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The National
3 days ago
- Politics
- The National
'Scotland is not an island of strangers', says Humza Yousaf
Speaking at the Stand Up To Racism 'Stop Reform 2026' summit in The Boardwalk, Glasgow, Yousaf stressed the need to mobilise against growing far-right rhetoric, emboldened by Reform and Keir Starmer's language regarding immigration, whilst highlighting the contributions made to Scotland by migrants over several decades. Yousaf criticised Starmer's language in a speech which drew comparisons to Enoch Powell, saying: "Let me be absolutely clear, Prime Minister: Scotland is not an island of strangers. "We are a nation that is proud of its many cultures, many languages, many threads. That tartan, each colour, each strand is different, but woven together to something strong, something beautiful, that we are proud of in Scotland." READ MORE: Labour have 'given up' on by-election amid SNP-Reform contest, says John Swinney The Glasgow Pollok MSP also spoke at length about the contributions from and importance of migrants in Scotland and the rest of the UK. 'This country could not survive without immigrants. This continent requires immigration if we are to prosper", he said. 'I ask you, in the 1960s, who drove the buses that kept this city moving? Immigrants. Who kept the factories running when there was labour shortages, like my grandfather, who worked in the Singer Sewing Machine factory in Clydebank? 'It's immigrants today, when our loved ones need care, be that in the NHS or social care system — who is there, propping up our vital public services? Immigrants. 'When the crops need picking, the parcels need delivering, children need teaching, who's ready and willing to put in the hard graft? Immigrants.' The SNP MSP went on to 'bust myths' peddled by anti-immigration rhetoric, noting the significant economic contributions made by migrants through taxes and job creation, as well as highlighting failures of the Tory government in replacing social housing lost through Thatcher's Right to Buy scheme. He added: 'Successive UK governments did that through austerity, through awful financial mismanagement, like Trussonomics, through a lack of political courage. 'So let's bust another myth while we're here: migrants aren't taking your jobs. Migrants are creating your jobs.' Yousaf also criticised Nigel Farage's recent attacks on Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar, stating that whilst their political views differ, Sarwar 'loves Scotland infinitely more than Nigel Farage'. Yousaf, Anwar and Foyer were joined by Labour councillor Matt Kerr at the sold-out event (Image: Gordon Terris) Regarding the upcoming Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election, he told The National: 'There has never been a more important moment to stand up against the advance of the far-right. 'Scotland, I am afraid, is not immune to the rise of populism, and next Thursday's by-election in Hamilton will be a key moment, where I hope, the good people of Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse will roundly reject the politics of racial division. 'We need to wake up to the fact that Farage's Reform are gaining support. Those of us who are progressive, and believe in inclusive values, need to organise, mobilise and most importantly articulate an alternative vision to what Farage is offering. 'We need to articulate a vision rooted in hope, that is bold, radical and promises to make the lives of the majority better. 'If we do that, then we can stop the rise of the far-right. If not, well, the alternative does not bear thinking about.' READ MORE: Why the UK media 180 on Gaza is too little, too late Human rights lawyer Aamer Anwar also gave a speech at the summit, where he criticised First Minister John Swinney and Police Scotland's handling of the recent Kneecap controversies, which saw the Irish rap trio axed from the TRNSMT lineup. Anwar said: 'A message also for John Swinney and Police Scotland over Kneecap: mind your own business. 'Don't tell us what we can listen to. You stopped Kneecap, while only days earlier the police protected fascists on our streets. 'You are punishing Kneecap for speaking out against Israel's genocide in Gaza, but when will you stop the arms trade? When will you hold the politicians who armed the genocide accountable?'
Irish Times
17-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
Antique furniture, church bells and carpets: summer auction season hots up
The summer season of auctions has started in earnest, and those outside the capital have an eclectic choice, from Cavan to Cork, in the next week or so. Auctions were once the first place for new homeowners to pick up inexpensive pieces of furniture – and indeed china, antique cutlery sets, silver and glassware. But while tastes have changed hugely and flatpack furniture has become ubiquitous in the past few decades, auctions are still one of the best places to pick up furniture and quirky household items at keen prices. Denis Lynes points to several such pieces in Lynes & Lynes next auction in Cork on Saturday, May 24th. The 380 lots include a child's 1950s Mobo Bronco riding horse, with an estimate of €60-€100, which is far below the online offerings of similar vintage toys. The large 19th-century church bell (€800-€1,200) believed to have been from St Mary's Church of Ireland Church in Cobh There is also an antique Singer sewing machine (€30-€60), which will appeal as a display item, or it could be restored for use. The large 19th century church bell (€800-€1,200), which is believed to have been from St Mary's Church of Ireland Church in Cobh (demolished in 1967), might well be needed elsewhere. READ MORE The Singer sewing machine table with a marble top (€120-€220) Please Close the Gate sign (€40-€80) Similarly, the Victor Mee Auction of almost 900 lots on Tuesday and Wednesday, May 20th and 21st, from 6pm each day, has lots of furniture that could be painted or polished for use in period or modern homes. For example, there are a few good mahogany chests of drawers (€300-€600 each). Also gilt over mantle mirrors – one at €260-€460 and another more ornate one for €400-€800, and Persian carpets (€600-€1,200) could add style to any living space. A 19th-century carved oak