Now SNP-led council staff try to watch Netflix and porn while using work computers
An SNP-led council has become embroiled in the Netflix and porn scandal, as The Mail can reveal that workers tried to access inappropriate sites using their taxpayer-funded devices.
Staff at Glasgow City Council, some of whom continue to work from home for at least some of the week, have attempted to stream their favourite TV shows on Netflix on 63 occasions in the past year.
Workers also tried to click through to the X-rated Pornhub website 17 times, with the same number of attempts made to get onto gambling websites.
Although most of the attempts were blocked by the council's in-built safety firewall, five click-throughs to betting sites were successful.
A spokesman for the local authority said that some staff may have been working on a gambling harms project at the time of the successful web entries.
However, the shock figures come as a number of public sector staff continue to work from home some days of the week, with one local authority admitting that some are logging on from the United Arab Emirates, Bulgaria and Germany.
It also follows revelations in The Mail last week that Scottish Government civil servants had also been accessing inappropriate material at work.
Scottish Conservative Glasgow MSP Annie Wells said: 'Glaswegians who have been hit with huge hikes in their council tax will be appalled that council employees have been trying to access dodgy websites and Netflix on their time.
'We know that this behaviour has occurred within the SNP government, and this culture is clearly prevalent within SNP-run Glasgow City Council too.
'Hard-pressed taxpayers expect employees to be focused on fixing the city's pothole-ridden roads, emptying bins, and supporting our schools.
'Instead, there have been multiple occasions of them trying to view dodgy content, place a bet or watch their favourite new shows.
'This might only be a select number of staff who thought this was appropriate, but SNP bosses at the City Chambers must guarantee all staff will be working on what matters to Glasgow at all times.'
Figures obtained under freedom of information laws show that there were 63 attempts to access Netflix on Glasgow City Council devices between May 14, 2024, and May 13 this year.
Every attempt was blocked by a firewall, the council insists.
In the past year, there were also 17 attempts to access pornography on Glasgow City Council devices, but every attempt was again blocked by firewalls.
Over the same period there were 17 attempts to access gambling websites, with five of those being successful.
The statistics, obtained by the Scottish Conservatives, follow a public backlash over the number of civil servants and local authority staff still working from home, despite the Covid pandemic ending in 2022.
Some workers only need to attend their office one day a week while council staff have been allowed to work from far-flung locations including Japan, India and Australia.
A spokesman for the council said: 'The council has clear policies on acceptable use of IT equipment and access to some sites and services are restricted or blocked.
'The council has thousands of staff that use a PC, phone or other internet-enabled device and these figures reflect a very small number of incidents.'
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The Independent
17 minutes ago
- The Independent
GB News is starting to challenge the BBC for ratings – we should be worried
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When it comes to the BBC he believes that BBC Verify, a fact-checking unit, 'is frankly an abuse of taxpayer money and should be shut down.' In an ideal world the entire BBC – which he describes (just like Lozza!) as 'the propaganda arm of the state' – should be sold off. Failing that, it should be broken up. For Marshall, the BBC began to lose its way when – under Blair! – it stopped playing the national anthem on a daily basis: 'This is the point at which patriotism was quietly erased from its mission.' There are frustrating lacunae in the speech. Sir Paul does not, for instance, reflect on whether an ultra-wealthy hedge fund manager is well-placed to make fine judgements about impartiality or bias. If it is not to be hedge-fund managers, then who? But the most striking thing missing from Sir Paul's lecture is the gap between his analysis of what's wrong with the media and his answer: the creation of GB News. 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Telegraph
17 minutes ago
- Telegraph
How Brexit helped Poland become a European superpower
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Fierce Ukrainian ally No account of Poland's rise can overlook the moment when Vladimir Putin launched his invasion of Ukraine on Feb 24 2022. Poland immediately opened its border to nine million refugees, and that was only the beginning of its support for Kyiv. When Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, told Western allies, 'I don't need a ride [out of Ukraine] – I need ammunition,' Poland was among the first to step forward. To date, Poland has provided 47 military support packages to Kyiv's forces, ranging from hundreds of T-72 tanks and infantry fighting vehicles, to combat helicopters, artillery systems and vast amounts of ammunition. Whichever candidate is elected, Poland's role as a leading EU supporter of Ukraine is set to continue, due to widespread public support for arming Kyiv against Russian invaders. 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The Sun
18 minutes ago
- The Sun
Full list of benefits not affected by two-child rule – as government mulls axing cap
