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The chief executive of Ferguson Marine, Tim Hair, has been accused of misleading a Scottish Parliament committee over the safety changes that added £24 million to the cost of two ferries. Safety changes were not part of the original contract The Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee was investigating the ferry fiasco that has delayed the delivery of two vessels for Caledonian MacBrayne by more than four years and increased the budget from £97 million to £230 million. According to a report by the Scotsman, Hair told the committee in June that the safety changes were part of the original contract…

The Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the world’s largest arts festival, has revealed a huge financial black hole as it struggles to recover from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. The Fringe organisers have launched a £7.5 million emergency appeal to secure the event’s survival and ensure its accessibility and diversity in the post-Covid world. Fringe lost millions during pandemic The Fringe, which showcases thousands of performances across comedy, theatre, dance, music and more, was completely cancelled in 2020 due to the coronavirus outbreak. This year, the festival has operated at a fifth of its normal size, with only about 700 shows…

Scotland is facing a historic opportunity to reinvent its economy and society based on the principles of wellbeing economics, according to a new report by the Wellbeing Economy Alliance (WEAll) Scotland. The report, titled “Reinventing Scotland: ‘Policy’ can’t save us – wellbeing economics can”, argues that the current economic system is failing to deliver social justice, environmental sustainability and human flourishing, and calls for a radical transformation of the way Scotland measures and pursues progress. What is wellbeing economics? Wellbeing economics is an alternative approach to economic policy and practice that puts the wellbeing of people and planet at the…

The Scottish Parliament has passed a motion calling on the UK government to support a ceasefire in Gaza and condemn the violence that has killed more than 200 people, mostly Palestinians, in the past week. The motion, which was backed by all parties except the Conservatives, also expressed solidarity with the Palestinian people and urged the UK to recognise Palestine as a state. Cross-party support for motion The motion was brought forward by the Scottish National Party (SNP), which leads the Scottish government, and was co-signed by the Scottish Greens, Labour and Liberal Democrats. It stated that the Parliament “unequivocally…

The Scottish Government has announced a new funding package of £5 million to help farmers and crofters who have been affected by recent flooding. The funding will be available from early 2024 and will cover up to 80% of the costs of restoring damaged agricultural land and infrastructure. Severe weather impacts agriculture Scotland has experienced several episodes of heavy rainfall and flooding in the past few months, which have caused significant damage to farmland, crops, livestock, buildings and roads. According to the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), more than 100 flood warnings and alerts were issued across the country in…

Scottish National Party (SNP) MP Alyn Smith has called on the European Union (EU) to offer a “lifeboat” to the UK from the “wreckage” of Brexit, which he said has caused economic and social damage to the country. Smith, who is also the president of the European Free Alliance (EFA), a political group that represents regionalist and nationalist parties in Europe, made the remarks in an opinion piece published by The National, a Scottish pro-independence newspaper. Brexit has been a “nightmare” for the UK Smith argued that Brexit has been a “nightmare” for the UK, especially for Scotland, which voted…

A group of former Filmhouse staff and cinema enthusiasts have launched a fundraising campaign to revive the historic art house cinema on Lothian Road, which closed its doors last year after the collapse of its parent charity, the Centre for the Moving Image (CMI). Filmhouse (Edinburgh) Ltd secures interim lease and major grant The newly formed charity, Filmhouse (Edinburgh) Ltd, has secured an interim lease with Caledonian Heritable, the owner of the building, to enable a period of fundraising for essential refurbishment works to the cinemas and public areas. Caledonian Heritable, who acquired the building in early 2023, are currently…

Labour leader Keir Starmer has pledged to make the UK a “clean energy superpower” by 2030, as he visited Aberdeen to meet with workers and businesses in the renewable energy sector. He said that a Labour government would invest in green jobs, infrastructure and innovation, and support the transition from fossil fuels to clean energy sources. Labour’s vision for a green economy Starmer said that Labour’s vision for a green economy was based on five principles: fairness, security, opportunity, innovation and leadership. He said that Labour would ensure that no one was left behind in the shift to a low-carbon…