss the implementation of the measures agreed with Glasgow. He will also address the Major Economies Forum and continue to ramp up pressure on the rich donor nations to support climate vulnerable countries.
Smaller countries’ actions crucial to tackling climate emergency
The First Minister has called for immediate, ambitious action from smaller countries as part of the international response to the climate emergency as the pivotal COP26 conference in Glasgow approaches.
Speaking at the TED international Countdown Summit in Edinburgh, the First Minister pointed to Scotland’s role as a powerhouse of the industrial revolution and more recent technological feats – including the world’s largest floating windfarm, off Aberdeen, and the world’s most powerful wave power turbine, being tested in the Pentland Firth – as a demonstration of how smaller countries can provide climate leadership.
During the speech, she also highlighted Scotland’s world-leading emissions reduction legislation and emphasised the need to ensure a just transition that helps prevent countries who may not have the means to respond or adapt being hit hardest by its effects.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: ““Scotland, this small country, has decarbonised faster than any G20 country. We have just become the first nation in the world that is not an independent nation to publish an indicative nationally defined contribution – showing how we will meet the objectives of the Paris agreement, and we pledge to cut emissions by three quarters by 2030, and to be net zero by 2045.
“It is often states and regions and small nations that can step in when the bigger countries fail to act – and if we raise our ambition, and if we follow that through with action, then we can spur the bigger countries to go further – and faster, too.
“It’s not enough to cut our own emissions, although that is vital. We have to make sure that we are helping those who have done the least to cause climate change to do so too, and with the spirit of justice and fairness absolutely at the heart of that. Countries of all shapes and sizes must step up to this challenge.”
FIRST MINISTER’S TED SPEECH IN FULL
I’m going to start today with a question.
In other contexts, perhaps a risqué question perhaps – not one you would expect from someone in my position in a talk about climate change.
But it’s important.
Does size matter?
My answer – perhaps also unexpected – is that no, it really, really doesn’t.
And Scotland is proving that.
About a mile from here – in the National Museum of Scotland – you will find on display a steam engine designed by the great engineer James Watt.
A hundred miles from here, just off the coast of Aberdeen, is the world’s biggest floating windfarm.
And then, just a bit further north from there, in the Pentland Firth, we find the biggest wave power turbine being tested.
These are all extraordinary feats of technology and engineering, but they also demonstrate how Scotland – a relatively small country – led the world into the industrial age, and is now helping to power the world into the net zero age.
And there’s a lesson for us in that – when we talk about tackling climate change, we so often talk about the contributions of America, Russia, China, Brazil.
And that is important – we won’t limit global warming without these countries.
But we also have to recognise that the ambition, the leadership, and the action of small countries matters to.
In the words of the current Prime Minister of Estonia – “Small countries have no time for small objectives”.
And I really agree with that – we see examples of the leadership that small countries show everywhere we look.
Take Bhutan – one million people or thereabouts – became the first in the world to commit to being carbon neutral for all time.
Since then, 130 countries of all sizes have followed suit.
Or Fiji – in 2017, it hosted the UN climate conference and did so much to highlight the existential threat that climate change poses to island nations.
Now, a country like Scotland, with a rich industrial past, has a special responsibility. We have disproportionately contributed to climate change, so we must do more – now – to help tackle climate change.
So in recent years, Scotland, this small country, has decarbonised faster than any G20 country.
We have just become the first nation in the world that is not an independent nation – yet – to publish an indicative nationally defined contribution – showing how we will meet the objectives of the Paris agreement.
So we pledge to cut emissions by three quarters by 2030, and to be net zero by 2045.
We are also seeking to galvanise change on a global stage.
So we are currently the co-chair of a coalition that brings together 200 states, regions, devolved countries – like ours – to demonstrate leadership in meeting the challenge of climate change.
Now that coalition is not represented formally at UN summits – we are not signatories to the treaties that emerge from these summits.
But, collectively, we represent two billion people across the world.
And about half of the reduction in global emissions that we need to see will depend on the actions we take. They will depend on the legislation we pass; the infrastructure we build; the investments we fund.
So my point today is that yes, big countries matter, but the leadership of small nations matters too.
It’s often states and regions and small nations that can step in when the bigger countries fail to act.
So when Trump – disgracefully – took the America out of the Paris agreement, it was a coalition of states and cities that kept the momentum going.
And if we raise our ambition, and if we follow that through with action, then we can spur the bigger countries to go further – and faster, too.
And there’s one final point, where our voice and our contribution matters.
So often it’s states or devolved nations like Scotland that have to respond most directly to the impacts of climate change. Heatwaves, floods, hurricanes – we have to deal with the implications.
