Category Archives: Scotland

Firefighters tackle Highlands wildfire that may become UK’s largest ever

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The blaze, which began near Inverness in Scotland, is still not out after four days and its cause is unknown

Firefighters have spent four days battling a wildfire in the Scottish Highlands that officials believe is on its way to becoming the largest by area on record in the UK and which has been photographed from space.

The fire broke out at Cannich near Inverness on Sunday and has grown to an area measuring roughly 8km by 8km (24 square miles). Two firefighters were injured on Tuesday after being in an accident in their all-terrain vehicle while tackling the blaze. They have since been discharged from the hospital, the community safety minister, Siobhian Brown, said in the Scottish parliament on Wednesday.

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Sunak says he wants more information before decision on Braverman’s alleged breach of ministerial code – as it happened

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PM has asked for further information before decided whether ethics adviser Sir Laurie Magnus will be asked to investigate Braverman. This blog is now closed

Starmer says Labour would zone in on the biggest killers.

He says it would get heart attacks and strokes down by a quarter within a decade.

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Wealthy firms buying Scottish land pose risk of greater inequality, study warns

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Commission says corporations and forestry companies competing for estates are driving up prices in already squeezed market

Land ownership in Scotland is at risk of becoming more elitist and unequal because wealthy corporations and forestry companies are dramatically driving up land prices, a new study has warned.

The report from the Scottish Land Commission found that a significant number of Highland estates and hill farms were sought by corporations last year as an investment or as sites for planting new conifer plantations.

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US rapper Post Malone helps Scottish musician fund downpayment for house

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Local musician Gregor Hunter Coleman was playing in Glasgow pub when star made ‘life-changing’ offer

The US rapper Post Malone helped a Scottish musician fund the downpayment for his first home, according to reports.

The Sunflower crooner’s viral, widely reported act of kindness unfolded at a pub in Glasgow, Scotland, named Wunderbar last week. Post Malone walked into the bar while Gregor Hunter Coleman, an area musician, was playing, BBC Scotland reported.

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Edinburgh University tries to defuse row after trans rights protests over film

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Executives holds talks with both sides after screening of gender critical documentary was cancelled

Edinburgh University hopes to defuse a crisis involving gender critical and pro-trans academics after clashes over the screening of the film Adult Human Female.

University executives are holding talks with both sides after pro-trans activists prevented the gender critical documentary from being screened on campus for the second time late last month, by blockading a theatre where it was due to be shown.

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Sheku Bayoh’s struggle in restraint may have played role in death, inquiry told

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Pathologist says struggle ‘has to be considered as being important’ in 2015 death in custody in Fife

Sheku Bayoh’s struggle while being restrained by at least six police officers should be considered a major part of what caused his death, according to the pathologist who examined his body.

The inquiry into Bayoh’s death in custody heard from Dr Kerryanne Shearer that the 31-year-old had taken ecstasy and another stimulant drug before being restrained by officers in Kirkcaldy, Fife, on 3 May 2015.

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Archbishop of Canterbury’s attack on illegal migration bill ‘wrong on both counts’, says minister – as it happened

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Justin Welby says bill is ‘morally unacceptable’ and rules on protection of refugees are not ‘inconvenient obstructions’. This live blog is closed

In the House of Lords peers are just starting to debate the second reading of the illegal migration bill.

Simon Murray, aka Lord Murray of Blidworth, is opening the debate. He is a lawyer who was made a Home Office minister, and a peer, when Liz Truss was PM.

We now face a perfect storm of factors driving more people into homelessness while giving us fewer good options to help them when they do. These factors include soaring private rents (above the benefit cap), private landlords leaving the sector, a national shortage of affordable housing, and a backlog of court cases after Covid-relating housing support was removed. At the same time, we have a cost-of-living crisis which is reducing real-term incomes and putting further strain on relationships.

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Tax firm run by SNP’s auditors accused of potentially running avoidance scheme

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Company challenged over advice that one expert says will enable families to avoid paying tax on private school fees

A boutique tax advisory firm run by the Scottish National party’s new auditors has been accused of potentially running a tax avoidance scheme to help parents who are paying private school fees.

Signature Tax, an offshoot of AMS Accountants Group, offers clients “tailored tax solutions” on its website, including advice on paying fees in a “tax efficient manner”.

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Local elections 2023 live: Labour becomes largest party in local government – as it happened

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Conservatives continue to suffer heavy defeats as Labour, Lib Dems and Greens make gains

Prof Rob Ford, an elections specialist, has written an article for the Guardian trying to assess what would be a good result and a bad result for the political parties in the local election. You can read it here:

Results from more than 60 councils are expected overnight with the remainder expected to trickle in throughout the day on Friday.

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Local elections 2023 live: voter ID required for first time as people in England head to the polls

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With polls closing at 10pm, more than 8,000 council seats in England are up for grabs

Here is a comment from a reader.

Just been to the polling station: tellers outside were turning people without ID away instead of sending them in to be recorded for the so called evaluation. Numbers will be meaningless if this is widespread.

