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Daily Record
22-07-2025
- General
- Daily Record
Perth fire service cuts could put lives at risk, union warns
If approved, the FBU said, it would mean the permanent removal of the third pumping appliance at Perth and 15 firefighter posts. Lives could be at risk if the number of Perth frontline firefighting appliances are cut according to the Fire Brigades Union (FBU). Their warning comes as Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) chiefs announced a public consultation into changes at Perth Community Fire Station in the city. In 2023 the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service cut Perth appliances from three to two, with a reduction of 15 firefighters – a move which they want to make permanent. But the Fire Brigade Union (FBU) point out that firefighters who attended recent Perth blazes - the tragic fire in Scott Street in which a man lost his life and at Balhousie School now facing demolition – reported being under pressure while waiting for help from other fire stations. If the 2023 changes are approved, the FBU said, it would mean the permanent removal of the third pumping appliance at Perth and 15 firefighter posts. SFRS chiefs said Perth operational demand for the city's three wholetime appliances is lower than most fire stations with two wholetime appliances. But Perth-based FBU official Colin Brown said: 'As we have seen in recent weeks the speed and weight of response to fires and other emergencies is crucial to save life and property. 'Crews who attended the fires at Scott Street and Balhousie School have reported being stretched too thin in the early stages of these incidents whilst they awaited additional crews coming from county stations – Dundee's and Fife. 'Perth crews were also deployed to support and provided fire cover into Aviemore during the recent spate of wildfires. 'Cutting firefighter numbers and fire appliances removes resilience from the service when incidents do occur, this has the potential to put lives at risk and the FBU would encourage members of the public to fully engage in the ongoing SFRS consultation and let both SFRS and the Scottish Government know they don't want to see their fire and rescue service cut even deeper. 'The changes in Perth, if approved, would mean the permanent removal of the third pumping appliance and 15 firefighter posts.' Perth MSP Murdo Fraser criticised the move, particularly given the two devastating blazes in the city last month. He said: 'These proposed cuts to Perth Fire Station have been feared for a while and I understand the concerns that these will leave the brave firefighters who work there extremely short of much needed resources. 'The spate of recent fires we have seen in Perth underlines the need for a properly resourced fire and rescue service in our community.' SFRS head of service delivery for the east and the north of Scotland deputy assistant chief officer Andrew Girrity, said: 'Our modelling has shown that two appliances would align better with risk and demand. 'Currently, the third vehicle at Perth is a combined aerial rescue pump, and we want to change this to a dedicated high reach appliance. 'Since 2023, the dedicated high reach appliance has been temporarily crewed, and we need to find a permanent solution.' Speaking about the service delivery review Mr Girrity added: 'We have an opportunity for the first time since the national SFRS was formed in 2013 to review how we provide our emergency service across Scotland. 'I would encourage as many people as possible to take part in the public consultation process and attend the public meetings.' A drop-in public meeting will take place tomorrow, Wednesday July 23, from 3pm to 7pm at AK Bell Library in Perth.
The National
18-06-2025
- Business
- The National
Greens hit out at Tory debate celebrating Scotland's defence sector
Tory MSP Murdo Fraser brought forward a motion outlining the "significance of the defence industry to Scotland's economy". He called for the Scottish Government to change its policy that blocked a Scottish Enterprise grant being handed to Rolls-Royce for a naval welding skills centre in Glasgow for submarine construction. During the debate, Slater said Scotland's money should not be spent on companies involved in arms dealing and manufacture, as she hit out at £8 million handed out by Scottish Enterprise to 13 arms companies since 2019, many of which have supplied military equipment and weapons to Israel during its assault on Gaza. This includes £1.1m being handed to Thales UK in 2022 and £600,000 to Raytheon Systems in 2021-22 – both of which supply weapons to Israel. READ MORE: Keir Starmer to chair emergency Cobra meeting on Middle East today The Scottish Government has always maintained that the funding does not go directly to the production of munitions, and that the "due diligence" checks are thorough. Slater said she "couldn't believe" she was having to call for public money not to go to "mega corporation arms dealers". "We know that at least £8 million in Scottish Enterprise grants have been awarded to companies involved in arms dealing and manufacture since 2019," she said. " We know that a number of these business have directly supplied weapons and military equipment to Israel during its assault on Gaza. "Genocide, war crimes, more than 60,000 people killed. I hope we all agree our government should not be spending money on these things." Murdo Fraser led the Scottish Tory debate (Image: Scottish Parliament TV) Slater said while she recognised the Scottish Government does not provide grants for the manufacture of munitions, she did not think there was a "moral difference" between supplying money "to build bombs, vs money to build a bomb factory, or a training facility to train bomb makers". She went on "If a company has profited from the sale of arms and weapons to countries complicit in war crimes and genocide, then it should not receive public money from the Scottish Government. "It is not clear to me at all that these mega corporations need our public money. "Every pound of public money needs to be spent carefully. We need to make sure public money goes to building wealth in Scotland. We need to make sure it isn't going into he pockets of multi-national mega corporation arms dealers. I kind of can't believe I have to be saying this. "Every pound of public money spent in the arms industry is a pound spent on misery, death and suffering. Scotland deserves better." READ MORE: How the G7 has enabled Israel's new genocide rules to be used in Iran The Ferret revealed that no companies have ever failed Scottish Enterprise's human rights checks – which were introduced in 2019 after criticism of the previous regime. The Scottish Government has said it will review Scottish Enterprise's human rights checks, and Slater urged ministers to report back at pace. "We need the Scottish Government to urgently report on this review and to provide Scottish Enterprise with a clear direction on the use of public funds to ensure that Scotland is meeting its international obligations," said Slater. Last week, the Scottish Government was accused of a "lack of transparency" over its failure to give an update on the review by Amnesty International. Neil Cowan, Amnesty International UK's Scotland programme director, said it would be "unacceptable" for ministers not to be updated on the review before the summer recess.