Now for Scotland, California, New South Wales – that is difficult but manageable.
For many others across the world, it is not. So climate justice matters too.
Which is why I’m proud that Scotland was the first country anywhere in the world to establish a climate justice fund.
It’s not enough to cut our own emissions, although that is vital.
We have to make sure that we are helping those who have done the least to cause climate change to do so too, and with the spirit of justice and fairness absolutely at the heart of that.
So, to conclude, my message today is that countries of all shapes and sizes must step up to this challenge.
We cannot allow our size to be something to hide behind.
When it comes to tackling climate change, size really, really does not matter.
We must think big in our ambition, we must act big in what we do, and we must be big when it comes to the impact we make.
Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak made the keynote speech at the Conservative Party conference in Manchester yesterday. On the week the Tories will cut the £20 Universal Credit lifeline, the Chancellor told the conference:
Whatever it takes.
That phrase, and those press conferences, were my introduction to so many of you as Chancellor.
It was daunting to face such a challenge in my first days in office. And what it also meant is that more than a year has gone by before I had the chance to meet you all properly. And that is why these last few days have been such a joy. Meeting you all face to face and hearing so many of you say to me “Wow, you’re even shorter in real life!”
Nothing can ever prepare you to become Chancellor, especially in recent times. There have been occasions where it really did feel that the world was collapsing. In those moments, there are certain things I fell back on. Yes, my family. Yes, my colleagues. Yes, my tremendous Treasury team.
And yes, the person who made all this possible, the person who delivered a thumping Conservative majority, my friend, our leader, the country’s Prime Minister, Boris Johnson.
But the other thing I fell back on is something we all have in this room. Our values. Our Conservative values.
I believe in some straightforward things.
I believe that mindless ideology is dangerous. I’m a pragmatist. I care about what works, not about the purity of any dogma. I believe in fiscal responsibility. Just borrowing more money and stacking up bills for future generations to pay, is not just economically irresponsible. It’s immoral.
Because it’s not the state’s money. It’s your money.
I believe that the only sustainable route out of poverty comes from having a good job. It’s not just the pounds it puts in your pockets. It’s the sense of worth and self-confidence it gives you. So I will do whatever I can to protect people’s livelihoods, and create new opportunities too.
And when it comes to those new opportunities, I am very much a child of my time. I spent the formative years of my career working around technology companies in California. And I believe the world is at the beginning of a new age of technological progress which can transform jobs, wealth, and transformed lives.
So: pragmatism. Fiscal responsibility. A belief in work. And an unshakeable optimism about the future. This is who I am. This is what I stand for. This is what it will take. And we will do whatever it takes.
Our Plan is Working
And there can be no prosperous future unless it is built on the foundation of strong public finances.
And I have to be blunt with you. Our recovery comes with a cost.
Our national debt is almost 100% of GDP – so we need to fix our public finances. Because strong public finances don’t happen by accident. They are a deliberate choice. They are a legacy for future generations. And a safeguard against future threats.
I’m grateful, and we should all be grateful to my predecessors and their 10 years of sound Conservative management of our economy. They believed in fiscal responsibility. I believe in fiscal responsibility. And everyone in this hall does too.
And whilst I know tax rises are unpopular. Some will even say un-Conservative. I’ll tell you what IS un-Conservative.
Unfunded pledges.
Reckless borrowing.
And soaring debt.
Anyone who tells you that you can borrow more today, and tomorrow will simply sort itself out just doesn’t care about the future.
Yes, I want tax cuts. But in order to do that, our public finances must be put back on a sustainable footing.
Labour’s track record on the public finances speaks for itself.
Since 2010, we’ve had 5 Labour Leaders, 7 Shadow Chancellors and innumerable spending pledges. And in all that time they still haven’t got the message. The British people won’t trust a Party that isn’t serious with their money. That’s why they vote Conservative.
We must never forget that the fundamental economic differences between us and Labour run very deep.
Differences not just about debt and borrowing but about how to deal with the real pressures people face in their lives.
And right now, we are facing challenges to supply chains not just here but right around the world and we are determined to tackle them head on.
But tackling the cost of living isn’t just a political sound bite. It’s one of the central missions of this Conservative government.
Picture this: you’re a young family. You work hard, saving a bit each month. But it’s tough.
You have ambitions for your careers for your children.
You want to give them the best more than you had.
Now you tell me: Is the answer to their hopes and dreams, just to increase their benefits?
Is the answer to tell that young family the economic system is rigged against you, and the only way you stand a chance is to lean ever more on the state?
Be in no doubt, that is the essence of the Labour answer.
