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By Shaun Milne
ANIMAL welfare supporters are stepping up their call for a ban on snares by launching a new campaign at the Scottish Parliament later this week.
Edinburgh based Advocates for Animals will unveil an 8ft sign reading ‘Welcome To Scotland, A Snare Free Country’ outside Holyrood at 10am on Thursday.
The snares being targeted include wire nooses used by some estates and farmers to catch what they commonly regard as pests such as rabbits and foxes. Continue reading
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.
By Oliver Farrimond
A SENIOR Labour Peer has written to the Scottish Parliament to demand changes to First Minister Questions, describing the current format as a “tedious ritual”.
Lothians MSP George Foulkes complained that FMQ’s had become “less relevant” and “less interesting”, and called for Ministers’ long answers to be cut short.
In a letter to Holyrood’s Standards and Procedures Committee, he also suggested that FMQs be moved to later in the afternoon, and that spontaneous questions be given more time.
Lord Foulkes said: “A number of MSP’s, constituents and people in the media have said to me that First Minister’s Questions has become less relevant, less spontaneous and less interesting than in the past. Continue reading
THE project director for a £2.3 billion bridge in Edinburgh will be based 50 miles away in Glasgow.
A job advert for the £110,000 post has come under criticism for stating that the new Forth road bridge boss will be based in the West of Scotland.
Edinburgh MSPs slammed the Scottish Government, saying the new bridge chief should be based on-site.
But Transport Scotland said the director will “eventually” end up in the East coast.
The job of heading up the massive project is described as an “opportunity of unprecedented scale.”
The director must deliver a 2.7km bridge in time for opening in 2016 under “high levels of public scrutiny” and “intense media pressure,” according to the advert.
Continue reading
From left to right: Gorgon Mokwa, Andrew Dannet, Ben Jones and Aiden McKenzie from Alness Academy
By Cara Sulieman
THE Scottish Parliament is to investigate the best way to raise awareness of the need for blood donors – after a schoolboy urged MSPs to start paying people for donations.
The Public Petitions Committee of the Scottish Parliament dismissed the idea to reward blood donors with cash.
But the move has spurred them into finding out just how else they can increase the number of donors.
Andrew Dannet, 16, submitted the original petition to the committee calling on them to do something about the low numbers of donors in Scotland.
Large hedges are "ruining lives"
By Cara Sulieman
MSPS ARE being urged to take action to prevent HEDGE RAGE from ruining lives.
A new nationwide campaign launched by ScotHedge calls on new laws to be introduced so planning chiefs can put an end to neighbour disputes.
Campaign leader Dr Colin Watson said: “We call it vegetation tyranny.”
“In the most extreme cases it can leave people living in terror from threats of violence and the need to involve the police.”
By Oliver Farrimond
A TEAM of MPs, MSPs and celebrities took to the field at Ibrox yesterday, battling out a high scoring contest in aid of an employment support programme.
The star-studded team, which included Secretary of State for Scotland Jim Murphy MP and disgraced TV presenter Angus Deayton, overcame a team of participants from the Support Employment programme sun by Rangers and Celtic football clubs.
The surprisingly fit celebrity team, clad in Rangers garb, were held until just after half-time, with game finishing 7-4 after a brace of late goals, including a cool finish from Secretary of State Murphy.
Less impressive was Frank McAveety MSP, who had to endure taunts of “We’re playing in blue Frank!” after a series of failed forward ventures down the right wing. Continue reading
By Oliver Farrimond
THE SCOTTISH Conservatives took to the streets yesterday, targeting members of the public with leaflets demanding answers to Edinburgh’s tramworks fiasco.
The leaflets – distributed by Scottish Conservative MSP David McLetchie and Councillor Iain Whyte – raise questions over how the tramworks will continue to be funded, and whether Princes Street will be open during Hogmanay and the festival.
Princes Street, normally Edinburgh’s busiest shopping thoroughfare, remains closed to traffic during continuing work on the trams.
David McLetchie, MSP for Edinburgh Pentlands, said: “This sorry saga has dragged on for far too long and people are rightly sick of the whole affair.
“They deserve answers, which is why the Scottish Conservatives will be asking the tough questions.
