Latest news with #Scottish-based
Scotsman
an hour ago
- Business
- Scotsman
Ian Murray: 'A clear path for the next decade to make the UK secure at home and strong abroad'
Review marks a fundamental shift to restore Britain's readiness, writes Scottish Secretary Ian Murray Sign up to our Politics newsletter 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... Scotland has always been at the beating heart of the UK's defence and security. From our historic regiments like the Black Watch, to our tradition of shipbuilding, we should be incredibly proud of our history on national security. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad We are living in an increasingly insecure world. War in Europe, growing nuclear risks, and daily cyber threats demand a robust response. The Strategic Defence Review we published yesterday sets a clear path for the next decade to make the UK secure at home and strong abroad. This isn't about minor adjustments; it's a fundamental shift to restore Britain's readiness, deter our adversaries and help drive economic growth across the UK. From the highly skilled pilots at RAF Lossiemouth to those who maintain our nuclear deterrent at Faslane, thousands of Scottish-based military personnel do extraordinary work to keep us safe every day. I thank them all for their service. This government is delivering the largest sustained increase in defence spending since the end of the Cold War - a huge boost for Scotland's world-leading defence sector, delivering economic growth and highly-skilled jobs. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer speaks during a visit to BAE Systems in Govan, Glasgow, to launch the Strategic Defence Review | PA Yesterday the Prime Minister came to Scotland to announce up to 12 new attack submarines, building on the £15 billion investment set out for the UK's sovereign nuclear warhead programme, keeping the UK safe for generations to come. And today we're announcing UK troops and warships will be protected by drone and laser weapon technology through a major £5 billion investment, as the UK seeks to become the leading edge of innovation in NATO. From Rosyth to the Clyde, Scottish shipbuilding has been the backbone of British maritime strength, with eight Type 26 ships being built by BAE Systems in Glasgow and five Type 31 frigates by Babcock International in Fife. Our Strategic Defence Review set out the need for an 'always on' pipeline of shipbuilding – bolstering Scottish jobs, Britain's national security and delivering the UK Government's Plan for Change. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad This multi-billion pound investment supports thousands of skilled jobs and invests in our communities for years to come. The Review will also deliver significant investment in munitions capabilities, with plans for at least six new munitions factories across the UK creating more than 1,000 skilled manufacturing jobs. Scotland's expertise in this field is already evident, with 155mm munitions produced by BAE Systems in Glasgow and Tomahawk missiles by Raytheon in Glenrothes. Scotland's vital role in UK defence I was astonished to read this week that the Scottish Government is blocking investment in a specialist welding centre in Glasgow, by withdrawing a £2.5 million grant. The defence Secretary was clear, if the Scottish Government continues to block the funding for this centre, the UK Government will step in and fund it directly. I am passionately proud that Scotland plays such a vital role in the UK's defence. That's why I'm particularly pleased about the £400 million investment to ensure our servicemen and women have barracks fit for purpose – addressing military accommodation that has been allowed to fall into disrepair. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The Ministry of Defence already spends £2.14 billion a year here – including £32 million with SMEs – approximately 25,600 jobs across Scotland depend on defence spending. By putting national security at the heart of our Plan for Change, we are ensuring Scotland remains central to the UK's defence capabilities while delivering economic benefits to communities across the country.
