Ex Labour MP Jim Devine’s ‘hoax’ call left office manager sick with stress – tribunal to rule over dismissal claim

By Cara Sulieman

DISGRACED former Labour politician Jim Devine persuaded a friend to call his office manager pretending to be a journalist looking into MPs expenses, it was claimed today.

But when she took time off for stress after discovering his actions had been an elaborate hoax, he told other staff that it was her being investigated for fraudulent expenses claims used to fund a non-existent gambling habit.

The bizarre series of events were described to a hushed Edinburgh Employment Tribunal today (Thurs) as part of office manager Marion Kinley’s case against her former employer.

Even the judge – Jane Porter – appeared to gasp as the full details of Devine’s behaviour was relayed to the hearing.

Victory for freedom of information

By Cara Sulieman

SCOTTISH ministers have backed down in their bid to stop the country’s information commissioner from accessing their files.

Lawyers for the government were due to appear in court to challenge the powers of Kevin Dunion.

They wanted to stop him from accessing their files, which in an important part of his job.

But they abandoned the case at the last minute and Mr Dunion has dropped his request for the information.

George Galloway heads stateside for new career

By Zoe Keown

FORMER Scots Labour MP George Galloway is hoping to launch a new career in Hollywood presenting documentary films.

Keen to follow in the footsteps of left-winged film maker Michael Moore, Galloway is set to tackle the Palestinian troubles in Gaza.

He said: “I’m off to California on Saturday to speak to people in the film business about a long-standing idea I’ve had to do a Michael Moore type treatment of the Palestinian conflict.

Oldest activist in Scotland campaigns for change

By Rory Reynolds

SCOTLAND’S oldest political activist is back out chapping doors on the campaign trail – just a few months shy of his 100th birthday.

Leslie Spoor got his first taste of politics when he was caught up in the Battle of Cable Street in East London in 1936 when the local communities united to take violent action against Oswald Mosley’s British Union of Fascists.

The 99-year-old, who retired in 1975, was the principle founder of the Scottish Ecology Party, which later became the Scottish Green Party.

The former Musselburgh Grammar School history teacher was previously a member of the Labour party and a close friend of the late foreign secretary Robin Cook.

Leslie, also a former Open University lecturer, lives with his wife Pat in the city’s Corstorphine area and still maintains a keen interest in politics and current affairs.

Scottish politicians told they can claim back Remembrance Day wreaths on expenses

By Cara Sulieman

SCOTTISH politicians will be allowed to claim back the cost of Remembrance Day poppy wreaths on their expenses – despite a ruling banning Westminster MPs from doing the same.

The news comes just a week before the traditional services to pay tribute to the country’s fallen heroes.

The decision comes as a surprise as earlier this year fifteen MSPs were criticised for claiming back the wreaths as “running costs” last year.

Following a public outcry, all fifteen paid the money back.

Scotland’s crime-ridden train network

By Cara Sulieman

SCOTLAND’S sprawling network of trains and stations are being plagued by drug dealers, drunkards and sex attackers, shock new figures reveal.

Hard pressed officers from British Transport Police are now dealing with almost 7000 different crimes every year – with city centre stations the main battleground.

A total of 6978 offences were committed under their jurisdiction. Of those, a staggering 1482 serious crimes and 2870 petty offences actually happened aboard rail or subway carriages last year.

Scotland’s most dangerous station has been revealed as Glasgow Central – with a frightening 548 crimes reported there between 2007 and 2008.

Rise in Scottish drug deaths blamed on Trainspotting generation

By Cara Sulieman

A MASSIVE hike in the number of drugs related deaths across Scotland is being blamed on the nation’s Trainspotting generation – addicts who began shooting up in the 80’s.

Shock new figures showed a rise of people in their late 30s to early 40s – mostly men – dying from the effects of years of drug use and a lack of support services for their age group.

In all drug deaths rose 26 per cent to 576.

As with previous years, the vast majority of drug users dying are men – an overwhelming 80 per cent.

Lack of rain causes sewage stench

By Cara Sulieman

RESIDENTS kicking up a stink over the worsening pong from a city sewage works have been told it’s because there hasn’t been enough rain.

Locals have been cursed by the smell from the Seafield treatment plant in Edinburgh for years even giving its own name – the Seafield Stench.

The warmer than average summer has made it intolerable for the complaining community as the stink has gotten worse in recent weeks.

But all Scottish Water who own the site have been able to tell them is that it has been made worse because of a lack of rain to dilute the sewage.

Shocked Dunfermline Building Society customers condemn Westminster Government

By Oliver Farrimond

TROUBLED Dunfermline Building Society customers spoke about their shock and anger at the news that the bank is to be taken over by Nationwide yesterday.

The 140-year-old mutual was acquired yesterday after racking up losses of £26 million amid claims that the UK government had not acted fast enough.