blanket box (€150-€250) and a carved oak floor bookcase (€250-€450) are more practical items. The Singer sewing machine table with a marble top is also a very special piece (€120-€220), and the Please Close the Gate cast-iron sign (€40-€80) is bound to attract buyers. Le Desepsoir (The Despair) by French sculptor Auguste Rodin. Photograph: Guillaume Souvant/AFP via Getty Rodin on view A marble sculpture by French sculptor August Rodin, Le Desepsoir (The Despair), which was created between 1892 and 1893, is set for auction next month. The piece, from the creator of The Kiss and The Thinker, has an estimate of €500,000, and is on view at Château de Villandry, near Tours, ahead of its sale by auction house Rouillac. Sian Taylor, the auction manager at Propstore, showcasing the original props from Thomas & Friends with signed items from celebrities including Olivia Colman, Eddie Redmayne and Hugh Bonneville. Photograph: Mattel/PA Thomas for sale Finally, in association with the American toy manufacturer, Mattel, Prop Store auctions is hosting an online charity auction to celebrate the 80th anniversary of Thomas & Friends. The auction of 200 lots from the beloved television show runs until May 28th. Mattel UK will pay all net proceeds (about 70 per cent) to the National Autism Charity. ; ;
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
The lasting legacy of architect and planner Addison Mizner on the city of Boca Raton
Editor's Note: As the city of Boca Raton celebrates its 100th anniversary of incorporation in May 1925, we look back at how it all started. This story originally ran in the Palm Beach Daily News in December 2024. By the mid-1920s, California-born architect Addison Mizner had established what would turn out to be his lasting legacy in the town of Palm Beach, having sparked a mania for houses, mansions and other buildings influenced by the architecture of Spain, Italy and Central America, yet bearing his own distinctive and sometimes flamboyant stamp. With his reputation established, Mizner looked south about 30 miles — to the coastal farming settlement of Boca Raton — with a vision that could only be described as grand. He would design and build a resort city from the ground up, taking his architectural cues from Venice and Moorish Spain. As he envisioned it, homes and a luxury hotel would be connected by a grand canal — complete with gondolas and gondoliers — as well as El Camino Real, described in promotional materials as 'The Royal Highway of Boca Raton.' It was 1925, at the height of Florida's soon-to-bust land boom, when Mizner and a group of financial backers founded Mizner Development Corp. to create that dream of a town on 1,600 acres along the Intracoastal Waterway. The city would also have 2 miles of oceanfront. The investors in Mizner Development Corp. included Paris Singer, the Singer Sewing Machine heir, who had given Mizner his first Palm Beach commission in 1918 to design the building that became The Everglades Club. Mizner's dream for Boca Raton would ultimately implode, smashed in 1926 by Florida's land bust driven by a frenzy of speculation as well as a devastating hurricane. By 1927, Mizner was bankrupt. By 1933, he was dead, at age 60. But in May 1925, when Boca Raton was incorporated, the newly formed Town Council was heartily embracing Mizner's vision, which was nothing short of captivating — an Old World-style oasis that would somehow capture the excitement of the Roaring Twenties. Mizner threw himself into the Boca Raton project with gusto. 'It is my soul, my heart, my pride to which I shall give my all," he told the Miami News at the time. "If it is not made the most beautiful place in all the world, it will not be for want of trying.' To celebrate the city's centennial, the Boca Raton Historical Society's exhibit 'Boca Raton 1925-2025: Addison Mizner's Legacy' is running through May 30 at The Schmidt Boca Raton History Museum on Federal Highway. The multimedia exhibit highlights Boca Raton's past century of development, beginning with Mizner's early contributions and tracing his lasting influence. On view are photographs, drawings, maps and videos, along with historic artifacts and furnishings associated with Mizner. There are still architectural remnants of Mizner's dream standing in Boca Raton, including parts of the design for the historic City Hall building, which houses the museum, and homes in the Old Floresta and Spanish Village residential neighborhoods. Just as important was Mizner's original hotel building, which debuted as The Ritz-Carlton Cloister but today is part of the much larger luxury resort known simply as The Boca Raton. The 1,000-room resort and private club is the main sponsor of the exhibit. Historian Augustus Mayhew, who served as guest curator for the exhibit, told the Palm Beach Daily News the opening of the Ritz-Carlton Cloister, often referred to as The Cloister Inn, was a milestone for Mizner and his investors. Yet by the summer of 1926, after less than a year, Mizner's experiment in urban planning came to a shocking end when high-profile board members withdrew their support, leaving Mizner in horrific financial distress. As he researched the exhibit, Mayhew said, he was struck by the lasting effects of the project's failure on Mizner's reputation as a businessman. 'Although in later years Mizner and his brother Wilson were often caricatured as con men, fraudsters and thieves, I was surprised to discover that Mizner, Boca Raton's official city planner and major architect — the man who conceived and operated Palm Beach County's largest business during the 1920s — had very little if anything to do with money or any of the financial aspects of the Mizner Development Corporation,' said Mayhew. 'He was too focused on his T-square to ever look at the bottom line.' The exhibit is on view 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday at the museum, 71 N. Federal Highway, through May 30. Admission is $12 for adults; and $8 for seniors 65 and older and students 5 and older. For more information, call 561-395-6766 or visit Darrell Hofheinz is a USA TODAY Network of Florida journalist who writes about Palm Beach real estate. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Boca Raton history: Addison Mizner's influence on 1925 incorporation
