Latest news with #TheFM
The National
4 days ago
- Business
- The National
Kate Forbes blasts National Insurance hike amid payrolled staff slump
HMRC early estimates show for July 2025 show there were 2.45 million payrolled employees in Scotland. While this is 2000 more than the number of payrolled employees in the previous month, it is down 13,000 compared to July 2024. In April to June 2025, Scotland's employment rate estimate was 75.1%. The unemployment rate estimate was 3.8% and the economic inactivity rate estimate was 21.9% in the same period. READ MORE: John Swinney interview: The FM on indyref2, Israel, energy and more The unemployment rate was still almost half of what it was in London for the period (6%), according to the Office for National Statistics, and lower than the UK's rate as a whole (4.7%). The only area of the UK with lower unemployment than Scotland in the period was Northern Ireland. Deputy First Minister Forbes has said while figures show Scotland's labour market to be "resilient", there must be a reversal in the hike to employers' NICs. She said: "These figures show that Scotland's labour market remains resilient with the number of payrolled employees in Scotland and their median monthly pay remaining high. 'The Scottish Government is focussed on driving the economic growth, conditions and investment that's crucial to supporting jobs and prosperity. 'We are taking real action to deliver, investing up to £500 million over five years in the infrastructure and manufacturing facilities critical to growth in the offshore wind sector. We are also investing £90 million in our employability services in 2025-26 to support people towards and into employment. 'However, we need decisive action from the UK Government to boost growth and a reversal of the decision to raise employers' National Insurance contributions.' READ MORE: Labour eye 'utterly reckless' bonfire of nuclear energy regulations In June. the SNP said the hike was "destroying jobs, squeezing wages and choking off economic growth". Rachel Reeves announced in her UK Budget last October that employers' NICs would rise from 13.8% to 15% on salaries above £5000. The Government said the changes would eventually raise £25 billion a year. The number of payrolled employees has decreased for all regions and countries of the UK, except for Northern Ireland where it has increased by 0.7%, when comparing July 2025 with the same period the previous year. The figures are likely to be revised when more data is received next month, ONS said.
The National
4 days ago
- Business
- The National
Highland council announces plans for 95 new homes in Ullapool
Plans for a mix of affordable rental housing and private properties have been proposed for an area of vacant land west and north of Ullapool. The proposal is currently going through the local authority's planning system and comes after some residents have raised concerns over the lack of affordable homes in Ullapool and the surrounding area. Last December, a report by the Highland Community Planning Partnership highlighted Wester Ross, along with Lochalsh and Strathpeffer, as areas that faced challenges around affordable homes. READ MORE: John Swinney interview: The FM on indyref2, Israel, energy and more It also acknowledged that the "prevalence" of holiday lets and second homes in the areas had caused 'significant frustration' over property prices and limited housing choices for local people. In July, the Highland Council said it was committed to addressing the lack of housing, but has estimated an extra 24,000 homes are needed over the next 10 years to help address the demand. The council said that under the current rate of building, it would take over 20 years to reach the required number of new homes and would need around £2.8 billion of extra investment to accelerate the construction programme. Last year, the local authority said there was an urgent need to have accommodation ready for the expected 8400 jobs to be created by the new Inverness and Cromarty Firth Green Freeport. The Scottish government declared a national housing emergency in May, which formally recognised problems with the wider housing system.
