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The Conservative Party has been accused of failing to uphold the principles of public life, as several scandals involving its members have emerged in recent weeks. Critics say that the Tories are undermining the trust and confidence of the public in the government and the political system. Owen Paterson’s lobbying controversy One of the most prominent cases of alleged misconduct is that of Owen Paterson, the former environment secretary and MP for North Shropshire. Paterson resigned from his seat on November 4, 2023, after he was found to have breached the rules on lobbying for two companies that paid him £100,000…

Scotland is set to introduce a landmark legislation that aims to transform the way land is owned, used and governed in the country. The Land Reform (Scotland) Bill, which was introduced in the Scottish Parliament on December 7, 2023, is expected to bring about significant changes in the areas of land ownership, community empowerment, environmental stewardship and human rights. Why is Land Reform Needed in Scotland? Scotland has one of the most concentrated patterns of land ownership in the world, with more than half of the privately owned land held by just 432 entities. This has resulted in a lack…

Labour leader Keir Starmer was met with angry chants and placards from pro-Palestinian protesters as he arrived in Glasgow for a speech on Thursday. The demonstrators accused him of being complicit in Israel’s attacks on Gaza and demanded that he support a ceasefire. Starmer’s stance on Gaza conflict sparks criticism Starmer has faced growing criticism from within his own party and from the public over his stance on the Gaza conflict, which has killed more than 200 Palestinians and 12 Israelis since it erupted on November 4. He has repeatedly called for a humanitarian pause, rather than a full ceasefire,…

What is the case about? The Scottish government is challenging the UK government’s decision to block a bill that would make it easier for trans people to legally change their gender. The bill, called the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill, was passed by the Scottish parliament in December 2023 with a majority of 68 votes to 55. However, it was prevented from receiving royal assent and becoming law by the UK government, which invoked a Section 35 order of the Scotland Act 1998 for the first time in history. The order allows the UK government to veto any Scottish legislation…

The Cabinet Office has refused to disclose whether the Union policy implementation committee, which is supposed to oversee the UK government’s strategy to counter the independence movement in Scotland, has ever met since its creation in July 2022. Committee announced amid reshuffle The committee was announced as part of a cabinet reshuffle by Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who appointed himself as the chair and Michael Gove as the deputy chair. The other members of the committee are the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Foreign Secretary, the Defence Secretary, the Northern Ireland Secretary, the Scotland Secretary, and the Wales Secretary. The committee’s…

Scotland is facing a danger to life situation as torrential rain continues to batter the country, causing widespread flooding, landslides, and travel disruption. The Met Office has issued five flood alerts and 53 flood warnings for various regions, as well as yellow and amber weather warnings for rain and ice. Ten people rescued by helicopter after landslides One of the most dramatic incidents occurred on Saturday morning, when ten people were airlifted to safety by a coastguard helicopter after their vehicles became trapped by landslides on the A83 and A815 in Argyll and Bute. Police Scotland said there were no reported injuries, but both roads remained closed. The landslides were…

A survey of police officers in Scotland has found that many of them felt ‘disempowered and disenchanted’ after the chief constable said the force was institutionally racist. The survey, conducted by the Scottish Police Federation (SPF), also revealed that officers felt ‘undermined and undervalued’ by the senior leadership and the media. Chief constable’s admission sparked backlash The survey was carried out in response to the comments made by chief constable Iain Livingstone in June 2023, when he admitted that Police Scotland was institutionally racist and pledged to tackle the issue. He said: “I recognise that, as the leader of policing in Scotland, I need…