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Daily Record
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Record
Sir David Attenborough's Scots cameraman backs groundbreaking 'ecocide' law
SUNDAY MAIL EXCLUSIVE: Celebrated BBC wildlife photographer Doug Allan has hailed MSP Monica Lennon's 'powerful' proposals to tackle eco criminals. Sir David Attenborough's award-winning cameraman has backed groundbreaking legislation being published at Holyrood this week which would outlaw 'ecocide' in Scotland. Doug Allan – world-renowned for his work on BBC shows including Life, Planet Earth and The Blue Planet – hailed MSP Monica Lennon's 'powerful' plan to hold polluters to account through a Scottish Ecocide Bill. Under the Labour politician's proposals, company bosses who cause severe or widespread damage to ecosystems could be prosecuted and face up to 20-year prison terms. After years of planning and consultation, Lennon is set to publish her draft Ecocide (Prevention) Bill at Holyrood on May 29. If passed it would be the first law of its kind in the UK. Bafta and Emmy award-winning Allan, born in Fife, said it can't come soon enough. The Sunday Mail previously teamed up with the celebrated wildlife photographer and cameraman in our successful campaign to ban polluting plastic wet wipes. Allan, also a marine biologist, said: 'I've always believed that there's a sort of Scottish psyche which is more aware of the natural environment. "Having travelled the world, I can tell you Scotland is one of the loveliest countries out there in terms of the wildernesses that you can find and the freedom to roam about them. "There's so much that Scotland's got going for it and an ecocide law has the potential to be powerful. 'I just hope it gets passed and then starts to have an effect as soon as possible.' The proposals were first championed by the Sunday Mail in 2021 as Glasgow was preparing to host COP26. Experts say ecocide laws could capture large-scale acts of eco destruction like river pollution, deforestation and oil spills. They could also target energy giants behind new fossil fuel schemes which pump even more carbon into the atmosphere – as the world hurtles towards catastrophic climate change. Allan warned political turmoil and events like the war in Ukraine had seen action on the climate and environment stall with concerns rising over the cost of net zero. But he said: "What's good about this Bill is it actually goes after the people who are causing the damage, so it shouldn't cost the government much to put it into force - and we should be extracting something from the people who cause the damage. 'I've started talking about climate breakdown rather than climate change, because climate change is much too gentle a word. 'If you've got something that breaks down, you've got to fix it – and that's what we've done. We have broken down the climate. 'People wouldn't damage the environment if there wasn't some profit motive sitting away at the back of it somewhere. "And this Bill gets to grips with the economic system which is causing that damage in the first place.' Lennon said: 'This robust plan to criminalise severe environmental crimes has been a long time in the making, with the help of world-leading experts and community voices across the country. 'It's brilliant to have the backing of legendary wildlife cameraman and photographer Doug Allan, whose work underwater and in the polar regions has brought the undeniable case for ecocide law to our screens.' It comes as the latest documentary by Sir David, 99, has sparked huge public debate over destructive industrial fishing activities, some of which experts say could meet the bar for ecocide. As well as exploring the world's incredible marine wildlife, 'Ocean With David Attenborough ' exposes the grim trail of destruction left by bottom-trawling and dredging vessels which rip up the seabed, featuring unprecedented underwater footage. 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. In Scotland, more than 90 per cent of our Marine Protected Areas still allow trawlers to operate. The Blue Marine Foundation, which will screen the film for free for hundreds of UK schools, is also backing Lennon's Bill. Jonny Hughes from the conservation charity said: 'If allowing our supposedly protected areas to be trashed by the most destructive fishing gears isn't ecocide, it's hard to imagine what would be. 'David Attenborough's latest film shows a stark but accurate picture of what's going on in our waters, including where there is 'protection' – at least on paper. 'Ministers cannot criticise deforestation or other ecologically damaging policies in place around the world while allowing this to happen in our own seas.' Ocean with David Attenborough is in cinemas now with a wider release on Disney+ on June 8.
