The UK government should put pressure on retailers to pass on falling wholesale food prices to customers, SNP MP David Linden has said. France introduced a price block on staple food items, with supermarkets dedicating to keeping food and hygiene prices low. The Competition and Markets Authority should also use its powers to fine retailers for price gouging, Linden said, commenting on his party’s motion calling for action against food inflation. The SNP also called for greater power and control to be devolved to the Scottish Parliament to tackle issues such as rising costs of living. The motion was defeated in parliament by 45 to 287 votes.
Andrew Wilson, an SNP politician and former MSP, has called for a cap on the number of Scottish places at Scottish universities to be lifted so that people can be accepted on the basis of ability, rather than their origin. Wilson, the architect of the party’s economic plans for independence, did not suggest ending free tuition, but his comments mark a potential shift for the SNP, since until now members have treated changes to the funding system as a prime campaigning issue. However Humza Yousaf, Minister for Higher Education, said he is “very proud” of the SNP’s contingent opposition to tuition fees.
Wind power generated more electricity than gas over the first quarter of 2023 in the UK, according to figures released by National Grid, and renewable energy sources contributed 46% of the country's total power for April. However, further investment in renewable energy will require a new structure for electricity supply, with renewable sources mitigating gas, but renewables leaving a huge and sudden gap during wind droughts and when there is no solar energy available. There are various options the UK can turn to, including the development of a zero-emission gas plant for the Teesside Carbon Cluster, increased storage for excess renewable energy in Yorkshire salt caverns, and small modular nuclear reactors for a limited window of time. In addition, cryogenic compressed air can store energy for longer durations of time, while governments should continue to set the right tone for renewables energy investment and development.
Despite conceding that it would be cheaper to construct a new vessel at a different yard, SNP ministers have directed that Ferguson Marine – a nationalised shipyard that has struggled to oversee the construction of two scandal-ridden ferries on time and within budget – completes a ferry. The decision came after the Scottish government’s most senior civil servant responsible for economic matters, Gregor Irwin, said that he could no longer support ongoing construction at Ferguson Marine. The nationalisation of the yard was ordered in 2019 after it went into administration.
The UK is experiencing a shortage of labour in key sectors such as farming, hospitality and social care, causing some commentators to question why the country is importing labour from abroad when there are millions of people out of work. Some suggest their unwillingness to take up these opportunities comes down to benefits payments that allow them to live off the state, a situation that was never the purpose behind the welfare state. While everyone agrees that society needs a safety net to help those who genuinely need it, when there are families in which two or even three generations have never worked, there is clearly a problem. However, incentivising employment by linking benefits to work has had little success. Another suggested solution is to address educational deficits and upskill people so they are better equipped to take on the work that is available.
The UK’s Conservative Party has been told its MPs who are nominated for a peerage will be able to serve in the House of Lords only if they stand down before the next election. Scotland Secretary Alister Jack, former Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries, former Cabinet Minister Nigel Adams and President for COP26 Alok Sharma were listed by Prime Minister Boris Johnson for inclusion in the House of Lords in his resignation honours list. They had planned to continue as MPs before retiring at the next election. However, the House of Lords Appointments Commission has argued that such a move would be “constitutionally improper”.
A conservation charity has transformed the ruin of a Scottish fort fortified tower-house into comfortable holiday accommodation for up to four people after spending £2m ($2.8m) on restoring the 16th-century structure. The Landmark Trust gave Fairburn Tower a new roof, repaired its watch turrets, replaced the stolen stone staircase with a structure-stabilising concrete substitute and restored its interior, while also ensuring the exterior matched its Renaissance heyday. The tower windows were punched through the walls, despite its fortification, to ensure plenty of light – particularly in the tower’s sitting room – and its walls still contain original stone cupboards.
The UK’s Conservative Party has been told its MPs who are nominated for a peerage will be able to serve in the House of Lords only if they stand down before the next election. Scotland Secretary Alister Jack, former Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries, former Cabinet Minister Nigel Adams and President for COP26 Alok Sharma were listed by Prime Minister Boris Johnson for inclusion in the House of Lords in his resignation honours list. They had planned to continue as MPs before retiring at the next election. However, the House of Lords Appointments Commission has argued that such a move would be “constitutionally improper”.
Vauxhall’s parent firm has warned that the UK car industry faces a severe threat, compromising thousands of jobs, without changes to post-Brexit trade arrangements with the European Union. Stellantis said it would be unable to meet the commitment to make electric vehicles in the UK without alterations to the Trade and Co-operation Agreement with the EU. Mhairi Black, the SNP’s Westminster deputy leader, accused both Labour and the Tories of ignoring the economic damage from Brexit: “Brexit Britain faces higher food prices, a lack of workers, a shrinking economy and a decline in living standards. Why is he happy to ignore those facts?” she said.
UK Labour leader Keir Starmer recognises that to implement a reformist agenda, voters must perceive that the proposals are rooted in their values and know that he can restrain his radicalism, as all successful Labour leaders have understood. Although the non-Tory vote exceeds the Conservative Party's vote at elections, the innate conservatism of many Labour voters means that they believe in strong defence, patriotism, wariness of social change and the rule of law. In his speech to the Progressive Britain conference last weekend, Starmer reprimanded progressives for abandoning Labour's working-class support, for exhibiting patronising contempt for those who fly the flag and for pursuing culture war politics.