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SNP appoints new auditor as deadline looms for filing accounts

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Party, which has been without accountants since October, risks losing £1.2m funding if it misses deadline

The SNP has signed a contract with a new auditor more than six months after the previous company quit, the party has said.

The party has been without auditors for its accounts since October, with the Westminster group left with only weeks to file with the Electoral Commission or risk losing £1.2m in funding from UK parliament authorities to support its work.

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Police watchdog to investigate Marelle Sturrock death after fiance’s body found

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Scotland’s Police Investigations and Review Commissioner has been asked to look into the killing of Glasgow teacher

Scotland’s police watchdog has been ordered to launch an investigation into the murder of a pregnant teacher in Glasgow after finding the body of her fiance in a reservoir days later.

The Police Investigations and Review Commissioner (PIRC) said it had been instructed to carry out the probe after the death of Marelle Sturrock, who was found at her home on Tuesday.

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Marelle Sturrock: murder investigation launched into death of Glasgow teacher

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Police search for partner David Yates after body of 35-year-old, who was pregnant, found

A murder investigation has been launched into the death of a pregnant teacher as officers search for her partner, Police Scotland has said, confirming that her unborn baby had also died.

The body of Marelle Sturrock, 35, who was due to give birth in the summer, was discovered on Tuesday morning at a property in the Craigton area of Glasgow.

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Edinburgh University cancels film screening after trans rights protest

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Adult Human Female, which asserts that women are defined solely by biological sex, stopped after activists block entrances

The screening of a controversial film asserting that women are defined solely by their biological sex has been cancelled by Edinburgh University after trans rights activists occupied entrances to the venue.

The screening of the documentary Adult Human Female was organised with the university’s support after a previous event in December was prevented from taking place when protesters confronted audience members and occupied a screening room minutes before it was due to be shown.

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Dominic Raab bullying claims: deputy PM refusing to resign after reading report – as it happened

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Dominic Raab denies wrongdoing after report on his behaviour delivered to Rishi Sunak this morning

Today’s announcement by the Association of School and College Leaders that it is to hold a formal ballot for national strike action for the first time in its history (see 9.49am) marks a significant development in the ongoing dispute between teachers and the government.

Up until now only members of the National Education Union (NEU) have taken strike action in England, with five more days of strikes planned for later this term. In addition a fresh ballot is to be held to provide the NEU with a mandate for further strike action up until Christmas.

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Colin Beattie ‘steps back’ as SNP treasurer following arrest amid party finance investigation – as it happened

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This live blog has now closed, you can read more on this story here

PMQs is starting in five minutes.

The Cabinet Office has just published the revised list of ministers’ interests. This is the document that is supposed get updated every six months, but which has not been updated for around a year – partly because it’s the job of the No 10 independent adviser on ministes’ interests (aka, the ethics adviser), and for months the post was empty because two of Boris Johnson’s resigned, and then he gave up trying to find a replacement.

The prime minister’s wife is a venture capital investor. She owns a venture capital investment company, Catamaran Ventures UK Limited, and a number of direct shareholdings.

As the prime minister set out in his letter to the chair of the liaison committee on 4 April 2023, this includes the minority shareholding that his wife has in relation to the company, Koru Kids. The guide to the categories of interest (section 7, pages 4-6) sets out the independent adviser’s approach to the inclusion of interests declared in relation to spouses, partners and close family members within the list. The prime minister’s letter of 4 April is available at https://committees.parliament.uk/publications/38992/documents/191876/default/

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Arrest of SNP treasurer overshadows Humza Yousaf’s policy relaunch

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Colin Beattie arrest announced as new first minister prepared to set out ‘fresh vision’ to MSPs

Attempts by Scotland’s new first minister, Humza Yousaf, to stamp his authority on his already beleaguered administration were scuppered by the arrest of the Scottish National party’s treasurer hours before a major policy statement.

Police Scotland said Colin Beattie, 71, the SNP MSP for Midlothian North and Musselburgh and a former banker, had been taken into custody on Tuesday morning and was being interviewed by detectives as part of an investigation into the party’s funding and finances. He was released without charge later that day, pending further investigation.

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Man, 71, arrested in connection with SNP funding investigation, say police

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Suspect is in custody and being questioned by detectives, says Police Scotland

A 71-year-old man has been arrested as a suspect in connection with the investigation into the funding and finances of the Scottish National party, Police Scotland has said.

The force said: “A 71-year-old man has today, Tuesday, 18 April 2023, been arrested as a suspect in connection with the ongoing investigation into the funding and finances of the Scottish National party. The man is in custody and is being questioned by Police Scotland detectives.

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Scottish Labour leader criticises ‘deluded’ SNP amid party donations row

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Anas Sarwar tells rally in first minister’s constituency the party is rapidly losing right to govern

The Scottish Labour leader, Anas Sarwar, has accused the Scottish National party of being politically bankrupt and deceitful, as further questions emerged about Nicola Sturgeon’s role in discussions over party finances.

Sarwar told a Labour rally in Glasgow the SNP was rapidly losing its right to govern after Sturgeon’s party endured a divisive battle to succeed her as leader, followed by a series of dramatic developments in the police inquiry into SNP finances.

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