Not only does Labour’s approach not work in practice. It is a desperately sad vision for our future.
But there is an alternative. An approach focused on good work, better skills, and higher wages.
An approach that says: ‘Yes, we believe in you. We will help you. And you will succeed.”
And better still, it’s more than words. It’s a plan in action. A Conservative plan and Conference it is working.
We’re giving people the means and opportunities to help themselves
Governments rarely get to set the tests by which they will ultimately be judged.
And our test is jobs.
Remember, as economies around the world pulled the shutters down, forecasters were predicting unemployment to reach 12%. Millions of people were on the precipice of losing their jobs, their livelihoods, and their homes.
Well, the forecasts were wrong.
The unemployment rate is at less than 5% and falling. That’s lower than France, America, Canada, Italy, and Spain.
And we now have one of the fastest recoveries of any major economy in the world.
Now it wasn’t that the forecasters had bad models No. It’s just their models did not take account of one thing – and that was this Conservative Government. Our will to act and our plan to deliver.
An increased national living wage. The restart programme. Sector based work academies. Doubling work coaches. Job finding support. Traineeships. Apprenticeship incentives. Skills Bootcamps. And the Prime Minister’s Lifetime Skills Guarantee.
All things we are doing that won’t just help people but will give them the means and opportunities to help themselves.
Our plan for the future
I believe in good work, better skills, and higher wages.
I believe that every person in this country has the potential to become something greater.
And I know that we, and only we, the Conservative party, are the ones who can make that happen.
And our economy cannot be what we need it to be without the courage, creativity and sheer force of will that each new generation brings.
Yet, at its peak just under 1 in 3 workers under 25 were on furlough. One in three.
That’s one million people who didn’t have the fall back of a career history or a network of contacts, and in many cases hadn’t even moved into their first job.
And so what did we do? We created the Kickstart scheme, up running and working in a matter of months. A landmark programme that is helping young people start exciting new careers.
And thanks to our plan, young people, just like John Chihoro who introduced me today, are starting those new jobs in their thousands.
So to give more young people the same chance as John, I can confirm we are expanding our successful Plan for Jobs into next year.
The Kickstart scheme extra support through the Youth Offer, the Job Entry Targeted Support scheme, and our Apprenticeship Incentives. All extended because we believe in the awesome power of opportunity.
And we are going to make sure that no young person in our country is left without it.
But what we do today means little if we don’t also have a plan for tomorrow.
A plan for the future.
A future economy shaped by the forces of science, technology, and imagination.
The years I spent in California left a lasting mark on me, working with some of the most innovative and exciting people in finance and technology. Watching ideas becoming a reality. Seeing entrepreneurs build new teams.
It’s not just about money.
I saw a culture, a mindset which was unafraid to challenge itself, reward hard work, and was open to all those with the talent to achieve.
The future is here
I look across the United Kingdom and that culture is here too in the young people I’ve already spoken about today, unencumbered by timidity and orthodoxy.
And it’s there in our willingness to take risks not just on companies, but on people.
People with the raw potential to create a wave of the most dynamic high growth companies. A wave that will reach the farthest corners of the world.
That optimism, that unshakeable belief that the future, can be different and better was also at the heart of Brexit.
I remember over five years ago being told that if I backed Brexit my political career would be over before it had even begun.
Well, I put my principles first. And I always will.
I was proud to back Brexit. Proud to back Leave.
And that’s because despite the challenges in the long term, I believed the agility flexibility and freedom provided by Brexit would be more valuable in a 21st century global economy than just proximity to a market.
That in the long term a renewed culture of enterprise willingness to take risks and be imaginative would inspire changes in the way we do things at home.
Brexit was never just about the things we couldn’t do. It was also about the things we didn’t do.
That’s why we introduced the super deduction, a UK first in tax policy which is triggering an explosion in capital investment.
That’s why we created the Help to Grow scheme another UK first to help small and medium sized companies digitize skill up and scale up.
That’s why we launched the Future Fund another UK first in government investment backing high potential start-ups.
My point is this: even if you can’t see it yet, I assure you, the future is here.
Now is the time to turn to the future
Last year alone the UK attracted more venture capital investment to our startups than France and Germany combined.
And along with enhanced infrastructure and improved skills, we are going to make this country not just a Science Superpower, not just the best place in the world to do business… I believe we’re going to make the United Kingdom the most exciting place on the planet.
Take Artificial Intelligence. Once the stuff of science fiction. Now it’s reality – and we’re a global leader.
The steam engine kicked off the industrial revolution. Computers delivered automation. The internet brought information exchange.
And as the latest general-purpose technology, AI has the potential to transform whole economies and societies.