PARENTS could still claim thousands of pounds in support despite the two-child benefit cap — as ministers come under pressure to scrap it. Here is everything you need to know. 1 WHAT IS THE TWO CHILD CAP? The rule, which limits child-related payments in Universal Credit and tax credits to just two children per household, doesn't apply to all benefits. It means families with three or more kids may still be missing out on cash they're eligible for. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer yesterday refused to rule out scrapping the rule, which currently limits benefit payments to two children per household for Universal Credit and tax credits. It means that families can miss out on up to £3,455 a year for a third or later child born after April 2017. The policy, introduced in a bid to keep welfare spending in check, has faced criticism from some MPs and campaigners. But scrapping the cap could cost the Treasury around £3billion annually, and would likely require new tax rises or spending cuts elsewhere to fund. Visiting a factory in Warrington, the PM said he was 'determined to drive down child poverty' but stopped short of making a firm commitment. Asked repeatedly whether the rule would go, Sir Keir said ministers were "looking at all options". While the cap still applies to some benefits, others remain unaffected – and families may still be eligible for support depending on their circumstances. Here's the full breakdown. Three key benefits that YOU could be missing out on, and one even gives you a free TV Licence CHILD BENEFIT This universal benefit is paid for every child, regardless of how many you have. £25.60 a week for the first child £16.95 a week for each additional child If you are claiming child benefit for a child under 12, you also receive National Insurance (NI) credits. Child Benefit also comes with National Insurance credits, which count towards your State Pension. Note: If you or your partner earn over £60,000, you may be liable for the High Income Child Benefit Charge, which can reduce or eliminate the payment. How do I claim child benefits? APPLYING is straightforward and can be done in minutes at or through the HMRC app. Parents with a newborn baby should make a claim online as soon as possible and could then receive their first payment in as little as three days. You can also backdate claims for up to three months. Parents can make a claim and then choose to opt out of receiving Child Benefit payments can still receive National Insurance credits if one parent is not working. National Insurance credits build up your entitlement to the state pension. DISABILITY LIVING ALLOWANCE (DLA) DLA is available for children under 16 who have disabilities and require extra care or mobility support. It's not affected by the two-child cap, and is worth £28.70 to £184.30 a week, depending on the level of need. Once a child turns 16, they must apply for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) instead. PERSONAL INDEPENDENCE PAYMENT (PIP) PIP is for people aged 16 to 64 with a long-term health condition or disability. It is not subject to the cap, and multiple eligible individuals can claim within the same household. The benefit is worth up to £184.30 a week for those entitled to both the daily living and mobility components. GUARDIAN'S ALLOWANCE This benefit is for individuals raising a child whose parents have died. Paid at £21.75 a week per child Paid in addition to Child Benefit Unaffected by the two-child limit You must be claiming Child Benefit and meet the qualifying criteria around guardianship. ADOPTION ALLOWANCE Paid by local authorities, this benefit supports adoptive families who may face extra costs related to a child's care needs. There's no cap on how many adopted children can qualify, and payments vary depending on your financial circumstances and the child's needs. LOCAL WELFARE SCHEMES These include support such as: Discretionary Housing Payments The Household Support Fund Free school meals These schemes are not restricted by the two-child cap, but eligibility and availability vary by council. UNIVERSAL CREDIT EXEMPTIONS While the child element of UC is capped, exceptions do exist, including: You have adopted them or other children in your household You receive guardian's allowance for them or other children in your household They are the second (or more) child born in a multiple-birth They or other children in your household are the offspring of one of your children who is under 16 years old They or other children in your household are not your child or stepchild, and you look after them under a court order They or other children in your household are not your child or stepchild and you look after them under an arrangement with Social Services (except for formal foster care) They were conceived as a result of rape, and you do not live with the perpetrator As the government continues to review the policy, no final decision has been made — but for now, these benefits remain available outside the cap. To check if you're eligible, visit or speak to an independent benefits advisor. Who's exempt from the two-child benefit cap? The two-child benefit cap means that you can only get more child tax credit or Universal Credit for your third (or more) child if: They were born before April 6, 2017 They are disabled (disabled child element only) You qualify for an exception in child tax credit or special circumstances apply in Universal Credit You qualify for an exception or special circumstances for each third (or subsequent) child if: You have adopted them or other children in your household You receive guardian's allowance for them or other children in your household They are the second (or more) child born in a multiple-birth They or other children in your household are the offspring of one of your children who is under 16 years old They or other children in your household are not your child or stepchild, and you look after them under a court order They or other children in your household are not your child or stepchild and you look after them under an arrangement with Social Services (except for formal foster care) They were conceived as a result of rape, and you do not live with the perpetrator .
