Latest news with #JohnSwinney
Daily Record
24 minutes ago
- Health
- Daily Record
Scotland's drug addiction problem can't be left to run riot
The affliction, over decades, has taken many thousands of lives, wiping out a generation of users in communities where hope is in short supply. Addiction can't be left to run riot Scotland has been ravaged by drugs – more than almost any other nation on the planet. But drug campaigners are warning in today's Daily Record that our drug deaths epidemic is getting worse. The affliction, over decades, has taken many thousands of lives, wiping out a generation of users in communities where hope is in short supply. A Scottish Government focus came too late following a rash of cuts in alcohol and drugs services. We can now clearly see the better days ahead that were envisaged were a mirage. The first three months of 2025 brought a 15 per cent rise in overdose deaths, which is hard to fathom when the death rate is already the highest in Europe. Now, a rise in the use of synthetic drugs, 500 times more potent than heroin, means more heartbreak. A report has warned the use of super-strong nitazenes mixed with other street drugs are creating a deadly cocktail. And now community workers are reporting the situation on the ground is getting hopeless with drug deaths soaring out of control. Amid all the grief and despair, the burning question is why people continue to take drugs that have killed their friends, brothers and sisters. The answer commonly given is the biggest tragedy of all – many feel they have so little to live for that they don't care if they live or die. That's why Scotland must redouble its efforts to support those at greatest risk of addiction and the harms that follow. Former first minister Nicola Sturgeon admitted her Scottish government 'took their eye off the ball' on drug deaths. She and her successors have promised to treat the epidemic as a political priority. John Swinney and drugs minister Maree Todd must listen to the people in devastated communities reporting a new wave of drug deaths. More importantly, they must act with decisive speed to halt this tragic tide. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Keir's mis-step Keir Starmer's decision for the UK to recognise a Palestinian state is a move that should be welcomed. Statehood is overdue and would help ensure Palestine is treated as an equal partner in the Middle East. But the UK Government saying it will only recognise a Palestinian state if Israel does not stop the suffering in Gaza was the wrong move. Statehood should not be conditional. A better approach would be to recognise statehood as part of a drive towards a 'two-state solution' to what seems like an eternal conflict. Sir Keir Starmer and his allies in Europe can play a big part in making that long-term solution a reality. But using Palestinian statehood as a threat to the Israelis is not the way to bring peace.
South Wales Argus
3 hours ago
- Entertainment
- South Wales Argus
Culture can help make sense of dangerous world
Speaking ahead of the beginning of the Edinburgh Fringe, the book festival and international festival, the First Minister will tout Scotland's cultural significance. He is set to pledge to do 'all that I can' to help cultural and creative industries across the country. Speaking in the capital, the First Minister is expected to say: 'Culture gets to the very heart of our shared history and our national identity. 'It shapes our public spaces and our environments. It contributes to education, to social dialogue and social justice. 'Galleries and museums tell our story. Music and dance bring us together. Poetry and literature move us, and inspire us to take action. First Minister John Swinney will tout Scotland's cultural significance in a speech ahead of the start of Edinburgh's festival season (PA) 'Ceilidhs and concerts uplift us, and invite others to join in with us. 'But how can we make sense of this increasingly dangerous, angry and uncertain world? The answer – as it always has been – comes through the means of creative expression. 'Culture that holds up a mirror and allows us to see Scotland as it truly is – in all its glorious diversity. 'Culture that helps us to understand ourselves, to understand each other and to understand the world around us. To appreciate the things we have in common – but also to build bridges between us. 'Scotland's creative economy enhances our reputation globally and is our unique selling point – every bit as powerful as our landscapes and food and drink. 'I want to do all that I can to help our interlinked culture and creative industries flourish because it is the right and the smart thing to do.'
