Police in Arran launch hate crime probe after Pride flags and banners removed
Police said the incident is being investigated as a hate crime and that they are taking the matter 'very seriously'.
READ MORE: Body discovered in Scottish town as road closed and people urged to avoid area
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Daily Record
20 minutes ago
- Daily Record
Outlander boss reveals snubbing star in 'crazy' but key casting move
The actor narrowly missed out on a role in Outlander One of the stars from the Outlander prequel series, Blood of My Blood, tmissed out on an earlier part in the flagship show for a rather extraordinary reason. Jamie Roy, who auditioned for the minor role of Militia Man Number Two in the seventh season of Outlander, didn't secure the role, unaware that the creators had very different plans for his future within the franchise. Roy said that he was initially "gutted" at not landing the position as he saw it as a potential "big break", given how significant an appearance in Outlander is for one's acting career. However, fate had other ideas, and instead of being cast as a fleeting soldier character, Roy found himself in the role of a primary character in the prequel, Outlander: Blood of My Blood. He graced the screen as the young Brian Fraser, father to Sam Heughan's celebrated Highland hero Jamie Fraser in Outlander, setting him up for a swift ascent in showbiz fame, thanks to Outlander's remarkable success and Jamie Fraser's zealous fanbase, reports the Scottish Daily Express. Maril Davis, a producer who's been instrumental in the Outlander saga since its inception in 2014, reminisced about Roy's original Outlander audition in a recent chat, stating: "We were like, 'God, that guy looks a lot like Sam Heughan. That's so crazy. Oh, do we save him [for the prequel]?". However, she admitted to a moment of doubt, querying herself with "But why are we saving him for something that we don't even know is going to go?'" Speaking further to Vanity Fair, Davis expressed relief over the prequel's fruition stating: "I would've felt bad if the prequel hadn't come. But we did decide to save him." Scottish actor Roy, originally from Greenock, has previously featured in Burning Lies, Condor's Nest and Meeting Me, Meeting You. However, his role in Blood of My Blood is set to be his most significant yet. Outlander has already portrayed Brian's tragic demise with Shetland star Andrew Whipp embodying the older version of the character. Blood of My Blood will now present a younger Brian and delve into his turbulent yet passionate love affair with rival clan member Ellen MacKenzie, played by Harriet Slater. While Blood of My Blood isn't based on any literary works like Outlander, which draws inspiration from Diana Gabaldon's series of novels, snippets of Ellen and Brian's romance have been alluded to in the original series. Viewers will witness how Jamie's parents fell head over heels for each other and maintained their relationship despite familial opposition. The series will also illuminate the romantic history of Claire Fraser's (Caitríona Balfe) parents during WWI, showcasing the long-distance love story between Henry Beauchamp (Jeremy Irvine) and Julia Moriston (Hermione Corfield). Audiences are in for a treat with two distinct love stories set in different time periods, both promising to be equally enthralling and dramatic. Producer Davis confessed that it was a challenge to depict the two romances on screen and allocate equal screen time to each, but she expressed confidence that the production team had managed to do justice to both narratives.
The National
24 minutes ago
- The National
Hamilton by-election campaign enters final days
Voters in Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse will go to the polls on Thursday June 5 to elect Holyrood's newest MSP, after the sad passing of SNP minister Christina McKelvie earlier this year. The looming vote saw the streets of the constituency flooded with activists from various political parties over the weekend, and with Farage himself expected to visit Hamilton in the days before the polls open. The battle for the constituency was initially thought to be a tight race between the SNP and Labour, but fears are growing that Reform UK may overtake Labour and come second. READ MORE: Scottish independence support at 58 per cent if Nigel Farage becomes PM The SNP insisted their priorities were 'miles apart' from those of Farage's party, while Labour attacked the SNP's record. Swinney said: 'On the final week of campaigning in Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse, it's clear which party is on Scotland's side. 'Free prescriptions, free tuition and free bus travel for 2.3 million people across Scotland - just a few SNP policies that are supporting families across Scotland and delivering for the next generation.' The First Minister added: 'Things remain tough for too many families who feel let down by Labour - who have given up in this campaign - and the deeply concerning rise in support for Farage. (Image: Mike Boyd/PA) 'Be in no doubt, Nigel Farage doesn't care about Scotland. He poses a threat to our values and must be stopped, and only the SNP can do that. 'In this by-election, the SNP is the only party investing in Scotland's future, delivering for families and confronting Farage. On Thursday, vote SNP to stop Farage.' The SNP's candidate Katy Loudon added: 'They [voters] have been let down by a Labour Party that has lost its way and are now witnessing the worrying rise of Farage, who does not understand or care about them. 'This Thursday, voters across this constituency have the opportunity to reject Reform UK's rhetoric and vote SNP, for an MSP that will always put them first.' Meanwhile, Labour deputy leader Jackie Baillie urged voters to 'chart a new direction for the whole of Scotland'. READ MORE: Scotland's oil profits 'must not be used to exploit citizens in Gaza' It comes after the party's candidate Davy Russell refused to take part in various debates and hustings. 'After almost two decades in charge, the SNP has left public services at breaking point – almost one in six Scots are on an NHS waiting list, violence is rife in our schools, and high streets across Scotland are struggling,' she said. 'We cannot risk a third decade of SNP government and only Scottish Labour can beat them. 'Ignore the desperate spin of Reform and the SNP – this by-election is a direct fight between Scottish Labour and the SNP." It comes after Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar branded Farage a 'poisonous man' amid a row over a 'racist' advert. Reform UK's candidate Ross Lambie posted a photograph of himself out chapping doors on Sunday. He wrote in an earlier post: 'You can see clearly here that our message is reaching all voters, including former SNP voters who are #scunnered with 18 years of failure. (Image: PA) 'Vote @ReformUKScot on the 5th of June to take our country back from these charlatans.' Collette Bradley, the Scottish Socialist Party's candidate, hit out at Labour for 'opening the door' to Farage's party by 'betraying the working class'. 'We don't want to exaggerate and reinforce Reform's own unsubstantiated claims of being on the verge of winning, but a frightening minority have been conned into thinking Reform UK is an alternative to Labour's betrayal,' she said. 'In fact, Farage and his far-right outfit are a bunch of former Tories, part of the Establishment, who want to bring back Thatcherism and its vicious, anti-working-class measures, to an area devastated by the original Maggie Thatcher's class war on mining communities and other workers. READ MORE: Scots minister hits back at Defence Secretary 'student union politics' jibe 'The Scottish Socialist Party have warned people that we should tax the millionaires - not vote for them!' The Scottish Tories candidate Richard Nelson, who claimed the Orange Order is 'not divisive', posted on his Facebook page that the party were having 'one last push' on Saturday evening. He was photographed with former deputy leader Meghan Gallagher MSP and former leader Jackson Carlaw, as well as a small group of other party activists.