The Scottish Labour leader, Anas Sarwar, has called the Scottish National Party (SNP) “dysfunctional” after its selection process for a key constituency by-election was paused. The vote for Rutherglen and Hamilton West could be triggered by a decision to suspend SNP MP Margaret Ferrier from the Commons. Ferrier admitted travelling from Scotland to London while positive for Covid-19. She is now appealing against a proposed 30-day sanction recommended by the Commons Standards Committee.
The accuracy of bowel cancer screening tests sent to the many people in England aged between 50 and 74 could be increased from 84% to almost 100% through the use of two tests, say researchers at the University of Edinburgh. The tests, known as the Faecal Immunochemical Test (FIT), look for blood hiding in faeces. In the study, 2,260 patients took just one FIT test, while 3,426 took two. The second test reduced the numbers of cancers missed by the first by 50%, and almost 20% of those taking two tests had a change of care plan due to test variations.
The Scottish Conservatives have demanded that a parliamentary inquiry is undertaken amidst the ongoing investigation into the SNP’s finances. Chief whip Alexander Burnett’s calls follow the arrests of Peter Murrell, former SNP chief executive and husband of Nicola Sturgeon, and then SNP treasurer Colin Beattie, although both were later released without charge. Burnett has written to the Parliamentary Officer asking for a committee to be formed to examine the case. The inquiry could begin once Operation Branchform – the SNP financial investigation being conducted by Police Scotland – has finished.
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (Jaxa) has expressed interest in using Spaceport Cornwall as a base for its launches. Several other players keen to employ the British facilities were also revealed by Science Minister George Freeman; among them is SaxaVord Spaceport, which is hoping to secure a launch licence from the Civil Aviation Authority over the next three months. The Shetland-based spaceport plans to start launch rehearsals this summer, with 30 launches a year initially, that could eventually rise to 50. The Shetland site, alongside the Cornwall project, represents a step towards enabling the UK to enter the "premier league" of space powers, according to Frank Strang, CEO of SaxaVord Spaceport.
Fashion retailer Asos’ shares hit their lowest since 2010 as brokerages predicted a cash call for the firm, which revealed interim results last week. Betaville, a fashion M&A gossip site run by high paywall, revealed that the international mooted as a suitor for Asos is a Turkish company believed to be talking with Bestseller, the company's largest shareholder. On Monday, Mike Ashley raised his already high stake in the company. Meanwhile, the FT's Alphaville blog paints an anonymously written picture of the highs and lows of City life, offering insight into whispered conversations outside coffee shops and in lifts.
UK energy firm SSE has won a legal battle with the country's tax authority over the treatment of much of its £200m spending on the Glendoe hydroelectric plant in Scotland. It could bolster confidence in the sector, according to Angus Walker, a partner at BDB Pitmans. The dispute centred on whether parts of the plant counted as a tunnel or aqueduct. The Supreme Court ruled that SSE was entitled to claim capital allowances on the full sum, which would have been disallowed under the regime. HM Revenue & Customs is "carefully considering" the judgment.
The Scottish government's decision to press ahead with a ship building contract at the beleaguered Ferguson shipyard, despite it costing more than scrapping the vessel and ordering a new one from elsewhere, has been slammed by a journalist at The Herald. The criticism comes hot on the heels of the country's Higher and Further Education Minister, Graeme Dey, making sobering declarations over the need for the Scottish government to prioritise spending. The extra costs that the UK taxpayer will have to pay for this decision have not yet been revealed.
A stolen car has been found abandoned on top of a metal drum at a roundabout in Annan, Scotland. The black Honda Civic was recovered by police following reports of its discovery. It is believed the vehicle had previously been taken from a property in the same town and investigations are ongoing.
A study presented at the European Congress on Obesity in Dublin found that NHS patients who are of healthy weight cost 54% less than those who are overweight or obese. In total, patients who were a healthy weight cost the health service an average of £638 each per year, which is less than the £1,375 a year spent on the most obese patients with a BMI over 40. Across the study, just one-third of participants had a healthy weight. The extra costs of those who are not of a healthy weight is primarily due to treating obesity-related conditions such as type 2 diabetes, cancer, and heart diseases. A ban on buy one, get one free offers for unhealthy food and drinks is due to come into force this autumn. Restrictions on television and online advertisements for junk foods are scheduled for 2025 after a series of delays. The findings suggest that the NHS could save nearly £14 billion a year if everyone was a healthy weight.
Scottish Secretary Alister Jack will stand down at the next general election but ruled out triggering a by-election by accepting a peerage offered in Boris Johnson’s resignation honours list. The Dumfries and Galloway MP confirmed he will give up his seat at the election and it is understood he is keen to join the House of Lords afterwards. It is thought all four would continue as MPs until the next election, before moving to the Lords, thereby avoiding four by-elections that could prove a headache for the Prime Minister. However, the House of Lords Appointments Commission has advised it would be constitutionally improper. Alister Jack told ITV Border’s Representing Border programme: “I’m not going to the House of Lords and causing a by-election.” Pressed on whether he would move to the Lords after the election, he said: “Who knows?” He won the seat with a majority of only 1,805 from the 2019 contest, with the SNP in second place.