Glasgow Times
4 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Glasgow Times
Culture can help make sense of dangerous world
Speaking ahead of the beginning of the Edinburgh Fringe, the book festival and international festival, the First Minister will tout Scotland's cultural significance. He is set to pledge to do 'all that I can' to help cultural and creative industries across the country. Speaking in the capital, the First Minister is expected to say: 'Culture gets to the very heart of our shared history and our national identity. 'It shapes our public spaces and our environments. It contributes to education, to social dialogue and social justice. 'Galleries and museums tell our story. Music and dance bring us together. Poetry and literature move us, and inspire us to take action. First Minister John Swinney will tout Scotland's cultural significance in a speech ahead of the start of Edinburgh's festival season (PA) 'Ceilidhs and concerts uplift us, and invite others to join in with us. 'But how can we make sense of this increasingly dangerous, angry and uncertain world? The answer – as it always has been – comes through the means of creative expression. 'Culture that holds up a mirror and allows us to see Scotland as it truly is – in all its glorious diversity. 'Culture that helps us to understand ourselves, to understand each other and to understand the world around us. To appreciate the things we have in common – but also to build bridges between us. 'Scotland's creative economy enhances our reputation globally and is our unique selling point – every bit as powerful as our landscapes and food and drink. 'I want to do all that I can to help our interlinked culture and creative industries flourish because it is the right and the smart thing to do.'
Western Telegraph
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Western Telegraph
Culture can help make sense of dangerous world
Speaking ahead of the beginning of the Edinburgh Fringe, the book festival and international festival, the First Minister will tout Scotland's cultural significance. He is set to pledge to do 'all that I can' to help cultural and creative industries across the country. Speaking in the capital, the First Minister is expected to say: 'Culture gets to the very heart of our shared history and our national identity. 'It shapes our public spaces and our environments. It contributes to education, to social dialogue and social justice. 'Galleries and museums tell our story. Music and dance bring us together. Poetry and literature move us, and inspire us to take action. First Minister John Swinney will tout Scotland's cultural significance in a speech ahead of the start of Edinburgh's festival season (PA) 'Ceilidhs and concerts uplift us, and invite others to join in with us. 'But how can we make sense of this increasingly dangerous, angry and uncertain world? The answer – as it always has been – comes through the means of creative expression. 'Culture that holds up a mirror and allows us to see Scotland as it truly is – in all its glorious diversity. 'Culture that helps us to understand ourselves, to understand each other and to understand the world around us. To appreciate the things we have in common – but also to build bridges between us. 'Scotland's creative economy enhances our reputation globally and is our unique selling point – every bit as powerful as our landscapes and food and drink. 'I want to do all that I can to help our interlinked culture and creative industries flourish because it is the right and the smart thing to do.'
Daily Mail
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
JOHN MACLEOD: For all the President's kindness, is Swinney now a friend or just some sort of pet?
Just scant months ago, John Swinney told massed MSPs he fervently hoped Kamala Harris would beat Donald Trump at the looming Presidential election. Fortunately for the First Minister, when he finally met the leader of the free world at an Aberdeenshire banquet on Monday – langoustines, prime beef, a trio of desserts featuring Scottish fruits – he was not merely avalanched with charm but bidden to sit beside him. Either Dòmhnall Iain, as we darkly refer to him in his ancestral Lewis, is a singularly thick-skinned chap of vast magnanimity – or, until he had been briefed earlier that day, had never in all his puff heard of John Swinney. They discussed golf. And, more seriously, oil and gas taxation, exported salmon, and especially whisky. Incredibly, Scotch whisky revenues account for a quarter of all British food and drink exports – and, months back, Trump slapped a 10% tariff on every bottle sold in these great United States. It's costing the industry about £4 million a week and the consequences are already painful: earlier this summer, the Isle of Harris distillery laid off workers. But that was Monday night: on Tuesday, in rather more formal conclave, Swinney was granted fifteen minutes alone with the President. And, from his perfervid soundbites on the evening news, almost all Scotland's First Minister had banged on about was Gaza. ''I implored President Trump to use his immense influence on the Israeli government to end the unbearable, unjust, and inhumane situation unfolding in Gaza,' strutted John Swinney, 'and to bring an end to the humanitarian crisis we are witnessing.' Later, on social media, 'I set out the urgent need for a ceasefire in Gaza and for humanitarian aid to flow, as well as the need to support Ukraine. 