Latest news with #TheScotsman
Scotsman
an hour ago
- Sport
- Scotsman
Scot 'enjoying golf again' and out in front in Northern Open at windy Royal Dornoch
Bradley Neil hands himself 'big lift' as he looks to rebuild his golfing career Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox 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... Bradley Neil rediscovered some of the form that made him one of Scottish golf's brightest prospects as he set the pace in round one of the Tartan Tour's Northern Open at Royal Dornoch. On a wind-ravaged day over the revered Sutherland links, the 29-year-old harnessed the exacting conditions to fine effect and emerged with a neatly assembled three-under 67 to lead by a stroke from his fellow Scot, John Henry, England's James Freeman and the Irish veteran Simon Thornton. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Neil underlined his huge potential as a teenager back in 2014 when he won the Amateur Championship before turning professional and earning a spot on the DP World Tour for the 2018 campaign Bradley Neil, who is now attached to Turnhouse Golf Club, pictured in action on the Challenge Tour in 2022 |His stay at the top table was brief, however, and Neil spiralled down the order. As the stresses and strains of touring life began to take a toll, Neil opted for a fresh start with The PGA last year as he looked to rebuild his golfing career. 'For too long, there was so much stress and anxiety involved in playing golf and I needed to get back to playing with enjoyment,' said the Blairgowrie man, who is attached to the Turnhouse club in Edinburgh. 'I have a bit of stability in life now. When I'm not playing golf, I'm working in the pro shop, not stewing at home or on the range trying to figure something out in my game. This round has to be up there with one of my best and it's given me a big lift.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Amid the boisterous buffeting, Neil put in a performance of poise and purpose as he eased to the front in the latest event on The PGA's Open Series. He dropped just one shot and conjured a fine act of salvage for his par on the 18th after his approach ended up in an awkward spot off the closing green. 'If I'd dropped one there, I would've been very annoyed so that par was important,' added Neil, who took advantage of the wind at his back on the front-nine and birdied three of his opening five holes. 'You had to take advantage going out and then hang on coming home. I didn't have a bogey on that back-nine which was very pleasing.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Past DP World Tour winner is lurking at Sutherland venue Thornton, a past champion on the DP World Tour, underlined his links golf prowess with a nicely crafted two-under 68 to lurk a shot behind Neil with one round to play. 'My game is hitting it under the wind so the back nine suited me down to a tee,' said Thornton, who hit a cracker of a 3-wood into the 11th and holed the birdie putt from 20-feet. 'The first time I'd played Dornoch was in practice the other day. I'd heard about it for years and it was love at first sight.' From his base in County Down, Thornton has made quite the trek to be here this week. 'But it's been worth it,' he added. 'We drove for an hour to the ferry, then a couple of hours on the ferry and five-and-a-half hours up here. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'It'll be the same again going back and as soon as I get there, there's an Irish PGA event at Bellmullet which is a five-hour drive away. It's all for the love of the game.' Freeman, who last played Dornoch almost 20 years ago in the Scottish Amateur Open Strokeplay Championship, reacquainted himself with a solid 68 while Henry's two-under effort was illuminated by a birdie putt of nearly 30-feet on the fifth.
