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BBC News
29-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
FMQs: Douglas Ross ejected from chamber by presiding officer
Update: Date: 13:15 BST Title: FMQs: The headlines Content: That brings an end to a lively First Minister's Questions. If you're just joining us here's what you missed: That's all from the live page team today. The editor was Mary McCool. Megan Bonar and Craig Hutchison were the writers. Update: Date: 13:01 BST Title: Swinney commits to securing financial future of Dundee university Content: Lib Dem MSP Willie Rennie asks about the lack of progress on financial recovery for the University of Dundee, which is cutting hundreds of jobs due to a £35m deficit. 'This has been agonising for university staff, a cloud has been hanging over them since November,' he said. The first minister says the university is an autonomous institution, and no request from the Scottish Funding Council has been received. Michael Marra MSP also asks about the issue, he asks Swinney to commit to a voluntary severance scheme being put in place by next week. Swinney replies that he cannot commit to that because he would be breaking the law by telling an independent institution how to go about business. He does however give his 'absolute commitment to securing the future of the university of Dundee.' Update: Date: 12:57 BST Title: Swinney says government will consider ecocide bill Content: The legislation would introduce tougher sanctions for people who cause pollution in Scotland Monica Lennon is the next MSP to enter the fray and she asks what the Scottish government is doing to maintain its policy aim of keeping pace with the EU on environmental protection. Swinney replies his government intends to remain aligned with the EU when it is possible to do so. The Labour MSP refers to her Ecocide (Scotland) Bill which contains proposals for a new law which could see the bosses of major polluters jailed for up to 20 years. "This is Scotland's time to act," adds Lennon who asks if the FM agrees with her bill's aims. John Swinney compliments Monica Lennon for her bill and he says the government will consider it and will have further dialogue with the Labour MSP. Update: Date: 12:47 BST Title: What's the background to Findlay's points on net zero? Content: Kevin KeaneBBC Scotland environment correspondent The Climate Change Committee says emissions need to fall by 57% in five years A word on the issue the Tories raised at the beginning of FMQs - climate change. Independent experts have proposed a new set of targets to tackle climate change in Scotland over the next 20 years. Annual targets were abandoned by the Scottish government last year after repeatedly being missed – but ministers retained the pledge to reach net zero by 2045. The Climate Change Committee (CCC) says that to meet that goal, emissions need to fall by an average of 57% over the next five years and by 69% to 2035, when compared with 1990 levels. The Scottish government says it will consider the report's recommendations carefully but is expected to adopt the targets in the coming weeks. The government had set its original climate change targets in 2019 – which included reducing emissions by 75% by 2030. Read more here. Update: Date: 12:45 BST Title: Ross questions neutrality of speaker after ejection Content: Philip SimBBC Scotland political correspondent Football referee Douglas Ross is no stranger to a red card. But he is arguing that he should have been shown a yellow before he was ordered out of the Holyrood chamber today. Mr Ross told BBC Scotland he struggled to accept that the presiding officer was acting neutrally, and that she allowed SNP and Green MSPs to behave in a way that she did not extend to Conservative members. He said he had 'serious questions about the conduct of the presiding officer', and that he would be seeking to speak with Alison Johnstone and her officials about the decision. Update: Date: 12:41 BST Title: Douglas Lumsden told to 'desist' by speaker during SNP question Content: It's a rowdy one today. Douglas Ross' Tory colleague Douglas Lumsden is also given a slap on the wrist for shouting from his seat during a question from the SNP's Christine Grahame. 'Where you trying to attract attention?' the speaker asks as she tells him to desist. Grahame follows up on the play parks issue, saying after the Covid pandemic "when children were isolated for so long", plans for renewals is "an excellent project that liberates them". Swinney says his colleague makes an "incredibly powerful point". Update: Date: 12:39 BST Title: Tory Stephen Kerr 'too excited for words' over play park renewal Content: Scottish Tory MSP Stephen Kerr says the Scottish government has committed £60m to renew every play park in Scotland, but there are reports that less than half of the funding has been spent. The first minister highlights £35m allocated to local government since September 2021. He argues the £60m commitment will be met by his government. "That sounds like another Swinney broken promise to me," retorts Kerr. The chamber becomes raucous again as Kerr argues that the SNP government adopts gimmicks and fails to deliver. "I think Stephen Kerr needs to go to a play park to get rid of some of his excess energy," jokes the first minister to some laughter from his backbenches. "He seems just a little bit too excited for words." Update: Date: 12:36 BST Title: An unusual - but not the first - removal of an MSP