The National
4 days ago
- The National
Nicholas Rossi appears in court for US rape trial
The man known in the US as Nicholas Rossi, whose legal name is Nicholas Alahverdian, is accused of sexually assaulting two women in Utah in 2008. Prosecutors are trying the cases separately, with the first set in Salt Lake County. Rossi, 38, was extradited from Scotland to the US in January 2024 after a lengthy case in the Scottish courts. READ MORE: John Swinney interview: The FM on indyref2, Israel, energy and more He came to the attention of authorities when he was identified at Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow in December 2021 while being treated for Covid-19 under the name Arthur Knight. He was arrested after being identified by his distinctive tattoos as a person the US authorities wanted to extradite, but claimed this was a case of mistaken identity. Months of court proceedings in Edinburgh followed but in November 2022, Sheriff Norman McFadyen determined the man claiming to be Knight was indeed Rossi. An extradition hearing took place in June 2023, with Sheriff McFadyen ruling there was no barrier to Rossi's extradition. In his Scottish hearings, Rossi would appear in a wheelchair and sometimes with an oxygen mask. An extradition warrant was signed in September 2023 and Rossi was finally sent to the US in January 2024. Prosecutors in the US say they have identified at least a dozen aliases Rossi used over the years to evade capture. Rossi appeared in court on Monday in a wheelchair, wearing a suit and tie and using an oxygen tank. (Image: Andrew Milligan/PA Wire) The alleged victim identified him from the witness box, saying he is 'a little bit heavier, a little bit older' but mostly looks the same. District Judge Barry Lawrence helped clarify for the jury some of the twists and turns of the case, explaining that different people may refer to Rossi by different names. The defence and prosecution agreed it is factual that Rossi was in Utah in 2008 and had a relationship with the alleged victim that year. Prosecutors painted a picture of an intelligent man who used his charm to take advantage of a vulnerable young woman. He raped her when she pushed back against his attempts to control her, deputy Salt Lake County district attorney Brandon Simmons alleged. The woman, who the judge asked not be identified publicly, described a whirlwind relationship with Rossi that began in November 2008 while she was recovering from a traumatic brain injury. The two began dating after she responded to a personal ad Rossi posted on Craigslist and were engaged within about two weeks. The woman described being asked to pay for their dates, cover Rossi's rent so he would not be evicted from his apartment and take on debt to buy their engagement rings. Then, the relationship spiralled quickly, with Rossi 'becoming controlling and saying mean things to me', she alleged. The couple got into a fight in which Rossi pounded on her car and used his body to block her from pulling out of the parking garage, she alleged. She finally let him inside and drove him home but said she had no plans of continuing a relationship. She agreed to go into his house to talk, but he instead pushed her on to his bed, held her down and 'forced me to have sex with him', she alleged. The woman described lying still, paralysed with fear. 'I was a little bit more of a timid person back then, and so it was harder for me to stand up for myself,' she said. Dismissive comments from her parents convinced her not to go to the police at the time, she said. She did, however, try to bring Rossi to small claims court over the engagement rings but dropped the case. Rossi's lawyers sought to convince the jury that the alleged victim built up years of resentment after Rossi made her foot the bill for everything in their month-long relationship, and accused him of rape to get back at him a decade later when she saw him in the news. Rossi will also stand trial in September over another rape charge in Utah County. Rossi grew up in foster homes in Rhode Island and had returned to the state before allegedly faking his death. An obituary published online claimed he died on February 29 2020 of late-stage non-Hodgkin lymphoma. State police, along with Rossi's former lawyer and a former foster family, cast doubt on whether he was dead. A year later, hospital staff in Scotland recognised his tattoos from an Interpol notice and alerted authorities. He was extradited to Utah in January 2024. 'This case is like an old puzzle from the thrift store,' said MacKenzie Potter, one of Rossi's lawyers. 'It's 13 years old, not all the pieces are there, some pieces are from a different puzzle. And when you start going through everything, you're not going to get a complete picture.' Prosecutors pushed back, saying that if any 'puzzle pieces' are missing, it is because Rossi's lawyers fought to have some evidence dismissed.
The National
4 days ago
- The National
Man dies in crash involving car and ambulance with 3 in hospital
Police were called to a report of a collision involving a blue Renault Megane and an Ambulance on the A98 at Arradoul at around 6.50am on Monday. Emergency services attended to a 36-year-old man who was the driver of the car, but he was pronounced dead at the scene. Two male paramedics and the male patient from the ambulance were taken to Dr Gray's Hospital and Aberdeen Royal Infirmary Hospital for treatment. READ MORE: John Swinney interview: The FM on indyref2, Israel, energy and more None of their injuries are thought to be serious. The A98 at Arradoul was closed all day to allow investigations to be carried out and remained closed overnight to allow work to be completed by Moray Council. The road is expected to be opened fully Tuesday morning, police said. Sergeant Dave Cooper from the Road Policing Unit, Elgin said: 'Our thoughts are with the family and friends of the man who died and we continue to carry out enquiries to establish the full circumstances of the crash. 'I am appealing to anyone who witnessed the crash or the vehicles prior to the crash and who hasn't already spoken to officers to contact us. 'I would also ask anyone who was in the area and may have dash cam footage which could assist to get in touch.' Anyone with any information is asked to contact 101 quoting reference 0516 of 11 August, 2025.