Business News Wales
3 days ago
- Business
- Business News Wales
SP Energy Networks Contract Extensions Deliver £220M Distribution Investment
Leading distribution network operator, SP Energy Networks, is set to invest more than £220 million to help deliver the electricity grid and support the workforce of the future after it extended its overhead line contracts with key service partners. Six companies will continue to work with the business over the next four years to maintain and upgrade more than 20,000km of overhead lines across the network, helping SP Energy Networks (SPEN) deliver on the commitments in its Electricity Distribution (ED) 2 business plan, which covers the years 2023-2028, while getting ready for ED3. Securing these contracts gives a welcome boost to the overhead line supply chain and its in-demand resources. This will support more than 500 jobs – including 50-plus new linesmen jobs – across the country, with the companies based in and around SPEN's Scotland and Manweb licence areas, ensuring ready access to the technical skills and resources needed. The partner companies are: Scottish-based Aureos, Gaeltec and PLPC, which will support the six licence districts in central and southern Scotland (Ayrshire & Clyde South, Central & Fife, Dumfries & Galloway, Edinburgh & Borders, Glasgow & Clyde North, Lanarkshire). Emerald Power, IES and Network Plus – all based in the north-west of England – which will support the licence districts in Mid-Cheshire, Merseyside, Dee Valley and Mid Wales, Wirral and North Wales. Nicola Connelly, SPEN CEO, said: 'Ensuring we have the partners, resources and technical skills in place to deliver on our bold and ambitious plans for our network is vital for the modern and resilient grid needed to support the doubling of demand. 'These contracts not only support significant investment in our overhead line network, they allow us to build on the solid foundations created with our supply chain partners and give certainty and confidence to further invest in their skills and people. It's a win-win on both sides and we look forward to working together to make a long and lasting difference for all our communities – from Anstruther to Anglesey.' Iain Thomson, Head of Distribution at Aureos, said: 'This contract reflects the mutual respect and trust we have with SPEN and will help bring new resources into the industry. We have invested heavily in recruiting local trainees and will continue to upskill our existing staff while increasing trainee intakes to deliver on SPEN's investment programme – continuing to grow our business in Scotland.' Adrian Rowley, Head of Contracts for Emerald Power, said: 'This is an extremely significant milestone for Emerald Power and provides the opportunity to further invest in our business –recruiting, training and upskilling the resources needed to deliver for SPEN's customers. Sharing the modern apprenticeship course at Bangor's Coleg Menai with other service partners and SP Energy Networks is a key element of this and enables a fantastic opportunity for anyone across the communities we serve to have a very fulfilling and rewarding career working on the network.' Daniel Rodrigues, Managing Director, Gaeltec Utilities UK Ltd, said: 'We are delighted to have successfully extended our contract with SPEN for overhead line works in its Ayrshire and Lanarkshire districts. This is great news for both Gaeltec and our employees, giving certainty looking ahead and creating confidence to grow our investment in our business and our people. 'On the back of this, we are pleased to confirm our continued local recruitment of trainee linesmen, with the latest intake underway.' Conor O'Neill, Executive Director, IES Utilities Group, said: 'Following SPEN's announcement of the overhead line contract extensions, IES Utilities Group is pleased to continue playing a key role in supporting the delivery of critical network infrastructure. We welcome the opportunity to build on the strong foundations we have now in place. This extension is a testament to the collaborative efforts and shared commitment between SPEN and IES Utilities Group. We're proud to continue delivering high-quality overhead line solutions that help strengthen the resilience and reliability of the electricity network for communities across the Manweb region.' Dale Harrison Managing Director at PLPC said: 'PLPC are proud to extend our partnership with SPEN for a further four years. This contract demonstrates a significant commitment from SPEN to our industry and enables a long-term and collaborative approach to meeting the current skills gaps within the market. PLPC has worked continually for SPEN for over 50 years and we're well placed to further develop our local workforce, which will continue to deliver the critical infrastructure upgrades to the network as we progress towards net zero.' Dave Prescott, Network Plus Managing Director, said: 'This four-year contract extension is a fantastic achievement for Network Plus and a testament to the hard work of everybody who has worked on the overhead line contract with SPEN. We are a proud and long-standing overhead line partner of SPEN, with our relationship going back to 2018. We now look forward to four more years delivering excellence to SPEN customers and investing in the recruitment of locally-sourced overhead line apprentices and trainees as we continue to meet SPEN's increased network investment.'
