Scale of teacher crisis laid bare as school waits years for replacement
Scottish Liberal Democrats data reveals over 1,350 teaching posts in Scotland were readvertised in the last two years, including a primary school teacher position on Papa Westray, Orkney, vacant since March 2019.
Moray Council readvertised 252 teaching roles, Aberdeen 206, Shetland 90, Argyll and Bute 70, Highland Council 62, and Dumfries and Galloway 61.
Western Isles Council advertised a PE teacher role nine times, while a home economics teacher post in Aberdeen was advertised six times.
Lib Dem education spokesman Willie Rennie calls for action to make teaching more attractive, suggesting three-year packages for probationer teachers and teacher premiums for those in schools with the greatest need.
Cosla acknowledges recruitment challenges in remote areas and specific subjects, while the Scottish Government highlights increased teacher numbers and ongoing efforts to support the profession, including £186.5 million in funding for councils to increase teacher numbers.
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Sky News
an hour ago
- Sky News
Chancellor Rachel Reeves pledges 'largest settlement since devolution' for Scotland
The chancellor has pledged the "largest settlement in real terms since devolution" for Scotland as part of the UK government's spending review. Rachel Reeves promised £52bn for Scotland as she unveiled a raft of investments for north of the border, including increased spending on defence, development funding for a carbon capture project, and money to reboot plans for the UK's most powerful supercomputer. The Scottish government will receive an average block grant of £50.9bn per year between 2026-27 and 2028-29. Ms Reeves told MPs: "This spending review provides the largest settlement in real terms since devolution was introduced." 1:19 The UK government said the money will allow the Scottish government to be able to "spend more on its priorities such as funding NHS Scotland, education, transport and welfare". However, Scotland's finance secretary Shona Robison said it "fails to deliver" and has "short-changed" the nation by more than a billion pounds, as she warned spending levels for public services will "fail to offset the impact of proposed cuts to welfare support and the rise in national insurance contributions". Ms Reeves announced a £250m investment for HM Naval Base (HMNB) Clyde. The Royal Navy base - commonly known as Faslane - houses the UK's nuclear submarines. The funding, part of the Clyde 2070 programme, will be injected over the next three years. 'Next industrial revolution' The chancellor also pledged development funding for the Acorn carbon capture project in Aberdeenshire in a bid to aid "Scotland's transition from oil and gas to low carbon technology". However, it is yet to be confirmed how much money will be allocated to the project - which will store carbon emissions from across Scotland under the North Sea. Aberdeen-headquartered Great British Energy and Great British Energy - Nuclear will invest more than £8.3bn over the parliament in homegrown clean power, alongside establishing a new government campus for energy. Ms Reeves stated: "These are investments to make sure the towns and cities which powered the last industrial revolution will play their part in our next industrial revolution to reduce our reliance on overseas oil and gas and protect working families from price shocks." Scotland will also receive £452m over four years to continue the delivery of City and Growth Deals across the nation. In addition, the Scottish capital will also become home to the UK's most powerful supercomputer. 2:58 Ms Reeves had earlier revealed up to a further £750m would be allocated to the University of Edinburgh project. The funding reinstates a scheme that was scrapped last year by Labour as it had not been funded by the outgoing Conservative government. It is hoped the cash injection will "kickstart economic growth" and is part of efforts to strengthen "Britain's position as an AI-maker and research power". The supercomputer will aid scientists in cutting-edge research, whether that's personalised medical treatments, sustainable air travel, or modelling climate change. The government said the new supercomputer will "vastly exceed" the capacity of the UK's current national supercomputer, ARCHER2. The Brand Scotland programme will receive £2.25m between 2026-2029 to continue promoting the nation's investment opportunities and its globally celebrated products around the world. 