Scotsman
an hour ago
- Business
- Scotsman
Charity begins with honesty among staff
Debbie McIlwraith Cameron on strengthening public trust in charities Sign up to our Scotsman Money newsletter, covering all you need to know to help manage your money. 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... It is a criminal offence to act, or continue to act, as a charity trustee if you are disqualified under the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005 and you may be liable on conviction to imprisonment, a fine or both. With such consequences, charities must have a working knowledge of the disqualification criteria. Existing criteria: You cannot be appointed, or continue to act, as a charity trustee if: (i) you have an unspent conviction for an offence involving dishonesty or under the 2005 Act; (ii) you are bankrupt/sequestrated; (iii) you have granted a Protected Trust Deed/entered into an Individual Voluntary Arrangement; (iv) you have been removed by a court from being a charity trustee, or (v) you have been disqualified from being a company director. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Disqualification is determined before appointment, and if a trustee's personal circumstances change, they are under a duty to disclose this, as their appointment must automatically cease. Charities must employ due diligence when it comes to employee backgrounds, says Debbie McIlwraith Cameron While you may have to rely on information provided in good faith, there are publicly available methods to carry out due diligence, e.g. OSCR's searchable Record of Removed Persons on its website. Exemptions: An individual may apply for a waiver from OSCR for a specific charity, a type of charity or charities in general. Each case is considered and decided on its own merits. OSCR lists the variables and supporting evidence it will consider in its guidance. Some disqualification criteria are time-sensitive. Automatic disqualification because of a conviction, bankruptcy and a Protected Trust Deed only exists while they remain unspent and undischarged. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The changes: The implementation of the Charities (Regulation and Administration) (Scotland) Act 2023 extends disqualification criteria in two ways. The automatic disqualification list will now include being convicted of the following offences: terrorism, money laundering, bribery, perverting the course of justice, wilful neglect of duty by a public official/misconduct in public office and sexual offences. The key change is that the criteria will now extend to employees/volunteers holding a role with 'senior management functions' within the charity, as well as charity trustees. The 2023 Act defines 'senior management function': (i) if the function relates to the management of the charity and the individual is not accountable to anyone higher within the charity, except the charity trustees (e.g. the Chief Executive role), or (ii) if the function relates to the control of money, and the only person the individual is accountable to (except the charity trustees) is someone else exercising a senior management function other than to do with the control of money (e.g. Finance Director). In guidance published by OSCR, the regulator is clear that an individual's role/job title is not the deciding factor; you must consider the function the individual undertakes. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Practical implications: Before the extensions are implemented later this summer, charities should undertake due diligence to ascertain whether any of the current trustees would come under the extended criteria and update any appointment/induction policies, and consider if any of their employees/volunteers carry out 'senior management functions' and if they must cease to act. Trustees may wish to add the potential consequences of automatic disqualification (e.g. loss of the Chief Executive/Finance Director, trustee numbers being below the minimum) and mitigation methods (e.g. due diligence, ability to re-deploy within the organisation) to the charity's risk register. If an automatic disqualification event were to occur, depending on the circumstances, it would be advisable to seek HR/employment advice.
Scotsman
2 hours ago
- Business
- Scotsman
Ian Murray clashes with SNP as Chancellor announces winter fuel allowance boost
The Scotland Secretary criticised the SNP during Scottish questions 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... The SNP's Economy Spokesperson Dave Doogan has written to the Scottish Secretary Ian Murray urging him to 'find a backbone, join the cabinet revolt, and oppose the Chancellor's cuts'. As many as four ministers are reported to oppose plans being drawn up by Rachel Reeves ahead of the Spending Review, including Yvette Cooper, Ed Miliband and Angela Rayner. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Mr Doogan has written to Mr Murray urging him to join them, only for the minister to defend the Government's record in his opening statement at Scottish questions in Westminster. In a letter seen by The Scotsman, Mr Doogan wrote: 'The raw reality of the damage that more austerity will do to our public services and our society has even stirred some of your cabinet colleagues to stand against the Chancellor's cuts. There are numerous reports that a cabinet revolt is growing against the Chancellor's austerity plans – including opposition from the Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner. 'As this Cabinet revolt continues, it has not gone unnoticed that your opposition to the Chancellor's austerity is nowhere to be seen – instead you have chosen to remain completely silent. 