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Finnish Ex-Avalanche Goalie Signs In Scotland
Finnish goaltender Sami Aittokallio, 32, has signed a one-year contract with the Glasgow Clan, the Scottish-based EIHL club announced on Thursday. 'I've heard nothing but great things about the city, the fans, and the organization, so I'm really looking forward to getting over to Glasgow, meeting everyone, and getting started,' said Aittokallio. 'Sami was my primary target at season's end,' said Glasgow coach Corey Neilson. 'He's smooth and calm in his movements, recovers to his feet well, has really good hockey IQ, plays fast and has good hands. He doesn't ever really look flustered in the net. He'll look great in purple.' Born and raised in Tampere, Finland, Aittokallio is a product of the Ilves club. He was chosen in the fourth round, 107th overall, by the Colorado Avalanche in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. Aittokallio played three seasons in North America from 2012 to 2015, all in the Colorado organization. He played two NHL games in that time, posting a goals-against average of 3.39, a save percentage of .884 and was charged with one loss. Since returning to Europe in 2015, Aittokallio has played in Finland with Kärpät Oulu, Vaasan Sport, Ässät Pori and JYP in the Finnish Liiga, Sparta Prague in the Czech Extraliga, the Bietigheim Steelers of the German DEL and HK Nitra of the Slovak Extraliga. Last season, Glasgow finished seventh in the 10-team EIHL. Photo © Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Belfast Giants Win 3rd EIHL Title In 4 Years Great Britain's Elite Ice Hockey League concluded on Sunday with the Belfast Giants finishing in first place in a tight race that went down to the last game. The EIHL's playoffs are still upcoming but, in keeping with the established norm in British sports, the regular-season winner is considered the league champion, which Belfast has now won three of the last four years.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Shawbrook extends £20m revolving credit to ScotLend
UK-based specialist lender Shawbrook has extended a £20m ($27m) revolving credit facility to ScotLend. This mark a milestone for Shawbrook's speciality finance team as its first transaction supporting a Scottish-based lender. The facility aims to enhance ScotLend's national presence in the bridging finance market, offering loans ranging from £30,000 to £2m across the UK. Founded last year by David Travers and Sanjay Agarwal, ScotLend leverages Travers' property lending expertise and Argarwal's experience in healthcare and real estate. The venture is said to have grown 'substantially' in its first year, and the new facility is expected to support its expansion plans and bridging finance offerings nationwide. ScotLend collaborated with the speciality finance team to secure a bespoke facility, which not only addresses ScotLend's immediate needs but also provides flexibility for future growth. Travers said: 'Our vision is to scale our business, while maintaining the company's focus of customer service and professionalism. 'Shawbrook's support is crucial in achieving this next step of ScotLend's evolution, and their understanding of our market, long-term view and flexible deal structure aligns perfectly with our aspirations. Shawbrook senior director Chris Clarke said: 'We are delighted to partner with ScotLend and support their impressive growth plans. There were a range of factors to consider in this transaction, including Scottish legal aspects. 'Overcoming these legal nuances has been a testament to the collaborative efforts of both our teams, and we look forward to seeing ScotLend's continued success.' In a separate development, Shawbrook recently extended an eight-figure revolving credit facility to bridging lender Bluecroft Finance to support its expansion in the UK lending market. Additionally, Shawbrook increased its financial backing for specialist development finance lender Magnet Capital, raising its funding line to £25m to aid its continued expansion. "Shawbrook extends £20m revolving credit to ScotLend" was originally created and published by Leasing Life, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Sign in to access your portfolio
The Advertiser
27-05-2025
- Sport
- The Advertiser
Heartbreak and joy for Aussies in Scotland play-off tie
It will be a long night of reflection for three Scottish-based Australians after the second leg of the Premiership play-off tie, with two celebrating as the other dreams of what could have been. Midfielder Josh Nisbet and striker Tete Yengi lined up for their respective sides - Ross County and Livingston - and both scored in the final game of the season to decide which side either stayed in the top flight or was promoted to it. Veteran Ryan McGowan, who wore the green and gold at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil and is playing for his seventh club in Scotland during a much-travelled career, marshalled the Livingston defence in Dingwall on Monday night. It's been a huge week for the 35-year-old, also from Adelaide like Yengi, who became a father to twin boys. McGowan's manager David Martindale had full belief in his side after a 1-1 home draw last Thursday, but County were looking to avoid relegation to the Championship by winning the play-off for a third successive year. Goals from Nisbet, a 2022/23 A-League champion during his time with the Central Coast Mariners, and Ronan Hale - who scored the last-gasp equaliser in the first leg - put the hosts 2-0 up after 24 minutes. But Lewis Smith, Danny Wilson, Robbie Muirhead and Yengi, the 24-year old younger brother of Socceroos striker Kusini, all scored to earn Livi a 4-2 win and a 5-3 aggregate victory that clinched their place back in the top tier next season at the first attempt. It leaves the 25-year-old Nisbet's future in limbo, unlikely to add to his three international caps from Scotland's second tier next season. But he will still harbour hope, for now, of getting a call up