'Game-changing' review Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar praised the spending review as "game-changing", adding: "The plans set out today will bring billions of pounds of investment to Scotland, on top of the record budget settlement delivered in the budget. "From the Acorn Project to a national supercomputer in Edinburgh to our defence industry, this Labour government is investing in Scotland's future while the SNP carps from the sidelines." Ms Reeves had earlier this week announced a partial U-turn in the cut to the universal winter fuel payment. The payment, worth up to £300, will be restored to pensioners in England and Wales with an income of less than £35,000 a year. In Scotland, ministers had previously revealed plans to ensure all pensioners north of the border receive a payment in 2025/26. Under the Scottish government's proposals, those in receipt of pension credit or other benefits will receive a £200 or £300 payment, depending on their age. All other pensioners will receive a reduced payment of £100. The change in policy from the UK government will bring additional money to Holyrood. The Scottish government has not ruled out making changes to its planned scheme, but First Minister John Swinney said his ministers were "trying to understand the fiscal implications" of Westminster's decision. Settlement 'particularly disappointing' Finance secretary Ms Robison said: "Today's settlement for Scotland is particularly disappointing, with real terms growth of 0.8% a year for our overall block grant, which is lower than the average for UK departments. "Had our resource funding for day-to-day priorities grown in line with the UK government's overall spending, we would have £1.1bn more to spend on our priorities over the next three years. In effect, Scotland has been short-changed by more than a billion pounds. "This all comes on top of the UK government's failure to fully fund their employer national insurance increase, depriving us of hundreds of millions of pounds in funding, and their proposed cuts in support for disabled people that will push 250,000 people into poverty, including 50,000 children." Ms Robison also said that "despite apparent briefing to media in advance", the Scottish government was still "awaiting clarity" on funding for the Acorn carbon capture project. The finance secretary added: "We made extensive representations to the UK government on our priorities for the spending review, including calls for an end to spending that bypasses devolution, but there has been limited opportunity to engage with them. "It appears that the continuation of local growth funding - which fails to match the European structural funds it was supposed to replace - will come directly from Whitehall, yet again bypassing devolved governments. "We will now take the time to digest the detail of this statement and will set out our formal response on 25 June as part of the medium-term financial strategy."
Telegraph
an hour ago
- Telegraph
Trump plans memorial to his mother on new Scottish golf course
Donald Trump is creating a memorial garden to his Scottish mother on the site of his new golf course in Aberdeenshire. The main feature of the garden will be a tribute carved in stone imported from Mary Anne Trump's birthplace, the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides. The announcement of Mr Trump's tribute to his mother came as Trump International Scotland unveiled the layout for a new course alongside the existing links course on his Menie estate. It is set to formally open this summer. Known officially as the Old and the New, the courses will combine to create what the company describes as ' the greatest 36 holes in golf' on the Aberdeenshire coast. The US president's mother was born Mary Anne MacLeod on Lewis, but emigrated to New York in 1930 when she was 18. She was one of tens of thousands of Scots who travelled to the US and Canada in the early years of the last century looking to escape economic hardship at home. She was hired as a domestic servant at the Carnegie Mansion on New York's Fifth Avenue and six years later married Frederick Trump, the successful property developer son of German migrants, and one of the most eligible men in New York. The US president was the fourth of the couple's five children. Mr Trump has spoken fondly of his mother, who died in 2000, aged 88. He said in an interview last year: ' The Scottish very great people, they're tough people. They're good fighters. [My mother] was funny, she had a great sense of humour.' Sarah Malone, the executive vice-president of Trump International, said: 'With the New course opening now fast approaching, we are delighted to share the final layout of this extraordinary links and the completion of The Greatest 36 Holes. 'It has been a phenomenal journey to create two truly exceptional world-class championship golf courses, across this magnificent stretch of North Sea coastline. 'The Trump family has a deep affection for Scotland, not only as the home of golf, but as the ancestral home of President Trump's beloved mother, Mary Anne MacLeod.' The plans for the second course were approved in 2019 alongside proposals for 550 new homes, shops, offices and restaurants. Planners received 2,921 valid representations from the public about the plan, 2,918 of which were objections and just 3 supported the Trump Organisation application. But despite the significant local opposition, Aberdeenshire council approved the £150 million plan.
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Nicola Sturgeon's former chief of staff lands director role at book festival where star speaker is...Nicola Sturgeon!