“The leadership of Edinburgh Council needs to stop hiding behind TIE and take responsibility for this situation because the public deserve nothing less.”
A CUT-PRICE restaurant for MSPs has provoked fury after it was revealed the meals it serves are subsidised by £12 a plate.
The members’ restaurant in the Scottish Parliament serves up fine dining for Scottish politicians and their guests but massive staffing costs means last year it ran at a loss of £88,000.
The plush eatery employs nine members of staff, including three chefs and three waiters yet only served a total of 7,160 meals during 2008.
Now the British Taxpayer’s Alliance have branded the subsidy “wrong” while a hotelier group say the staffing costs are “unusual”.
The loss works out at more than £2,000 of subsidy for every week that the parliament is in session.
Between January 1, 2008 and December 31 the restaurant brought in £53,984 from food bills.
But it was crippled with expensive staffing costing over £103,000 while the produce to make the food cost another £30,443 bringing the total cost to over £134,000 for the year.
That £80,000 short-fall was footed by the tax payer.
Chief executive of the British TaxPayer’s Alliance, Matthew Elliot, blasted the meals as “wrong”.
He said: “These subsidised meals are wrong and are costing taxpayers a fortune.
“Many ordinary people are struggling to put food on their own tables in the recession after shelling out for sky-high taxes to pay for this subsidy.”
The lunch menu reveals the haute-cuisine politicians are treated to at fast-food prices.
A duo of smoked salmon and beetroot lax with potato blini, herb cream cheese capers and spring onions costs just £1.40.
And seared salmon with herb crème fraiche potatoes, braised celery and soy cucumber relish is £4.80.
The restaurant spends 77 per cent of its turnover on staffing compared to the industry average of 44 per cent.
And the bar of the restaurant is also run at similar losses with over a dozen fine whiskies available for less than £3.00 per measure.
Despite spending £31,000 on staffing alone the bar made a total of just £36,000 – the cost of the product as well as overheads left the loss on drinks alone at £8,000.
The basic salary for MSPs is £52,226 while they are also entitled to a series of allowances to employ research staff or pay office rental expenses.
Mr Elliot added: “This sort of fine dining is certainly not available to schoolchildren, soldiers or other people who get help with their meals, and it’s time MSPs took their snouts out of the trough and coughed up for what they eat.”
A spokesman for the British Hospitality Association said the numbers did not accord with industry averages.
He said: “The food bill seems rather low while the staff bill appears high compared with industry averages.”
Food journalist Jonathan Trew said privately run restaurants could not afford to sell such cuisine at knock-down prices.
He said: “That’s certainly very cheap, food prices have rocketed in the last year or so and that’s been a problem for restaurateurs. Profit margins are very thin and a lot of places are closing and changing hands at the moment.”
Mr Trew said the prices on the members’ restaurants member were between one third and one half cheaper than private establishments.
He said: “These prices are a fraction of what they would be at a city centre restaurant and obviously it’s the tax payer that is footing the bill.
“MSPs are paid fairly well compared to the common man and they could afford to pay more realistic prices.”
A spokesperson for the Scottish Parliament said: “Since the members’ restaurant opened the parliament has been clear about the cost of running the facility.
“The parliament’s corporate body sets the tariff which covers the cost of the food and contributes towards labour. Any shortfall in covering the labour cost is made up by the parliament.
“This contractual arrangement is similar to other organisations and companies that provide catering for its staff and visitors where there is a limited potential customer base.”
By Oliver Farrimond
HOLYROOD was given the cold shoulder yesterday as a group of penguins visited the Scottish parliament in a bid to raise awareness of climate change.
The seven furry activists built a fake Antarctic habitat using snow machines and icebergs.
Organised by Friends of the Earth Scotland, the event was aimed to urge Scottish politicians to back the upcoming Scottish Climate Change Bill.
Corinne Evans, head of campaigns at Friends of the Earth Scotland, said: “We’re honoured that these animals have taken time out from fighting for their own survival to come to remind us that we don’t have to suffer the same fate.
“The message is clear – we need urgent action on climate change, and we need the MSPs in the Paliament to rise to the challenge and make sure we have it.
“The world’s eyes are on Scotland – a strong law here will have a massive knock-on effect on forthcoming laws around the world.”
Deadline Press & Picture Agency 