Content: Philip SimBBC Scotland political correspondent I think Douglas Ross might be the first MSP to be kicked out of the chamber by Alison Johnstone. But it's not unheard of – his Tory colleague Oliver Mundell was ordered out by Ken Macintosh in 2020 for claiming Nicola Sturgeon had lied to parliament over the Salmond inquiry. Back in 2015, Labour's James Kelly was booted out by Tricia Marwick in a classic row about a point of order which she contended wasn't a point of order relating to the UK Trade Union Bill. Ms Johnstone has a reputation as a fairly mild-mannered presiding officer. But she has clashed quite frequently with Mr Ross in particular in recent weeks, with the former Tory leader always keen to pick away at the government's record – and the chances MSPs have to interrogate it in parliament. Update: Date: 12:35 BST Title: Moment Douglas Ross is told to leave the chamber Content: The former Scottish Conservative leader is asked twice by Alison Johnstone to leave the chamber - without warning - after talking over the first minister. This video can not be played Watch the moment Douglas Ross is excluded from the chamber at FMQs Update: Date: 12:33 BST Title: Swinney 'cherishes' Scotland's natural environment Content: As the appeal remains live he can't comment on the Flamingo Land proposal, replies Swinney, and he adds it is subject to 49 planning conditions. The first minister explains the reporter is required to make his decision on the planning merits of the case. Harvie argues the first minister is not even attempting to acknowledge the anger about this "unnecessary, unwanted, destructive" development The Scottish Greens co-leader asks if Swinney learned nothing from his "mistake" over Trump's golf course development. Swinney insists he values and cherishes the natural environment of Scotland. Update: Date: 12:31 BST Title: Opposition to Flamingo Land raised by Harvie Content: It's now the turn of Patrick Harvie to grill the first minister and he chooses to ask about protest outside parliament today against the Scottish government's intention to approve a resort by Flamingo Land on the shores of Loch Lomond. The Scottish Greens co-leader says the proposals have been opposed by 155,000 people. "It's the most unpopular development in the history of the Scottish planning system," he says. He argues there is still a chance to save Loch Lomond and he calls on the first minister to listen to the objections and recall this decision. Update: Date: 12:28 BST Title: Row on health will continue until election day Content: Philip SimBBC Scotland political correspondent This was a paint-by-numbers standard of the Anas Sarwar vs John Swinney FMQs exchange. Mr Sarwar loves to bring up NHS waiting times because he sees it as a great example of the government's handling of public services. He also frequently has a case study to hand of a patient who feels let down, to confront the first minister with a real voter. Mr Swinney meanwhile rarely misses an opportunity to criticise the record of the UK government, now run by Labour. He managed to link that back to health services by saying that any move to restrict immigration would affect the NHS's ability to attract international workers. To be honest they have this same exchange most weeks, and will continue to right up to polling day next May. Update: Date: 12:28 BST Title: Immigration plans will damage NHS - Swinney Content: Sarwar accuses the first minister of having no plan to fix Scotland's NHS. Swinney responds by saying the government has a plan in place to focus on expanding capacity. "We are working to make sure we have the staff and the resources in place to address this issue," he says. He adds that the UK's government's immigration policy will make tackling waiting times "ever more difficult". Swinney says: "The immigration policies will be damaging to our national health service and we do not want anything to do with them." Update: Date: 12:27 BST Title: Backround: Patients waiting more than two years for specialist appointments Content: Figures released this week showed that the number of patients waiting more than two years for to see an NHS specialist in Scotland has grown in the past year. Public Health Scotland said the waiting list for those referred to an outpatient clinic more than two years ago was at the highest level it had ever recorded, with the number more than tripling to 5,262. Government targets to provide treatment within 12 weeks were also still not being met for thousands of patients, with 24% of waits recorded going on for more than a year, the report found. More on this story here. Update: Date: 12:22 BST Title: Swinney defends government's actions on NHS Content: 'Week after week, John Swinney comes to this chamber and apologies. People don't want to hear sorry, they want treatment,' Sarwar says. He says thousands are waiting over two years for orthopaedic, ENT and neurosurgery treatment. Swinney says the government has made the largest investment in the NHS that has ever been made and by March had created over 100,000 additional appointments. Update: Date: 12:20 BST Title: There is a human cost to waiting times - Sarwar Content: Anas Sarwar is next up - he asks the first minister about new health statistics showing a growing number of people on NHS waiting lists. Sarwar says in total there are 860,925 people are on an NHS waiting list in Scotland, with over 13,000 people waiting over two years. 