Nicola Sturgeon 's former chief of staff has been hired as a director of the book festival where the ex-First Minister will be one of the most high-profile speakers. Liz Lloyd has been taken on by the Edinburgh International Book Festival because of her 'valuable experience in communications, leadership and public affairs'. It comes as Ms Sturgeon prepares to appear at the event in August to promote her memoir, entitled Frankly – and amid a row over the lack of gender-critical writers on the programme. Ms Sturgeon tried to drive through abortive transgender reforms while in office - while Ms Lloyd recently said she did not 'think either side of this [transgender] debate could really walk around with a halo over their head saying, you know, we got this absolutely right'. Ms Lloyd, 47, who now works for political risk consulting firm Flint Global, described herself as a 'thought partner' for the former First Minister. In a message in November 2020, during the Covif epidemic, Ms Lloyd said: 'I just want a good old-fashioned rammy so can think [sic] about something other than sick people.' Last night a Scottish Tory source said: 'Any hopes that Nicola Sturgeon might be subject to frank scrutiny when she plugs her self-serving book appear to have been dashed by this appointment. 'What next - Val McDermid [a crime writer and friend of Ms Sturgeon] 'grilling' her on her record?' A spokesman for the Edinburgh International Book Festival said: 'We are pleased to welcome Liz Lloyd to the board of the Edinburgh International Book Festival. 'Her appointment follows a fully advertised recruitment process, and she will bring valuable experience in communications, leadership and public affairs. 'Recent and upcoming board appointments reflect a broad range of expertise to support the Festival's strategic direction. 'Programming decisions remain solely with our executive and programming teams.' The Festival did not disclose Ms Lloyd's remuneration, and the latest accounts for the event, up to the end of 2023, pre-date Ms Lloyd's tenure. They show one unnamed director received payments for 'consultancy fees' of £18,557. Ms Lloyd was contacted for comment. Edinburgh International Book Festival, which is partially funded by the Scottish Government, has been criticised for giving a platform to Ms Sturgeon but not including gender-critical authors. The annual event has the theme of 'repair' - but is not hosting those on the opposite side of the gender debate to the SNP. It was plunged into financial woes last year after complaints from Left-wing activists, and the Scottish Greens, forced Baillie Gifford to withdraw its sponsorship. The multinational company was criticised for its investments in fossil fuels, with climate change activists threatening to disrupt some of the events. New funding was supplied by Edinburgh-based crime author Ian Rankin as well as additional cash coming from the Scottish Government and the People's Postcode Lottery. But the line-up infuriated some writers who claimed no feminists are scheduled to speak. Jenny Lindsay, who has written about being 'hounded' out of Scotland's literary scene due to speaking up for women's rights, was one of the most vocal critics. She wrote on social media platform X: 'I can't believe I missed that the theme is 'repair', and they've booked hounders over those hounded, are continuing to ostracise successful feminist writers trying to 'repair' after houndings, AND they're featuring many activist writers who had their funding destroyed last year and called them all sorts of names.' Two Scottish Tory MSPs also condemned the Edinburgh line-up. Tess White said it was 'very disappointing that Edinburgh International Book Festival has given a platform to people like Nicola Sturgeon, but not to authors like Jenny Lindsay who have suffered such significant personal and professional cost from speaking out against self-ID'. Fellow Tory MSP Pam Gosal added Edinburgh International Book festival's theme this year is 'repair' - yet 'they refuse to invite Jenny Lindsay and other feminist writers opposed to [gender] self-ID'. She said that instead they have 'given a platform to Nicola Sturgeon who threw women and girls under the bus'. There was also no invite for the authors behind the Sunday Times bestseller The Women Who Wouldn't Wheest - a series of essays about the battle for women's rights in Scotland. One of those behind it, Susan Dalgety, said that she 'never really expected' to be invited. She wrote on X that it included essays about how 'the book festival industry, like Nicola Sturgeon, had dismissed us as bigots and our book, and those by Jenny Lindsay, were simply 'not valid''. Ms Dalgety added: 'One of the biggest challenges facing Scotland [and the rest of the UK] in recent years is the social and cultural divide that has arisen, not between the wealthy and working people, but between the 'lanyard' class and the rest of us. 'The Edinburgh Book Festival (and others) largely pander to this small clique of middle-class folk whose luxury beliefs reinforce the power structures that celebrated the mutilation of children and put the demands of men first before the rights of even the most vulnerable women. 'But it's their loss, because some of the best thinking and creativity around is being done by women who have (re)discovered the power of their individual and collective voices.'