If Artificial Intelligence were to contribute just the average productivity increase of those three technologies, that would be worth around £200 billion a year to our economy.
And so today, I am announcing that we will create 2,000 elite AI scholarships for disadvantaged young people and double the number of Turing AI World-Leading Research Fellows, helping to ensure that the most exciting industries and opportunities are open to all parts of our society.
New policy, focused on innovative technology, supporting jobs for the next generation, a sign of our ambition for the future.
Because that’s why we are here. All of us. That’s why we became members of the Conservative party.
That’s why you all give up so much of your time sacrificing things that are important to you in order to help build a better future.
You know, the longer I spend in this job, the more I realise that the worst parts of politics are driven by fear. Fear of change. Fear of losing. The fear of being wrong. Even fear of the future.
And when people get scared they create divisions. They say: “you’re either with us or you’re with them.” But you cannot make progress if you’re pitting people against each other.
That’s what you get from a tired, fearful sort of politics. We saw it last week in Brighton.
It’s not just that Labour don’t like us. They don’t even like each other.
Whereas we, the Conservatives, are now and always will be the party of business and the party of the worker.
The party of the private sector and the public sector.
A party for the old and the young.
The British people want a party that can get things done.
So, at just the moment when it feels like we’ve done enough, that we’ve gotten through, that we can take a rest, we must not stop.
Now is the time to show them that our plan will deliver.
And now is the time, at last, at long last, to finally turn to the future.
Thank you.
Responding to the Chancellor’s speech at Conservative Party Conference, Helen Barnard, Deputy Director of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, said:“The Chancellor may say he has a plan for jobs but he has no plan for paying the bills.
“He spoke of doing whatever it takes to protect people’s livelihoods, yet he is cutting the incomes of around 5.5 million families by £1,040 a year on Wednesday when we are facing a cost of living crisis.
“It is completely wrong to suggest there is a trade-off between good jobs and adequate social security when they are both essential to improving people’s living standards.”
“This cut will impact many working families and inadequate social security makes it harder for people to seize opportunities whilst they struggle to stay afloat. We must ensure people who are sick, disabled or caring for others and therefore unable to work can meet their needs with dignity.
“To impose the biggest ever overnight cut to social security would be economically irresponsible which is why it is so fiercely opposed from across the political spectrum. The Government can’t credibly claim to be levelling up while levelling down people’s incomes. He must abandon this cut.”
Deputy First Minister John Swinney will deliver a key education speech this week marking the fifth anniversary of the Scottish Attainment Challenge. The speech comes just days after the government was accused of ‘sneaking out’ news of falling exam pass rates.
The First Minister launched the Scottish Attainment Challenge in February 2015 to help close the poverty-related attainment gap in Scotland. The Attainment Scotland Fund was established to support the Scottish Attainment Challenge in 2015. This is a £750 million commitment over the course of this parliamentary term.
In his address to headteachers and key education leaders, Mr Swinney will reflect on progress made in closing the attainment gap and provide an update on the forthcoming review of the Curriculum for Excellence.
Mr Swinney will also thank headteachers, practitioners and local authorities for their commitment and innovation in raising attainment.
He said: “As we mark the fifth year of the Scottish Attainment Challenge we must reflect on our journey and look ahead to what we hope to achieve in the coming years.
“Our measures are making a tangible impact and I am proud of the work undertaken by headteachers and others to break down barriers to learning and raise the attainment of children in our schools.
“We have seen 88% of headteachers report improvements in closing the attainment gap directly as a result of our investment and we are seeing increased cohesion and collaboration across local authorities and schools. Pupil Equity Funding is also empowering our Headteachers to make the decisions that directly improve the life chances of our young people.
“We are also seeing steady, incremental gains in attainment across the broad general education. This is in line with the sustainable progress we would expect to see at this stage, according to international experts.
“As the International Council of Education Advisers have set out – Scotland is heading in the right direction but achieving equity and excellence is a long-term task. We now need a period of consolidation and sustainability to ensure that our reforms have the chance to become properly embedded in our education system.”
In his speech Mr Swinney will reflect on progress made since the introduction of the Challenge, including:
the latest Achievement of Curriculum for Excellence Level (ACEL) data which shows attainment among the most disadvantaged pupils rose in numeracy, reading and writing at P1, P4 and P7
feedback from headteachers which shows 88% percent have reported improvements in closing the poverty-related attainment gap as a result of the Scottish Attainment Challenge
feedback from headteachers in which 95% have indicated they expect to see further improvements over the next 5 years
the latest PISA stats which reported that pupils’ social backgrounds have less of an influence on reading and maths attainment in Scotland than the OECD average
