Catch Up on Representing Border Wednesday 18th June 2025
UK ministers push on with benefit cuts - but can they contain a rebellion by their own MPs? We hear from one Labour politician ready to defy the whip and bring you all the political fallout. And, should the Scottish government guarantee everyone a minimum income? We speak to the group proposing just that.
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Scotsman
an hour ago
- Scotsman
Waste not, want not at Millerhill
Inside FCC Environment's Millerhill Recycling and Energy Recovery Centre For once a pat on the back for Edinburgh Council for having the foresight to invest in the Millerhill incinerator, along with Midlothian Council, so less than five per cent of waste goes to landfill. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, 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... The plant turns waste into electricity and in due course will be able to supply heat for homes in the emerging Shawfair district. According to the council, landfill is only used for items too big to burn or when the plant is closed for maintenance. Alas, a BBC investigation this week revealed that when a Scottish Government landfill ban is imposed at the end of the year, there won't be the incinerator capacity to cope, so up to 100 lorries a day will be taking Scottish waste to English landfill sites as far away as Manchester ─ some 600,000 tonnes a year ─ if enough trucks can be found. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad It's not as if this should come as a shock, because they have had four years to get ready because the ban was originally due to be introduced in 2021 but was delayed by Covid. Just like the botched Deposit Return Scheme, the SNP's attention to detail is sadly lacking and the preparation for idealistic policy impositions simply isn't good enough. We might even have the situation when trucks of waste heading for landfill in Northumberland are trundling past Millerhill as it works to capacity. If the road to hell is paved with good intentions, in the SNP's Scotland it's the only one with no potholes.
Scotsman
an hour ago
- Scotsman
It's time to put housing at top of the political agenda
A massive income boost for Scotland should be used to help people get their own home, writes David J Alexander Sign up to our Scotsman Money newsletter, covering all you need to know to help manage your money. 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... There weren't many winners in last week's Spending Review, but housing was definitely one of them Promising £39bn in grants for affordable housing to be made available to local authorities, private developers, and housing associations over the next decade is just the boost that the housebuilding sector needs. This enormous sum will go some way to addressing the current housing problems that England faces. Given that the Scottish Government is to receive record sums from the Westminster government through the Barnett formula it would surely be sensible, and vital for Holyrood to initiate a similar housebuilding plan. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Spending on this scale in England will start to address the huge shortages in the sector which will only get worse as the population increases. Replicating a similar scheme in Scotland would quickly address the major housing issues currently being faced. Infrastructure spending is a key route to economic growth, says David J Alexander Too often housing strategies are short term, piecemeal, and poorly funded affairs. What is required is a policy which stretches across electoral timeframes, has secure long-term funding in place to encourage the housebuilding sector to invest, and provide many more homes than are currently being built. But politicians tend to dislike long term planning because they may initiate a policy which their successors in office take the credit for. But this is serious. The housing emergency in Scotland could not be more serious. We need tens of thousands of new homes to be built today and utilising part of this substantial uptick in funding is the ideal moment to act. Indeed, it is such a good idea that it has already been suggested by Homes for Scotland, Shelter, the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations, and the Scottish Tenants Association who all believe that part of this new financial settlement should be used to address Scotland's housing emergency. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Providing homes for people must be a priority for the Scottish Government. It should be the one issue that all politicians can agree upon. Yet there always seems to be a reluctance to commit. Will Minister for Housing Paul McLennan favour using the extra cash for new homes? (Picture: Fraser Bremner-Pool/Getty Images) The SNP government is currently projecting 110,000 affordable homes by 2032, but this is not enough and there are increasing signs that this target will not be met. A commitment now to spend substantially more would provide real and immediate benefits both to people seeking a home and the wider economy. Infrastructure spending is a key route to economic growth, improved productivity, and rising GDP. It creates jobs, develops communities, provides homes, and a sense of place so is one of the most important investments any government can make. It would be tragic if this extra money is not used effectively to address Scotland's current problems. If, a year from now, the housing emergency is not seen to be addressed then it will show a lack of leadership and responsibility for the fundamental right of having a roof over your head. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Given that the Holyrood elections are taking place next year you would also think that this move would be a vote winner. The party which commits to a major upturn in housebuilding must surely be on to something. The time is ripe for some bold, innovative and positive policies to place housing at the top of the political agenda and help Scots find a home.
ITV News
an hour ago
- ITV News
Warm home discount to be extended to 2.7 million more households
Energy bill discounts of £150 will be extended to another 2.7 million households to help with fuel costs next winter. This brings the number of households eligible for the warm home discount up to just over 6 million, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) has confirmed after a consultation. The changes remove some restrictions on eligibility and mean every bill payer on means-tested benefits will qualify. Some 900,000 families with children and 1.8 million homes in fuel poverty are set to benefit from the payment. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: 'I know families are still struggling with the cost of living, and I know the fear that comes with not being able to afford your next bill. 'Providing security and peace of mind for working people is deeply personal to me as Prime Minister and foundational for the Plan for Change. 'I have no doubt that, like rolling out free school meals, breakfast clubs and childcare support, extending this £150 energy bills support to millions more families will make a real difference.' Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said: 'Millions of families will get vital support with the cost of living this coming winter, demonstrating this government's commitment to put money in people's pockets through our Plan for Change. The Conservatives criticised the move, saying energy prices are expected to keep climbing overall. Andrew Bowie, the acting shadow energy secretary, said: 'Labour promised to cut everyone's energy bills by £300 but they have increased by £280 and are forecast to keep going up. 'Energy bills need to come down but this announcement will cut bills for just a quarter of households whilst increasing them for everyone else. 'Kemi Badenoch and I have been clear that net zero by 2050 is impossible without bankrupting Britain and making hard-working families worse off.'