The National
4 days ago
- General
- The National
They've looked after us... now it's charities that need help
Perhaps it was a cancer charity supporting treatment for someone you love. Maybe the Scottish SPCA stepped in when an animal needed rescue. Or perhaps you once dropped off toys at a charity shop or found a warm coat there for winter. Most of us have a quiet connection even without realising it. This summer recess, I've been out across Banffshire and Buchan Coast, immersing myself in the incredible things charities are doing. It's been inspiring – health projects keeping people well and initiatives helping folk into work – including those with additional support needs – making sure everyone has a fair chance to contribute. I met the team from Stella's Voice delivering bikes to kids whose families couldn't afford them, refurbishing them with such care. Even cleaning up mattresses to keep them out of landfills and get them into homes that need them. READ MORE: John Swinney interview: The FM on indyref2, Israel, energy and more Seeing them in action reminded me what a resilient, entrepreneurial spirit looks like in real life. Then there was the village gym in the Foggie area, with people such as David Jarvis stepping up to kit it out with equipment so locals don't have to travel miles to keep themselves fit. It's small, it's grassroots, but it makes a massive difference to wellbeing in those communities. And the Boyndie Centre, what a place! It's a garden centre, a cafe, a training ground, a workplace, all rolled into one. Young people leaving school step into meaningful, supported work. It's community, inclusion and dignity, all happening quietly, daily. That's charity in motion, people imagining something better, rolling up their sleeves, and building it. It's been a pleasure to spend time with people running charities. They're bursting with ideas for expansion and new projects to serve more people, in more ways. Their 'can-do' attitude is infectious. But too often, they're doing it for little reward, and it's crucial we nurture such spirit in our communities. When ideas are allowed to take flight, and when red tape doesn't clip their wings, great things happen. Take Deaf Action. I was honoured to open their Deaf Festival in Edinburgh last week, it's a vibrant celebration wrapped in British Sign Language, driven by the Deaf community, supported by Creative Scotland and the Scottish Government. It's charity at its best, embedded in protecting and enhancing culture, connection and empowerment, all in one place. Charity in Scotland isn't a recent invention. Our communities organised through Kirk collections, friendly societies, mutual care. Today it looks like food banks and carers' centres, mental health projects, local arts groups and animal welfare services but the core is the same, it's people stepping up for each other. I know how transformative it can be because I've been on the receiving end. A Home Start volunteer brought not just practical support when my kids were young, but a reassurance I wasn't alone while raising children with ASL needs. The Family Fund helped us through tight times. And now, as an MSP, I regularly meet people whose first lifeline came from a charity before any statutory service could help. That's ordinary Scots, and extraordinary difference makers. I don't feel shame about my past support. I feel grateful those services were there when I needed them. Now charities are under pressure. They are being asked to deliver more with less. Rising costs, depleted reserves and the loss of European funding for employability and inclusion projects, which never fully arrived. Then there's the hike in employer National Insurance for charities. That extra cost was imposed from Westminster. Scotland received a Barnett formula-style top-up but it hasn't come close to covering the real cost. These organisations are running on fumes, firefighting instead of planning. At Holyrood, we're using every power we have. We brought in Fairer Funding, so charities can access multi-year grants instead of scrambling year by year. We renewed the Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund so grassroots projects can plan ahead. We protected rates relief, keeping community halls and hubs alive. And we continue nurturing culture, because it matters for our wellbeing, identity and unity. Charity workers and volunteers need government, at every tier, to see them not as a substitute when services are cut, but as partners in building resilient, healthy communities. And they need a UK Government that doesn't burden them with avoidable tax hikes and funding gaps they can't fix. The levers that could make real change – National Insurance, VAT policy, Gift Aid arrangements – are all reserved to Westminster. Holyrood has no control over them. If we had full powers in an independent Scotland, we could build a system that truly supports charities, tax rules that help, long-term funding that matches our social priorities, and retention of charitable donations rather than seeing them eroded by decisions elsewhere. We could design a proper VAT refund for charities, shield them from NI hikes and tailor Gift Aid to how we give here. All the things Westminster has neglected and missed opportunities on, we can seize. Our charities are of the people and for the people. You might not always notice it, but scratch the surface of most lives in Scotland, and you'll find a charity at the heart. Let's recognise that, and treat them accordingly. They deserve our backing, funding, policies and respect. Because in Scotland, we should not just admire compassion, we should budget for it.
