Latest news with #Stonewall
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
SNP's £20million spending spree to promote diversity
The SNP 'squandered' almost £20million on ' woke ' ideology while slashing public services, the Tories have claimed. The Nationalist government is accused of years of 'waste' on diversity, equality and inclusion (DEI) officials and training courses across the public sector. Scotland's crisis-hit NHS was the biggest spender on the personnel and programmes, despite struggling to recover since the Covid pandemic and record waiting lists. Health boards have splashed £8.9million on DEI training since 2019, including £624,000 at NHS Fife, which was taken to a tribunal by nurse Sandie Peggie after she had to share a changing room with a trans doctor. Councils, universities, the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) and Scottish Government departments spent a further £11million between them on DEI. Total annual costs doubled from £2.1million to £4.3million over the period. The SPS's DEI spend of £751,934 included £9,180 to the controversial LGBTQ rights group Stonewall and more than £725,000 on diversity staff wages. An unidentified slice of the spending was for 'awareness/celebration sessions'. Scottish Conservative deputy leader Rachael Hamilton said: 'This is yet another example of the SNP prioritising ideological projects over the issues that people actually care about. It's no wonder Scots are fed up with Left-wing politicians at Holyrood.' Official figures obtained by the Tories show a total spend of £19,987,747 on DEI between 2019-20 and 2024-25. Of that, £2,480,032 was spent by Scotland's councils; £1,012,806 by the justice system; £8,902,193 by the NHS; £5,899,247 by universities; and £1,693,469 by central government. The largest health board, NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde, spent £4.25million between 2019 and 2025, followed by NHS Ayrshire & Arran's £1.3million and NHS Grampian's £1million. NHS Ayrshire & Arran said £780,000 of its spending was on 'translation and interpretation'. But NHS Grampian said it only spent £27,500 on the same issue, while laying out £125,000 on 'professional fees - other'. The highest spending local authority was Aberdeen City Council at £620,640, followed by Angus on £432,000, then Dumfries & Galloway on £348,000 and North Ayrshire on £324,000. Aberdeen said that around half its spending was on 'translation services', but Angus said all of its went on the 'salary for the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Senior Practitioner'. Most of North Ayrshire's spending was on an 'Equalities Inclusion Officer'. Almost all of the £117,391 spent on DEI by Scotland's largest council, Glasgow City, was attributed to 'Purchase of services including training'. Edinburgh Napier University, which spent £2.97million, said all its staff were 'required to attend annual mandatory EDI training and additional role specific training'. The next biggest university DEI spender, Dundee, which recently suffered a financial crisis, spent £1.06million, most of it on pay and about £110,000 on 'training'. Robert Gordon University spent £2,535 on 'celebrating Black History Month and Pride'. The Scottish Police Authority, which controls Police Scotland's budget, spent more than £24,000 learning about 'neurodiversity in the workplace'. A Scottish Government spokesman said: 'Diversity, equality and inclusion roles exist to ensure fairness, tackle discrimination and help build a Scotland where everyone can thrive. This government is proud to stand up for a more equal society.'
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Yahoo
RCMP issue silver alert for missing man, 69, last seen in Stonewall, Man.
RCMP in Manitoba have issued a silver alert for a 69-year-old man who hasn't been seen in days. Stewart Campbell was last seen at about 3:30 a.m. on Tuesday in Stonewall, Man., RCMP said in a Friday evening news release. Campbell may be confused or disoriented, police said. Silver alerts are issued when vulnerable adults go missing. Campbell is 5-foot-8 in height and weighs 110 pounds. RCMP say he has grey shaggy hair, blue eyes and he is clean-shaven. He was last seen wearing a burgundy sweatshirt with light-coloured blue jeans and black work boots. He may be driving a grey 2006 Pontiac Grand Prix with the Manitoba licence plate number HET 278. Anyone with information that could help investigators is asked to call Stonewall RCMP at 204-467-5015. Tips can also be submitted to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online. More from CBC Manitoba:
CBC
5 days ago
- CBC
RCMP issue silver alert for missing man, 69, last seen in Stonewall, Man.
RCMP in Manitoba have issued a silver alert for a 69-year-old man who hasn't been seen in days. Stewart Campbell was last seen at about 3:30 a.m. on Tuesday in Stonewall, Man., RCMP said in a Friday evening news release. Campbell may be confused or disoriented, police said. Silver alerts are issued when vulnerable adults go missing. Campbell is 5-foot-8 in height and weighs 110 pounds. RCMP say he has grey shaggy hair, blue eyes and he is clean-shaven. He was last seen wearing a burgundy sweatshirt with light-coloured blue jeans and black work boots. He may be driving a grey 2006 Pontiac Grand Prix with the Manitoba licence plate number HET 278. or online.