Some locals even suggested that the ailing bank was deliberately ignored by the British government in order to undermine calls for Scottish independence.

Loyal customer John McGee said that the Westminster Government was firmly to blame.

Mr McGee, 84, said: “I’ve been a DBS customer for years and I don’t hold the company responsible for what’s happened.

“I trust the people who are in charge.

“It’s Alistair Darling and Gordon Brown, who is my local MP, who are to blame for exaggerating the problem.

“I do think that they are trying to undermine Scottish independence.”

Laura Aitken, 22

Peter Stirling, 75, also from the town, added: “Dunfermline Building Society is a great institution and this is an absolute scandal.

“I’m sure something could have been done much sooner – why couldn’t the government have stepped in?”

Although happy to see their savings safe, many declared that this was yet another worrying sign of the times.

Local resident Laura Aitken, 22, said: “I am glad that it’s going to stay as the Dunfermline Building Society, but every bank seems to be going down the tubes.

“Hopefully I won’t have to take all my money out just yet.”

Hospital worker Kelly Jane-Connoly said that she was more worried about her savings than the embattled Scottish financial industry.

Kelly, 30, said: “How long is this banking trouble going to go on for?

“I am starting to think that my money isn’t safe anywhere.”

Bernie Hewitt, 54

Bernie Hewitt, 54, said although he was glad to see the brand name survive, this was just business as usual.

He said: “This is just business I am afraid, it sounds cruel but it’s true.

“I do not think the Government can afford to bail out every bank that’s in trouble. There’s trouble like this all over the country.”

TV Presenter Faces Backlash

By Alexander Lawrie

DISABLED groups and politicians from across the country have hit back at English motormouth Jeremy Clarkson after he poked fun at Gordon Brown’s blindness.

The controversial Top Gear presenter hit the headlines this week when he called the Prime Minister “a one-eyed Scottish idiot” during a trip to Australia.

Brown lost the sight in his left eye when he was just 16 after he suffered a kick to the head during a school rugby game.

Clarkson’s onslaught against the PM came at the launch of a Top Gear Live stage tour in Sydney.

But politicians and disabled associations are outraged at the big-mouthed presenter’s latest gaffe, calling his comments as “unacceptable” and “insensitive”.

A spokesperson for the charity Visibility said: “It sounds as if Jeremy Clarkson was using the term ‘one eyed’ as an insult.  It is very unfortunate that Mr Clarkson has used his high media profile to present sight difficulties in such a negative way.

“I would challenge Jeremy Clarkson to come and spend a day with Visibility listening to and speaking with people who overcome significant difficulties caused by sight loss on a daily basis.

“If Mr Clarkson takes up our challenge, I would hope that next time he speaks about visual impairment, he does so from a more informed position and uses his media profile to highlight visual impairment in a more positive way.”

A spokesperson for the Highland Society for the Blind said: “We are in the business to change perceptions of blind and visually impaired people.

“What Clarkson might want to do is to come along and help on one of our driving days where blind individuals get to drive along an air strip and feel the thrill of the driving experience.

“He might then change his thoughts about being so insensitive.”

The Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) was also quick to condemn the “offensive” comments, saying: “Any suggestion that equates disability with incompetence is totally unacceptable.

Scottish Labour leader Iain Gray said: “Such a comment is really a reflection on Jeremy Clarkson and speaks for itself.

“Most people here are proud that the Prime Minister is a Scot and believe him to be the right person to get the UK through this global economic crisis.”

Patrick Harvie, Green MSP, said: “Jeremy Clarkson’s brain seems permanently stuck in neutral. He clearly loves his role as the populist face of climate change denial, but his shameless self-promotion regularly gets in the way of the truth.

“On this occasion, his petty insults are no substitute for sensible criticism of the Prime Minister.”

And Glenrothes MP Lindsay Roy urged the Beeb to “look very carefully at what action they wish to take”.

Number 10 would only say that Clarkson “is entitled to his own interpretation of the economic circumstances”.

The spokesperson declined to comment on the specific insult about Mr Brown.

The controversial presenter compared Mr Brown to Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, shortly after Mr Rudd had addressed the country on the severity of the global financial crisis.

According to The Australian newspaper, Clarkson said: “He [Rudd] genuinely looked terrified. The poor man, he’s actually seen the books.

“[In the UK] we’ve got this one-eyed Scottish idiot. He keeps telling us everything’s fine and he’s saved the world and we know he’s lying, but he’s smooth at telling us.”

Last November, more than 1,800 people complained to the BBC after Clarkson made a joke on Top Gear about lorry drivers killing sex workers.

The joke followed the conviction of forklift truck driver Steve Wright for the murders of five prostitutes in Ipswich.

Some 340 people also complained to regulator Ofcom, but it later ruled the joke did not breach the broadcasting code.