'Unfortunately, that silence is no longer surprising. Ever since Anas Sarwar infamously told voters to 'read my lips – no austerity under Labour' – Labour figures in Scotland have given their full backing to a Prime Minister and Chancellor who have stripped pensioners of the winter fuel payments, are cutting support to the disabled and who have treated Scotland as afterthought. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'You have a clear choice in the coming days – find a backbone, join the cabinet revolt, and oppose the Chancellor's cuts or choose to sit silent and break more election promises to the people of Scotland. If you aren't prepared to stand up to the Chancellor to oppose more austerity cuts, then it is only natural that voters will conclude that they can never trust Scottish Labour to stand up for Scotland.' Speaking in the Commons, Mr Murray issued an apology to MPs for misleading the House, revealing he had actually undersold the amount of money awarded to Scotland. He said: 'This is the first opportunity I've had to apologise to the House for using an inaccurate figure. I had told the House previously that the Scottish Government had received a record settlement of £47.7 billion this year but Treasury figures show the block grant for this year is actually £50 billion. 'That's the highest ever settlement in the history of devolution, with bells on. That's £50 billion, more money for schools, hospitals, policing and housing. It's an end to austerity, that's the Barnett Formula in action, the Barnett Formula that both the SNP and Reform have announced this week they want to scrap.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Responding to Mr Doogan, a Labour source pointed out Mr Doogan was not in the Commons for Scotland questions. They added: 'Did he send a letter because he couldn't be bothered showing up to his work?' The spat came as the UK Government announced more pensioners will receive the winter fuel allowance this winter – but payments will not be universal. Ms Reeves told reporters that 'more people will get winter fuel payment this winter', adding that further details will be announced 'as soon as we possibly can'. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves delivers a speech during a visit to Mellor Bus in Rochdale on June 4, 2025, to announce investments in regional transport (Photo: PETER BYRNE/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) | POOL/AFP via Getty Images She said: 'People should be in no doubt that the means test will increase and more people will get winter fuel payment this winter.' Asked whether she would tell the public if she planned to fund her commitments by raising taxes or cutting spending on other departments, the Chancellor said: 'As we have been clear, on winter fuel we will set out how we will fund that at the next fiscal event. 'We will set out how everything will be paid for at the budget in the autumn but it's important that everything that we do is funded, because that's how people know that we can afford it.' Downing Street did not deny that details of how the winter fuel payment may be restored to more pensioners could come at next week's spending review. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The Prime Minister's official spokesman told reporters: 'As the Prime Minister has said, we will only take decisions that are affordable. He has made clear that we want to expand the number of pensioners who are eligible for the winter fuel payment. 'We will set out the details of that in due course. You have got the Chancellor's words from this morning. You have got the PM's words from earlier in the week that we want to set out that detail as soon as possible.' On July 29 last year, the Government announced that from winter 2024, winter fuel payments would be dependent on receiving another means-tested benefit, as part of measures to fill a 'black hole' in the public finances. The decision to means-test the previously universal payment was one of the first announcements by Chancellor Rachel Reeves after Labour's landslide election victory last year, and it has been widely blamed for the party's collapse in support. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad It meant the number of pensioners receiving the payment was reduced by around 10 million, from 11.4 million to 1.5 million. The Government has insisted the policy was necessary to help stabilise the public finances, allowing the improvements in the economic picture which Sir Keir said could result in the partial reversal of the measure.
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Scotsman
2 hours ago
- General
- Scotsman
Time ball to drop again from top Edinburgh monument
The time ball has returned to Calton Hill. Sign up to our History and Heritage 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... A 19th century time ball that helped seafarers set their clocks for decades is due to drop from the top of one of Edinburgh's great monuments once more. The 90kg time ball was fitted to the Nelson Monument on Calton Hill in 1852 and dropped every day at 1pm to assist sailors in the Firth of Forth with timekeeping and navigation. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Made from wood and zinc, the time ball was taken down last year for restoration. From next month, it will keep time once again after Edinburgh City Council spent £500,000 on repairs to the timepiece and the part of the monument which supports it. Karl Chapman, City of Edinburgh Council's head of heritage, culture, museums and galleries, said: ''Now we have GPS and phones but back in the day this was modern technology. ''People are still fascinated by this today which is why it's important we maintain the time ball and the Nelson Monument - it's a fascinating piece of history and mechanism.'' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The Nelson Monument stands at the highest point of Calton Hill, built in honour of Admiral Lord Nelson, who died at the Battle of Trafalgar during the Napoleonic Wars in 1805. The battle was a victory for the Royal Navy, but Nelson was fatally wounded. When the news reached Edinburgh, a group of subscribers banded together to raise funds for a monument as a tribute to Nelson. The design, by Robert Burn, was modelled on an upturned telescope. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The monument's prominent position made it useful for sending messages across the city, but in 1852 it took on new importance when a time ball was installed at the top of the tower. Professor Charles Piazzi Smith, the Astronomer Royal in Scotland, proposed the time ball to assist with ship's navigation. The ball would drop at exactly one o'clock as a signal to ships moored in the Firth of Forth, enabling captains to check the accuracy of their chronometers and correctly calculate their longitude at sea – a tradition that continues even though technological progress means it is no longer vital to safe seafaring. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad After its installation, Piazzi Smyth continued to work out the time and triggered the ball drop himself. He even devised an automatic system to drop the ball, and nine years later in 1861 the 1 o'clock gun fire from Edinburgh Castle was added on foggy days. The latest restoration work on the timeball was carried out by the Cumbria Clock Company. The entire mechanism of the time ball has now been automated, with the timber mast replaced and lightening protection renewed. Some stonework has also been replaced and repaired. Margaret Graham, City of Edinburgh Council's culture and communities convener, said: ''Half a million pounds sounds like a lot of money but in the scheme of things, in our heritage buildings, it's not a lot. "It's a lot of specialist work that needs to be done.''
Scotsman
2 hours ago
- Health
- Scotsman
Shocking waiting list rises show SNP's warm words aren't fixing the NHS
Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox 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... Imagine you are feeling unwell and it becomes so bad you need to see a GP. After days of calling at 8am, you finally see a doctor, who refers you to a specialist. You wait and wait for an appointment… and a year later, you are still waiting. This was the case for 63,406 Scots waiting for outpatient appointments in the year to March 31. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad In May 2024, John Swinney took over as First Minister from a failing Humza Yousaf. In January at the launch of the Scottish Government's NHS Recovery Plan – the fifth in four years – Swinney pledged with much fanfare to reduce waiting lists. READ MORE: Scots urged to check for early signs of skin cancer The SNP promised more GPs but numbers have actually fallen (Picture: Christopher Furlong) | Getty Images 'Seen without delay' But a year after Swinney was installed as First Minister and four months after he made his promise, the figures tell a different story. In the 12 months to March 2025, the number of outpatients waiting more than a year for an appointment rose by 34 per cent, while those waiting for an inpatient appointment rose by 2.9 per cent. And those waiting more than a year for a diagnostic appointment rose by 15.6 per cent. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Swinney promised to reduce waiting times – but across the board they have risen. Outpatient appointments are key in identifying symptoms that might or might not be serious. Stomach pains, skin conditions, breathing problems – these are all the kinds of symptoms where a GP might refer a patient to a specialist. The NHS Scotland's own 2017 report The Modern Outpatient called them 'a critical point in the pathway to diagnosing cancer early – or providing reassurance that there is nothing to worry about', going on to note that 'this is therefore a time when patients need to be seen without delay'. Yet under the SNP, thousands of patients are left for months or even years wondering whether or not to be scared. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Broken promises The shocking rise in outpatient waits is just a snapshot of the way that our NHS is fraying at the seams under the SNP. And it's just the latest of the SNP's broken promises on health. They promised to hire 800 more GPs – yet the number of patients per GP rose by 227 in a decade, while the number of whole-time equivalent GPs actually fell. Less than half the Rapid Cancer Diagnostic Centres promised in the SNP's 2021 manifesto have appeared. Also missing in action are the new scanners that would allow hospitals to make faster diagnoses – and a recent freedom of information request by Scottish Labour found that hundreds of scanners are more than 10 years old. Diagnosing and treating conditions is not always straightforward, and the NHS relies on thousands of specialists working together to do so. It is a machine that only works if every part is kept in running order, with the huge surge in outpatient waits the equivalent of a warning light coming on. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The truth is that if the SNP government had a good idea we would have seen it by now. After 18 years in government, the SNP must stop resting on its own rhetorical laurels and start paying attention to what the data is telling them. There are hundreds of thousands of patients out there waiting for them to do so.