'Scotland's voice was heard loud and clear.' Now international affairs are no part of the First Minister's remit. He helms a devolved, domestic administration with but domestic responsibilities, many of which, of late, have been managed very badly. And the persistent yip of this SNP administration that it speaks, and as one, for the people of Scotland is one of its most irritating features. In any event, Scotland boasts no diplomats on Middle Eastern soil, Swinney receives no detailed daily briefings of the type laid before, for instance, the King and the Prime Minister. In truth he is driven less by informed reflection than panicked flight before the social-media hysterics of his own activists. Why do hardcore SNP supporters so detest what is the only democracy in the Middle East? The only state with full-blown women's rights and, indeed, gay rights Fortunately for the First Minister, Donald Trump alighted at Prestwick Airport the other day determined to be all love and cuddles. 'It's great to be in Scotland,' he declared. 'I like your prime minister. He's slightly more liberal than I am - as you probably heard - but he's a good man. He got a trade deal done.' As for John Swinney, he – too – was a 'good man.' And, as he arrived at his Turnberry retreat – no doubt all ankle-deep carpets and gilded vulgarity – the President, unperturbed by a handful of protesters, even toasted OO7's aid in securing these golfing enterprises. 'Sean Connery helped get me the permits - if it weren't for Sean Connery we wouldn't have those great courses.' Yet Trump railed against wind-turbines, damned mass-migration as a 'horrible invasion' that was 'killing Europe,' and could not resist a swipe at his ailing predecessor. His administration, declared the President, had taken out 'a lot of bad people that got there with (former US president Joe) Biden. 'Biden was a total stiff, and what he allowed to happen.... but you're allowing it to happen to your countries…' Visits to Scotland by a serving US President are rare. Dwight Eisenhower enjoyed a Balmoral stay in 1957, subsequently sought the Queen's recipe for drop-scones and was granted (for life, by a grateful nation) an apartment in Culzean Castle. George W Bush dropped by in 2005 for the Gleneagles G8 summit and Trump himself made a flying visit in 2018. Reagan and Clinton only came here in retirement. But Trump stands out for his extraordinarily unfiltered personality. Time in close proximity to The Donald would daunt the stoutest spirit and there was more than a hint of relief in John Swinney's remarks afterwards. The President had been 'pleasant company,' the First Minister assured reporters. They had enjoyed 'perfectly valuable and courteous conversations.' What Swinney could not bring himself to do – oh, dear, those cyberNats again at the back of his mind – was say, or at least pretend, that he him. 'I appreciated the time and opportunity to engage with [Trump] as I would with any world leader that came to Scotland,' insisted the SNP leader. Pushed firmly on the point, 'my personal feelings about people are irrelevant.' Given, too, Trump's love of building, infrastructure and bright ideas, Swinney shrewdly presented him with a proposal to provide Edinburgh Airport with US Customs pre-clearance facilities. This, carolled the First Minister, would help to 'demonstrate the strength of America's enduring relationship with its friend and partner, Scotland.' There has been an unfortunate tendency among recent SNP leaders to overestimate Scotland's international standing or overlook some unfortunate nuancing. The Tartan Day thing in the States – strongest in the old Confederacy, which had enjoyed heavy Scottish and indeed Highland settlement in the 1700s - had unhappy whiffs of the old segregationist Right. And when Nicola Sturgeon was politely feted in Dublin in November 1916 – not that Taoiseach Enda Kenny risked being photographed with her – members of the Irish Senate could barely hide their boredom as she formally addressed them. The real takeaway from President Trump's recent Scottish jolly is, perhaps, his unexpected kindness. He was not obliged to seat John Swinney on equal terms with Sir Keir Starmer, grant him a private audience the following day or give his appearance of hanging on his every word as they stuck into rare beef. All Swinney had to do in return was feign some sort of enthusiasm about golf. As if his cup did not already overflow, Starmer had to leave this love-in early and, unexpectedly, Swinney was invited the following morning to join the Trumps for breakfast. He was even emboldened to show the President a snap of young Matthew Swinney playing golf on Tiree. He had a 'beautiful swing,' enthused The Donald. There followed that private meeting. But did Swinney part from his new acquaintance as President Trump's friend? Or, really, just as a sort of pet?