The Herald Scotland
18-06-2025
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
15,000 jobs at risk from UK inheritance tax changes
The Herald can reveal that 7,353 jobs could be axed across Scotland's seven cities, at a financial loss of £589.3 million to the country. In Glasgow, that amounts to 2,854 jobs and £205.8m, and 2,018 jobs and £180.6m in Edinburgh. More than 1,200 jobs could be lost in Aberdeen in the coming years, with an economic impact worth £108.1m. The report also revealed the Aberdeen North and South were the worst of UK parliamentary constituencies in terms of Gross Value Added (GVA), with £52.7 million and £55.4 million at risk. Aberdeenshire North and Moray East was the other Scottish constituencies to feature in the 10 areas most at risk for economic impact per percentage of local GVA, at losses of £23.7m. But jobs are at risk across Scotland, including 261 in Alloa and Grangemouth and 182 full-time equivalent in Falkirk – two regions which have already been hit by job losses following the closure of the last remaining oil refinery and bus manufacturer Alexander Dennis. Read more: The UK Government announced a 20% inheritance tax on firms, including construction and agricultural businesses, from April 2026. There is no changes to the first £1m of assets, however changes to agricultural and business property reliefs placed be halved to 50%, with firms telling The Herald the damage could be catastrophic for family businesses. The UK Government has described the changes, announced by the Chancellor last year, as 'fair and balanced'. However, Steven Mulholland, chief executive of the Construction Plant-hire Association, told The Herald: 'These figures paint a stark picture of the damage inheritance tax changes could do to Scottish family run businesses – particularly in critical sectors like construction, where firms are often asset-rich but cash-poor. 'For many, these changes won't just mean a bigger tax bill – they could spell the end of the road altogether, putting 200,000 jobs £15bn in UK economic activity at risk. 'Family businesses are the backbone of the Scottish economy. They invest locally, provide jobs, and are integral to the fabric of our communities. 'If the government is serious about economic growth and levelling up, it must urgently rethink this policy before irreversible damage is done – especially when firms are ready under pressure from recent job losses driven by the national insurance increase.' Murdo Fraser, economy spokesman for the Scottish Tories, said: 'This shows the immense damage that Labour's vicious tax changes will do to small businesses. 'It was already clear that the vindictive family farm tax was a death-knell for thousands of farms. These figures show that other family businesses will be badly hit, and thousands of jobs are at risk. Read more: 'Small and medium-sized firms now face an existential threat, especially when they have to contend with Labour's national insurance tax on jobs and the SNP's higher tax rates.' The UK Government has said payments required from the changes to business and agricultural property reliefs can be spread across 10 years. A spokesman told The Herald: 'Our reforms to Agricultural and Business Property Reliefs will mean three quarters of estates will continue to pay no inheritance tax at all, while the remaining quarter will pay half the inheritance tax that most estates pay, and payments can be spread over 10 years, interest free. 'This is a fair and balanced approach which helps fix the public services we all rely on. 'Capping the rate of corporation tax, reforming planning, establishing a national wealth fund and creating pension megafunds is part of our Plan for Change to get Britain building, unlock investment and support business so we can raise living standards and make all parts of the country better off.' The report by Family Business UK estimates that 200,000 jobs across the UK could be lost with the changes, with £15bn at risk. The report surveyed more than 4,147 family businesses and farms across the UK, with the organisation's chief executive Neil Davy warning of 'widespread impacts'. However, the report warns of specific vulnerabilities at a regional level, with as much as 80% of Scotland's land mass under agricultural production. Exports of the food and drink sector in Scotland alone are worth £5 billion per year. The report said: 'Policy changes affecting this sector will, therefore, have outsized repercussions in the country and three Scottish constituencies feature amongst the top 10 affected by GVA in the UK. 'Numerous business owners told us that they will have to slow or reduce investment because of the changes.'
