News

The UK Government is planning to introduce a new law that would allow the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to access the bank accounts of benefit claimants and check for fraud. The law change is expected to be announced in the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement later this month. Why is the Government doing this? The Government claims that the new law would save the taxpayer £500 million in the first five years by cracking down on so-called “benefits cheats” who are fraudulently claiming benefits while sitting on savings. The Government is concerned about the number of people on out-of-work benefits,…

The UK Government is being sued by a group of asylum seekers who claim that its policy of allocating accommodation on a no-choice basis violates their human rights. The group, represented by the law firm Leigh Day, argues that the policy fails to take into account the specific needs and preferences of asylum seekers, such as their health, safety, family ties, and access to legal advice. The policy of no-choice accommodation According to the Home Office, the policy of no-choice accommodation is intended to provide asylum seekers with accommodation in areas where there is a ready supply, and to avoid…

The decision by the UK government to close the Scottish Foreign Office base in East Kilbride has been met with anger and disbelief by the Scottish government and opposition parties. The move, which will affect around 1,000 staff, was announced by Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab on Thursday, without any consultation with the Scottish government or the local council. A betrayal of Scotland’s role in the world The Scottish Foreign Office base, which was established in 1999, handles a range of functions, including international development, consular services, and diplomatic relations. It is also home to the UK’s International Climate Finance team,…

BBC withdraws invitation for SNP MP to appear on Radio 4 programme SNP MP Joanna Cherry QC has claimed that the BBC has ‘cancelled’ her appearance on a Radio 4 programme after she grilled a candidate for the BBC chair position. Cherry, who is the SNP’s spokesperson for home affairs and justice, was due to appear on the Today programme on Friday morning, but was informed by the producers that they had changed their plans. Cherry said that she was told that the BBC had decided to focus on the Covid-19 situation instead, and that they would invite her another time. However, she suspected that the real reason for the withdrawal…

Michael Pedersen is not your typical academic. He is a poet, a non-fiction writer, a literary event organiser, and a friend of celebrities. He is also the newest Writer in Residence at the University of Edinburgh, a prestigious role that has been held by some of the most acclaimed authors in Scotland and beyond. From a wisp of a flame to a bonfire in the belly Pedersen’s passion for writing started when he was a teenager, inspired by his English teacher at Portobello High School. “Something sparked,” he recalls. “Just a wisp of a flame at first, a candle’s worth, could…

The Scottish government is facing growing criticism and opposition over its proposal to create a new National Care Service (NCS) that would take over the responsibility of social care from local councils. The NCS, which was announced by Nicola Sturgeon in November 2022, is intended to improve the quality and consistency of care across Scotland, and has been compared to the establishment of the NHS in 1947. However, the plan has been met with scepticism and resistance from various stakeholders, including councils, care providers, unions, and some SNP members. The main concerns are the high cost, the centralisation of power,…

Scotland has a long history of concentrated land ownership, with half of the privately owned land in the hands of less than 0.01% of the population. This has led to social and economic inequalities, as well as environmental degradation, in many rural areas. Now, a new wave of green investors is adding to the pressure on land prices and availability, as they seek to profit from the country’s ambitious climate targets. The lure of net-zero Scotland has set some of the most ambitious climate goals in the world, aiming to reach net-zero emissions by 2045. To achieve this, the country…

Israel’s Crimes Against Humanity Israel is committing the crimes against humanity of apartheid and persecution against millions of Palestinians, according to Human Rights Watch and other international human rights groups This means that Israel has an overarching policy to maintain the domination by Jewish Israelis over Palestinians across Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT), and that it carries out grave abuses against Palestinians living in the OPT, including East JerusalemThese abuses include unlawful attacks, unjustified use of lethal force, detention, mistreatment, and abuse of children, movement restrictions, land expropriation, and forcible displacement. Many of these abuses disproportionately affect women and…