Daily Record
18-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Record
Reform chief rules out IndyRef and claims party will be second biggest in Scotland
SUNDAY MAIL EXCLUSIVE: Richard Tice said his party want voters to give them a chance in Scotland after England success. Reform UK chief Richard Tice has ruled out Scotland having another referendum and said his party will be the second largest in Holyrood. On the campaign trail in Hamilton yesterday the MP said the Scottish Parliament elections next year would be a 'two horse race' and insisted Reform would be 'great' for Scotland. Speaking to the Sunday Mail he said there was 'no need' for another vote on the constitution and if his party were in a position to grant one the answer would be 'no'. He said: 'The answer is no, we don't need one. We're better off together. 'If you knocked on 100 doors the two issues that would come up would be immigration and winter fuel allowance. 'It's not the be-all and end-all for people's daily lives any more. The longer the SNP mess up running Scotland the more people think they should stop messing around with the independence debate and actually just do your job properly.' Tice was visiting Hamilton ahead of the by-election on June 5 and said that not only is his party hopeful of winning the seat but is confident they would become Holyrood's second biggest party. If so, they would push for a removal of the ban on alcohol at football matches and on trains, according to Tice, who insisted governments should 'trust the people'. He said: 'Of course we're going for the win. 'It's a two horse race between the SNP and Reform and we're going to give it a massive push.' Asked if he believed Reform would become Holyrood's second largest party, Tice said: 'Yeah, definitely. 'And for Scotland that would be great. Competition is a good thing. It can be respectful. It doesn't need to be as nasty and as aggressive and broken as it is.' 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. Asked about the need for migrant labour in Scotland, Tice said Reform supported 'smart immigration' in roles where 'you've got the need for high skills, extra qualifications or where you've genuinely got a deficit' but claimed the public were being misled. He said: 'There's a great lie being told that we're short of people. We're not. We've got record numbers on out-of-work benefits, record numbers economically inactive.' He also claimed unemployment in Scotland was 'double the UK average', despite official statistics confirming Scotland has a lower unemployment rate (4.2 per cent between December 2024 and February 2025) than the UK overall (4.4 per cent). Tice said by the time of Holyrood elections voters in Scotland would be able to see how Reform has performed in their newly-acquired English councils, boasting that they had already identified 'almost a million pounds of efficiency saving [from] a few unnecessary positions' in one council and blocked a £20m 'daft project' in another. He said: 'If we deliver we can say to voters in Scotland: 'Give us a chance.''
Daily Record
04-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Record
Ex-Holyrood minister in formal lobbying probe over 'verbally attacking Tory MSP'
SUNDAY MAIL EXCLUSIVE: The former LibDem MSP is under investigation. A former government minister is under formal parliamentary investigation over claims he broke lobbying rules and verbally 'attacked' a Tory MSP. Ex-Lib Dem leader Tavish Scott, who is now CEO of industry body Salmon Scotland, faces a formal probe by Holyrood's Ethical Standards Commissioner. It comes after a complaint was lodged by renewable energy entrepreneur Dale Vince's Green Britain Foundation pressure group over a confrontation between Scott and Highlands and Islands MSP Edward Mountain. Scott, who led the Scottish Lib Dems from 2008 to 2011 and was a minister for seven years, continues to hold a parliamentary pass allowing him access to the corridors of power despite his new job which involves corporate lobbying for the fish farming industry. Vince said: 'We're talking about an industry already knee-deep in environmental carnage, now allegedly trying to dodge rules that keep our democracy honest. 'The publlic have a right to know which vested interests are whispering in politicians' ears. If Salmon Scotland's been playing fast and loose with lobbying laws, what else are they hiding. 'This reeks of an industry that thinks it's above the rules - whether that's environmental regulations or democratic transparency. It's time to drag their murky dealings into the light.' When the Sunday Mail previously revealed Scott had been reported over alleged lobbying transgressions he threatened to report us to press regulators and furiously denied there was any merit in the complaint. But Ethical Standards Commissioner Ian Bruce has now written to him and Salmon Scotland informing them of his decision to further investigate the October 2023 meeting with Mountain in which Scott has appeared to request he retract comments he made in parliament. It came after Mountain highlighted figures suggesting tonnes of salmon were being destroyed annually, and said: 'some are dying when they are harvested and they still reach our tables.' Later in a a meeting of the Rural and Island Committee Mountain accused Scott of 'attacking' him in his office. He said the Salmon Scotland chief threatened: 'The issue and your attitude are top of the agenda for the next board meeting. The board are very unhappy with you and are willing to take action against you, unless you retract your comments in the Parliament.' This meeting was not recorded in the lobbying register and GBF has accused Scott of failing to register a number of other meetings. Scott has denied breaking any rules. Scotland's farmed salmon market is estimated to be worth £1billion a year and supports thousands of jobs. However environmentalists have raised concerns it is spreading sea lice affecting wild salmon and there has also been accusations of pollution and fish held in putrid sea pens. A Salmon Scotland spokesman said: ''Salmon Scotland fully complies with the lobbying register.' Rural Affairs Secretary Mairi Gougeon is facing a ministerial code probe after she and French husband Baptiste accepted hospitality from Salmon Scotland to watch France at Murrayfield in 2022 and last year. A total of £1500 worth of tickets, lunch and drinks at the 'hospitality village' received for February's Six Nations game were not included in Gougeon's official register of ministerial gifts or MSP interests. Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar and Scottish Secretary Ian Murray have come in for criticism for taking free hospitality at Liverpool FC from Salmon Scotland last September. Salmon Scotland represents a 200-farm industry producing 140,000 tons of fish a yea which is worth £760million. A spokesman for the Ethical Standards Comm-issioner did not respond to our request for comment. 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'.