from Socceroos boss Tony Popovic for next month's World Cup qualifiers against Japan and Saudi Arabia. Yengi, a former Newcastle Jets forward who's played in England and Finland's lower leagues since September 2021, came off the bench on 72 minutes and sent the small band of visiting supporters delirious in the sixth minute of added time. "It was a very good play-off game, one for the neutral," Martindale said. "It was great come fulltime for Livingston and Livingston fans. We had massive belief in the players and ... I'm happy for them." County manager Don Cowie was understandably disappointed as his side's six-year spell in Scotland's top flight came to an end. "When you're winning the tie by two goals in the first half you should never have not seen it out," he said. "Credit to Livingston. They put us under a lot of pressure and they deserved to get back to the Premiership." With PA. It will be a long night of reflection for three Scottish-based Australians after the second leg of the Premiership play-off tie, with two celebrating as the other dreams of what could have been. Midfielder Josh Nisbet and striker Tete Yengi lined up for their respective sides - Ross County and Livingston - and both scored in the final game of the season to decide which side either stayed in the top flight or was promoted to it. Veteran Ryan McGowan, who wore the green and gold at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil and is playing for his seventh club in Scotland during a much-travelled career, marshalled the Livingston defence in Dingwall on Monday night. It's been a huge week for the 35-year-old, also from Adelaide like Yengi, who became a father to twin boys. McGowan's manager David Martindale had full belief in his side after a 1-1 home draw last Thursday, but County were looking to avoid relegation to the Championship by winning the play-off for a third successive year. Goals from Nisbet, a 2022/23 A-League champion during his time with the Central Coast Mariners, and Ronan Hale - who scored the last-gasp equaliser in the first leg - put the hosts 2-0 up after 24 minutes. But Lewis Smith, Danny Wilson, Robbie Muirhead and Yengi, the 24-year old younger brother of Socceroos striker Kusini, all scored to earn Livi a 4-2 win and a 5-3 aggregate victory that clinched their place back in the top tier next season at the first attempt. It leaves the 25-year-old Nisbet's future in limbo, unlikely to add to his three international caps from Scotland's second tier next season. But he will still harbour hope, for now, of getting a call up from Socceroos boss Tony Popovic for next month's World Cup qualifiers against Japan and Saudi Arabia. Yengi, a former Newcastle Jets forward who's played in England and Finland's lower leagues since September 2021, came off the bench on 72 minutes and sent the small band of visiting supporters delirious in the sixth minute of added time. "It was a very good play-off game, one for the neutral," Martindale said. "It was great come fulltime for Livingston and Livingston fans. We had massive belief in the players and ... I'm happy for them." County manager Don Cowie was understandably disappointed as his side's six-year spell in Scotland's top flight came to an end. "When you're winning the tie by two goals in the first half you should never have not seen it out," he said. "Credit to Livingston. They put us under a lot of pressure and they deserved to get back to the Premiership." With PA. It will be a long night of reflection for three Scottish-based Australians after the second leg of the Premiership play-off tie, with two celebrating as the other dreams of what could have been. Midfielder Josh Nisbet and striker Tete Yengi lined up for their respective sides - Ross County and Livingston - and both scored in the final game of the season to decide which side either stayed in the top flight or was promoted to it. Veteran Ryan McGowan, who wore the green and gold at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil and is playing for his seventh club in Scotland during a much-travelled career, marshalled the Livingston defence in Dingwall on Monday night. It's been a huge week for the 35-year-old, also from Adelaide like Yengi, who became a father to twin boys. McGowan's manager David Martindale had full belief in his side after a 1-1 home draw last Thursday, but County were looking to avoid relegation to the Championship by winning the play-off for a third successive year. Goals from Nisbet, a 2022/23 A-League champion during his time with the Central Coast Mariners, and Ronan Hale - who scored the last-gasp equaliser in the first leg - put the hosts 2-0 up after 24 minutes. But Lewis Smith, Danny Wilson, Robbie Muirhead and Yengi, the 24-year old younger brother of Socceroos striker Kusini, all scored to earn Livi a 4-2 win and a 5-3 aggregate victory that clinched their place back in the top tier next season at the first attempt. It leaves the 25-year-old Nisbet's future in limbo, unlikely to add to his three international caps from Scotland's second tier next season. But he will still harbour hope, for now, of getting a call up from Socceroos boss Tony Popovic for next month's World Cup qualifiers against Japan and Saudi Arabia. Yengi, a former Newcastle Jets forward who's played in England and Finland's lower leagues since September 2021, came off the bench on 72 minutes and sent the small band of visiting supporters delirious in the sixth minute of added time. "It was a very good play-off game, one for the neutral," Martindale said. "It was great come fulltime for Livingston and Livingston fans. We had massive belief in the players and ... I'm happy for them." County manager Don Cowie was understandably disappointed as his side's six-year spell in Scotland's top flight came to an end. "When you're winning the tie by two goals in the first half you should never have not seen it out," he said. "Credit to Livingston. They put us under a lot of pressure and they deserved to get back to the Premiership." With PA.