Daily Record
02-06-2025
- Business
- Daily Record
Perthshire MPs clash over short-term lets and second homes issue
The region has 1083 second homes and 1875 STL licences - 2958 combined or 3.89 per cent out of 76,136 dwellings. Perth and Kinross MSPs clashed this week over the issue of second homes and short term lets in the region which are more than twice the national average. Green MSP Mark Ruskell insisted tax rises on the wealthy would reduce the number of second homes and short-term lets and tackle the housing crisis, but Conservative Murdo Fraser said the solution was building more houses in rural areas and accused his Mid Scotland and Fife colleague of wishing to punish second home owners. According to Scottish Government 2024 figures second homes and short term lets in Perth and Kinross make up 3.9 per cent of all housing in the area - more than double the national average of 1.8 per cent. The region has 1083 second homes and 1875 STL licences - 2958 combined or 3.89 per cent out of 76,136 dwellings. As of March 2023 there were 3312 people on the application list for social housing in Perth and Kinross with an average of 1000 properties becoming available for rent each year. Mr Ruskell pointed out that tax rises on the wealthy would reduce the number of second homes and short-term lets in Perth and Kinross. He commented: 'The fact that we have just under 3,000 second homes and short term lets in Perth and Kinross, which is more than double the national average is a major reason why this crisis is so much worse locally. 'Wealthy people buying up properties they won't live in are pushing out young families in particular. 'These houses either lie empty for most of the year as holiday homes, or they are hoarded by landlords making a fortune from Airbnb-style short term lets. Either way, its first-time buyers who are pushed out by those with much more financial muscle. 'This is a crisis which can clearly be solved. We'll only do that by taking on the wealthy few, those who pay very little tax while hoovering up the houses which other people need. 'The Scottish Government must listen to us and act boldly to stop the hollowing out of our communities.' But Mr Fraser said: 'With their customary attachment to the politics of envy, the Scottish Greens want to punish second home owners by fleecing them for even more tax. 'This will do nothing to solve the housing crisis in rural areas, which can only be fixed by more house building in the private and social rented sectors - and this means a new policy approach in terms of planning, infrastructure and incentives. 'Sadly whilst the Greens were in Government in coalition with the SNP they did nothing to fix these fundamental issues, and instead now resort to cheap headlines.' A Scottish Government spokesperson said this week: 'Tackling the housing emergency remains an urgent priority for the Scottish Government and we are supporting local authorities to quickly identify properties and bring them back into use. 'We recognise that local areas have different housing needs, which is why we legislated to give councils the power to levy higher council tax on second homes and empty properties. 'Giving councils these levers can help create a fairer housing and taxation system and ensures they have the flexibility to strike the right balance in the use of housing to meet local needs and to support thriving communities. 'Our £3.7 million investment has so far brought almost 11,000 privately owned homes back into use since 2010 and we will invest a further £2 million next year to help councils unlock barriers and develop a targeted approach to empty homes.'
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Police Scotland accused of comparing gender-critical feminists to Nazis
Police Scotland has been accused of comparing gender-critical feminists to Nazis after an internal document drew parallels between the two. The document said that 'gender binary' – the belief that there are only two genders – was a 'key feature of the Nazi racial policies'. It said that 'right now, some 88 years later the gender-critical movement has a strong voice and presence' and questioned whether this was 'an echo of how past hostilities arose'. The document also asked whether the strength of gender critics, who argue there are only two genders, meant 'we have failed to understand the lessons we should have collectively learned from our shared history.' It was posted on a divisional noticeboard to mark 'Trans+ History Week' in May, which aims to celebrate the history of 'gender diverse people', including 'trans, non-binary and intersex people.' Police Scotland said the document had been removed but critics said it should be a 'wake-up call' about how the force deals with gender and sex. Last September, the force reversed a policy that allowed rapists to self-identify as female as it fostered 'a strong sense of belonging'. The furore over the document erupted after the Supreme Court ruled in April that trans women are not women. Police Scotland announced that it would review its policies on trans issues and a meeting was held behind closed doors at its Tulliallan headquarters on Thursday to discuss the implications of the ruling. Responding to the document, which was disclosed by the Scottish Daily Mail, a force spokesman said: 'The content does not reflect the views of Police Scotland and has been removed. Advice will be given around the use of language.' Dr Lucy Hunter Blackburn, of policy analysts Murray Blackburn Mackenzie, said: 'It is welcome Police Scotland recognise this is unacceptable language. 'But this should be a wake-up call about the culture around sex and gender in the force. The Supreme Court's clarification of the law offers an opportunity for the leadership to break with the past. They urgently need to take it.' Murdo Fraser, a Scottish Tory MSP, said: 'It's unbelievable that such outrageous language made it into an official Police Scotland document. 'This is a deeply offensive comparison. People with concerns about the SNP's flawed gender self-ID plans shouldn't be vilified for standing up for common sense.' The document said Trans+ History Week was a chance to 'learn and celebrate the rich and long history of trans, non-binary, gender-diverse and intersex people. 'At a time when anti-trans rhetoric is on the rise, this can be a week where we can uplift the trans community and send a clear message – 'trans people have always been here.'' It said the event was timed to coincide with the anniversary of a 'Nazi raid on the world's first ever trans clinic in 1933', adding that: 'Gender binary was a key feature of the Nazi racial policies.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