Daily Record
04-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Record
Ex-council chief Cammy Day's 'political smear' claims challenged by complainer
SUNDAY MAIL EXCLUSIVE: A constituent of Day complained about 'persistent sexual messaging' by the former council leader in 2023. A man who complained about sexual harassment by former council leader Cammy Day has challenged the politician's claims of a conspiracy against him. Day quit as head of Edinburgh's local authority in December and was suspended from Scottish Labour after the Sunday Mail revealed he had sent sexual messages to Ukrainian refugees. The police were already investigating a complaint of inappropriate communication against him but announced earlier this month that 'no criminality has been established'. The 50-year-old councillor said the whole affair had been a politically -motivated attempt to ruin his life, blaming the SNP in particular. But one of Day's constituents, who complained to Scottish Labour two years before the latest revelations emerged, said he was 'disgusted' by his claims. He said: 'It has been frustrating to read that he is claiming it is a political smear. 'I am not in elected politics, I try not to pay too much attention to politics for my own sanity if I'm honest. I've worked in financial services for 15 years and I happen to be his constituent. 'I complained to Scottish Labour in 2023, long before any of this was in the media. 'While the police have deemed his behaviour not to reach a criminal threshold, the issue I have is that it is completely inappropriate. 'I felt that at the time, and still do. That's why I complained.' Day said there had been a coordinated attack against him, alleging 'things were leaked to the media, leaked to the Labour Party and reported to the police all at the same time… and I think it was an orchestrated political campaign against me'. But the man, who does not want to be named, claimed Day had been 'relentless' in his messages to him through gay dating app Grindr years before any of the latest allegations were made public.. He added: 'He would send pictures to try to prompt a response and if I blocked him new accounts would spring up using the same pictures. 'At one point, he tried to add me on Instagram and I declined it. Last year when I went to vote, I saw him standing outside the polling station and it made me really uncomfortable. 'Whether it is in public or professional life, people who are in positions of power should not be behaving like that. The way he has tried to brush it under the carpet, his complete lack of any humility is what I find incredibly frustrating.' The man hit out at the Labour Party's handling of his complaint. He said: 'I told them what was going on, that I was a constituent. I told them I didn't want to go to the police, I didn't want to speak to the media but I wanted them to quietly deal with the issue. 'Then they tried to put me through a grotesque process to progress the complaint and nothing happened. When I saw the initial reports coming out last year, I knew I had previously complained but Anas Sarwar was saying he had no knowledge of any complaints. I do not feel like my complaint was handled properly the first time.' Along with the 2023 complaint to Labour, two whistleblowing disclosures were made about Day at that time. Former council chief executive Andrew Kerr received a complaint in December 2023 and another was made the following October. 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. Edinburgh City Council has now launched an independent review of its handling of previous complaints, including what they claim is a 'potential' complaint against Day made in 2006 – before he was a councillor. The Ethical Standards Commission is also probing a complaint against Day. The Sunday Mail asked Scottish Labour if it was willing to accept the man's offer to discuss his 2023 complaint and whether party leaders agreed with Day that he had been the victim of a political smear. Labour said it was unable to comment while an investigation was ongoing, adding: 'The Labour Party takes all complaints seriously. 'They are fully investigated in line with our rules and procedures and any appropriate action is taken.'