CBC
6 days ago
- CBC
Man charged with 2nd-degree murder in deadly Teulon shooting, RCMP say
A 24-year-old man has been charged with second-degree murder after a fatal shooting in Teulon, Man. Donavin Skogan was arrested after Stonewall RCMP responded to a report of a shooting at a home on Seventh Avenue S.E. on July 13 in the town of about 1,200 people, which is about 60 kilometres north of Winnipeg in the Interlake region, Mounties said in a news release Thursday. Officers found a 37-year-old man with life-threatening injuries who was taken to hospital and later pronounced dead. While police were at the Seventh Avenue home, an officer on patrol found a vehicle believed to have been involved in the man's death and tried to do a traffic stop, police said previously. That led to a pursuit that ended when the vehicle drove into a cornfield. Police said they contained the area, arrested the person who was inside the vehicle and found and seized a firearm. Police said at the time they weren't looking for any more suspects in the homicide. Skogan, who is from Traverse Bay, was initially charged with firearms and driving offences on July 14. Two days later, he was charged with murder and intimidation of a justice system participant. He was remanded back into custody and is set to appear before a court later Thursday, RCMP said.
The Guardian
16-07-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Uniformed police officers were wrong to march in Pride event, high court rules
Police chiefs have been left stunned after the high court ruled officers were wrong to wear their uniforms to take part in last year's Pride festival in Newcastle. The judgment found that the chief constable of Northumbria acted 'irrationally' and breached a duty of impartiality by officially supporting the event, which was alleged to have supported views that people could change their gender. The ruling followed a case brought by a woman who objected to uniformed officers taking part to represent their force, which covers Newcastle. The claimant, Linzi Smith, is a gender-critical lesbian who believes sex is immutable. She alleged the event supported an ideology that gender can be chosen. The ruling found Vanessa Jardine, the chief constable, was wrong to allow uniformed officers to take part, marching in uniform bearing Pride flags and painting a police van in colours supporting the event. The judgment listed slogans displayed during the march, which police did not dispute. These included: 'From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free', 'Toute le monde deteste la police', 'Northumbria police, off our Pride', 'Intifada don't deny it, Stonewall was a fucking riot' and 'Queers for free Palestine'. Nationally, police chiefs are rushing to understand the judgment and its potential scope. One police source spoke of hearing concerns that forces could not be officially represented at Remembrance parades, events in support of the armed services, or community and religious celebrations, if anyone could object. However, another said the ruling was 'absolutely right', adding: 'If you are in uniform, you are on duty … to police without fear or favour.' In his judgment, Mr Justice Linden wrote: 'The claimant describes herself as a lesbian who is 'gender critical'. She believes that a person's sex is an immutable characteristic and that 'gender ideology', which recognises a person's gender identity, is 'wrong and dangerous'. 'Her evidence is that gender ideology has been embraced by the organisers of the event … and was supported by many of the participants in the event, who also strongly oppose gender-critical beliefs. 'She objects to what she sees as the force and/or members of the force associating themselves with the views of supporters of gender ideology and transgender activists by actively participating in the event.' The judge made clear he was not ruling on the merits of the highly charged transgender debate, but whether a body could officially support a disputed cause without breaching a duty of impartiality it was legally bound to observe. The case was supported by a group called Fair Cop, which alleges policing is blighted by excessive political correctness and was founded by Harry Miller, a former officer. In his witness statement, Miller said the chief constable 'marched in the immediate proximity of those carrying the flags and emblems clearly associated with the gender ideologists' cause'. He added that banners saying 'Trans women are women' and 'Trans rights are human rights', plus 'the intersectional flag and the blue, pink and white transgender pride flag' signalled a political association 'in a similar way to how someone shouting 'build a wall' or 'make America great again' signals an association with Donald Trump'. Sign up to First Edition Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion Reaching his decision, the judge said of the chief constable: 'Her participation in the march was likely to be seen, and may well have been intended to be seen, as expressing the support of the head of the force for the views and the cause which the march sought to promote, and therefore as indicating the position or perspective of the force as an organisation.' The judge said all the force's actions at the event gave 'the impression that the force as a whole was associating itself with a particular viewpoint and, as far as gender-critical people were concerned, taking sides.' Linzi Smith said: 'It is terrifying to live in a community where the police have abandoned their duty of impartiality and embraced a highly controversial political cause. I've experienced firsthand what happens when the police forget their duty of impartiality. I posted some gender-critical tweets, and Northumbria Police launched an investigation into my conduct – but when I received appalling homophobic abuse as a lesbian, they did absolutely nothing.' Northumbria police said: 'We recognise not all communities share the same level of confidence in policing for a variety of reasons. We want to ensure everyone knows that we are absolutely here for them when they need us. 'Part of that is us being visible in those communities and playing an active part in our force area. Throughout the year, we will have an important role to play in a variety of events, including parades and festivals. 'During these events, while our primary aim is to keep people safe, it also provides us with an opportunity to engage with people, including those who may have less confidence in policing. 'It is vitally important they feel supported and we continue to build their trust in us.' Smith's lawyer, Paul Conrathe, said the judgment may have repercussions for other bodies with a duty of impartiality, such as the BBC, 'if they align themselves with a controversial cause'.