Scotsman
26 minutes ago
- Scotsman
Nigel Farage's Reform UK continues to outspend rivals in online by-election battle
Sign up to our Politics newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Reform is continuing to outspend Scotland's main political parties as part of its social media push ahead of this week's Holyrood by-election in Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse, according to an analysis by The Scotsman. Nigel Farage's party has heavily backed its contentious online campaign to seize the seat formerly held by the late Christine McKelvie, spending up to £20,000 on digital ads across Facebook and Instagram. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad While no other party has come close to matching Reform's outlay on Meta ads, Scottish Labour has focused its efforts elsewhere, spending up to £18,000 on YouTube and Google ads. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage | PA Since Reform's contentious ad began running on Meta's platforms on 12 May, the party's spending on it has reached between £15,000 and £20,000, up from an estimated £9,000 to £10,000 a week ago. For that outlay, its message attacking Scottish Labour leader, Anas Sarwar, which targets voters in Hamilton and Larkhall, has received between 800,000 and 900,000 impressions. The ad in question, which claims Mr Sarwar will 'prioritise the Pakistani community,' has been the subject of cross-party condemnation, with Scottish Labour and the SNP making formal complaints to Meta, Facebook's parent company, about the video. Both have called it racist. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Kate Dommet, a professor in digital politics at the University of Sheffield, told The Scotsman that Reform's activities on Facebook were not surprising, pointing out that compared to its electoral rivals, it lacked traditional campaign infrastructure. Compared to the other mainstream Scottish political parties, the SNP has spent the most on Meta ads ahead of Thursday's by-election, having ramped up its digital campaign in recent days. However, the overall figure still lags behind that incurred by Mr Farage's party. According to the Meta ad library, the party ran 15 ads throughout May promoting its candidate, Katy Loudon, 13 of which went live last Friday. Its total outlay stands at around £4,700 to £6,000. By contrast, a Scottish Conservative Meta ad campaign promoting its candidate, Richard Nelson, has been backed by a spend of just £100 to £199, according to the site. The ad, which has run across both Facebook and Instagram, has garnered an estimated 8,000 to 9,000 impressions. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Scottish Labour has not run any political ads on Meta dedicated to the Hamilton by-election, instead spending between £1,500 and £1,900 on two other adverts - one focused on the SNP's record on the NHS, the other on a West Dunbartonshire Council by-election that was won by the SNP, with Reform pipping Scottish Labour to second. The Scottish Greens have spent less than £300 on Meta ads this month, although none of them specifically focused on the by-election, while the Scottish Liberal Democrats have not run any ads on Meta since July 2024. The picture is decidedly different when it comes to the parties' use of Google ads, which take the form of sponsored links on search engines and advertisements running on YouTube. Scottish Labour launched 67 such ads throughout May, spending around £14,700 to £18,100, according to the Google ads transparency centre. Its two most recent video ads, which warn that a vote for Reform helps the SNP, cost the party between £2,000 and £3,000, and were shown hundreds of thousands of times on YouTube. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The SNP has run three YouTube ads promoting Ms Loudon's candidacy at an overall cost of between £2,750 and £3,800. Neither Reform nor any of the other parties contesting the by-election spent on Google ads. Mr Farage is expected to visit Aberdeen and Hamilton today as the by-election campaign enters its final days. First Minister John Swinney said the Reform leader 'doesn't care about Scotland', adding: 'He poses a threat to our values and must be stopped, and only the SNP can do that. In this by-election, the SNP is the only party investing in Scotland's future, delivering for families and confronting Farage.' Scottish Labour deputy leader Jackie Baillie said the by election is 'a chance to call time on SNP failure and chart a new direction for the whole of Scotland'. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad She added: 'Ignore the desperate spin of Reform and the SNP – this by-election is a direct fight between Scottish Labour and the SNP. We have three days to put this failing SNP government on notice and start the journey towards a better future for Scotland.' Elsewhere, Scottish Tory leader Russell Findlay said he wanted to see the SNP out of power at next year's Holyrood election for the 'collective good of society'. Speaking to Holyrood magazine, the former journalist insisted he would 'never, ever work with the SNP' – but said it would be 'silly to say no' to potential deals with either Labour or the Liberal Democrats. 'Despite John Swinney having a spring in his step and this sudden belief that he's going to hang about for a decade, we need to get them out for the collective good of society, we need to get the SNP out of power,' Mr Findlay said. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad He criticised the SNP's handling of government finances, accusing the party of 'gargantuan' waste. He said: 'The mis-spending in Scotland is utterly ridiculous and I think any serious political party, any credible government, will be able to identify that and do something about it.