Daily Record
04-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Record
Scots trans woman to seek asylum in Argentina after Supreme Court ruling
SUNDAY MAIL EXCLUSIVE: Jen Bell fears she will be discriminated against and persecuted in Scotland. A Scottish transgender woman is to seek asylum in Argentina over fears of persecution and discrimination in Scotland. Glasgow born Jen Bell's decision comes in the wake of a Supreme Court ruling last month which said in law, the term 'woman' refers to biological sex. The ruling has sparked a raft of new rules and guidelines banning trans people from certain toilets, sports and clubs which has been welcomed by some gender-critical groups . Jen, 31, was travelling in South America when the Supreme Court ruling was announced and now plans to claim asylum in Buenos Aires. Speaking exclusively to the Sunday Mail Jen said: 'Initially I just wanted to travel for a bit and I'd always wanted to go to Latin America. I ended up in Buenos Aires and then all this happened with the Supreme Court. 'I'm looking at my options but I do have the option to apply for asylum. I've been talking to various LGBT groups here to judge whether that's feasible and they seem to think that I would have a case. 'They watch what's happening - the Supreme Court ruling, the Cass Review, and now these rules banning trans people from all sorts of things. 'I'm still seeking advice on it, but that's what I'm intending to do.' Jen believes life has become much harder for transgender people in Scotland in the last decade and said things are 'only going in one direction'. She said: 'A decade ago I had the opportunity to medically transition, there was a process I went through. 'People were given help and it was based on informed consent and self-determination. 'That process now just doesn't exist. Within half a decade all of that has been taken away. It really alarms me how quickly rights are being degraded for trans people. 'When you zoom out and you look at it, this is only going to go one direction and life for people like me is just going to keep getting worse. 'I don't want to be worrying about whether I'm going to get beaten up, arrested, or killed just for who I am'. Buenos Aires, Argentina's capital, is known as the 'gay capital of South America' and is considered one of the friendliest places for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people. In 2012 the country passed a law that allowed transgender people to change their gender on official documents without the need for medical intervention such as surgery, hormone therapy or psychological assessment. Trans people are treated according to the gender they identify with and medical treatment for transitioning is included in the country's compulsory medical programme. In 2021 the country introduced a quota to have one per cent of public sector jobs filled by trans people. Jen said the way she is viewed in Argentina is markedly different than in Scotland, despite the country being ruled by chainsaw-weilding right-winger Javier Milei, whose nickname is 'the madman'. She said: 'The issue is just not on people's radar like it is in Scotland. I walk down the street here and I'm just another woman walking down the street. 'That is such a weight off my shoulders. 'When I was in Scotland I just constantly felt on edge. I used to work in retail and the kind of abuse that I would get - I had people stalking me.' Since the Supreme court ruling the Equality and Human Rights Commission issued updated guidance stating trans women could no longer use women's toilets and trans men couldn't use men's toilets. It also added that 'in some circumstances' it is not permitted for trans women to use men's facilities and vice versa, leaving many public bodies and charities asking for clarity about where trans people are supposed to go. Asked about the guidance Jen said:' The answer is trans people are not meant to use any public facilities at all, that's what it seems like. 'These kind of guidelines are designed to be vague and confusing. It's also impossible to police - how are they going to do that? Have someone inspect people as they go into the toilet?' Since the ruling, pressure has grown on former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon to comment publicly which she has so far refused to do. The Sunday Mail has made repeated attempts to contact Sturgeon but interview requests have been declined. In 2017 she was in charge when the Gender Recognition Act was proposed for reform in Scotland, aligning it with countries such as Argentina, Ireland and Portugal. The move to legislate and make it easier for trans people to change their gender is seen by some as the catalyst for the so-called 'culture war' that has developed over the last eight years. It has seen gender-critical and transgender-supporting groups at loggerheads, led to members of both groups being verbally and physically abused at rallies and ultimately ended in the Supreme Court. Jen said Sturgeon's silence was 'not surprising' and said: 'It doesn't surprise me that Sturgeon is washing her hands of it. You look at the DNA of the SNP - they believe the party and country are one in the same. 'As soon as the wind blows in a different direction they will drop it. As soon as trans people become inconvenient to the survival of the SNP or to Scotland becoming an independent country they're going to throw them by the wayside. 'I genuinely don't know what [Sturgeon] believes. Her whole career she was a chameleon, so who knows if she actually does support trans people or if it was just part of her attempt to seem progressive.' 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'.