'There is a human cost', he says as he highlights the case of a woman who has waited over 100 weeks for surgery for an ovarian cyst. The first minister apologies to anyone who is on a waiting list and say the government is committed to tackling 'long waits'. Update: Date: 12:19 BST Title: Swinney accuses the Conservatives of 'cheap political opportunity' Content: Swinney wraps up on Russel Findlay's questioning saying Brexit has caused incalculable damage to agriculture. He says the 2045 target is the Scottish Parliament's, not the SNP's. Swinney accuses the Conservatives of "cheap political opportunity". Update: Date: 12:18 BST Title: Douglas Ross has just become far more memorable than his leader Content: Philip SimBBC Scotland political correspondent Russell Findlay ended up being eclipsed by his predecessor as Tory leader. Douglas Ross has persistently clashed with the presiding officer over recent weeks, and it seemed like Alison Johnstone had zero patience for his heckling today, ordering him out of the chamber without so much as a warning. Mr Findlay had been underlining the lack of a big story this week by leading off on a report published last Wednesday. He picked out various proposals from the climate change committee's report on carbon budgets, describing various things which the government has not committed to as 'utter madness'. But ultimately the government hasn't actually said what it is going to do, so it was hard for him to pin any particular policy on the first minister. And John Swinney seemed determined not to rise to the bait. His only real political barb was one about Brexit - which was what prompted Douglas Ross to blow his top. Ultimately that is going to be a far more memorable moment than anything prompted by Mr Findlay's questions. Update: Date: 12:13 BST Title: Eating a third less meat is 'utter madness' - Findlay Content: Prior to Ross' exit from the chamber, Russell Findlay says the number of cattle would need to fall by two million, around 25%, to achieve climate targets. The Scottish Tory leader says Scots would have to eat one third less meat. "This is utter madness, it's an act of national self-harm." John Swinney hits back reiterating his government will consider the proposals in the report. The Scottish Tory leader continues to look at those proposals, turning to heat pumps saying to meet the target would require 70% of homes to have one. "That proposal is simply not realistic," adds Findlay, who then calls on the first minister to reject it. Swinney insists agriculture is always in his priorities and he highlights the impact of Brexit. This leads to Douglas Ross's ejection. Update: Date: 12:08 BST Title: Former Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross asked to leave chamber Content: There is a brief pause in proceedings as former Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross is kicked out of the chamber. The speaker asks him to leave the chamber and tells him not to return for the rest of the day after raising his voice over the first minister.
CBC
28-05-2025
- Business
- CBC
Expect 'uncertainty and angst', says TVDSB interim leader to teachers
Social Sharing Southwestern Ontario's largest school board is working toward balancing its finances with staff now aware that it will cost some people their jobs. Employees received an email from the Thames Valley District School Board's (TVDSB) interim Education Director Bill Tucker on Tuesday that CBC News has obtained. It provides an update on the financial recovery plan that is being led by a provincially appointed supervisor, labour and employment lawyer Paul Boniferro. Tucker wrote that Boniferro's mandate to balance the TVDSB's budget, and leave it with a 2 per cent reserve fund, will mean major restructuring decisions. "Uncertainty and angst about one's employment and job description will be present throughout the entire system," Tucker wrote. The decision to have Boniferro take control of London's public school board and pause the role of its elected trustees came after the province conducted a review last fall in the wake of a $40,000 staff retreat. The review wrapped up in April and the final report showed instances of mismanagement, including promotions and executive pay raises without trustee approval, as well as a nearly $17 million deficit. Tucker said Tuesday that Boniferro will be in the role until at least the next school year, and trustees will continue to have no input into decisions. CBC News has made multiple requests to speak to Boniferro but has not received any response. 'We're talking livelihoods' Tucker said that Boniferro is currently vetting all open job postings within the school board suggesting cuts are coming. He noted some positions are funded by Ministry of Education grants and are required to be filled. He called this the "first step of a bigger picture that will become much clearer as time goes on." Tucker admitted he knows they are not "just talking about jobs." "We are talking about livelihoods, family incomes and in many cases financial security for homes," he wrote. "We are talking about people." He said the hope is to make affected employee groups aware in a timely manner and deliver news personally. The Minister of Education Paul Calandra declined an interview with CBC News. In a statement, spokesperson Emma Testani said the board needs to focus on administrative savings. "Core education funding should go towards supporting teachers and students in the classroom," Testani said. While Tucker expressed his regret to staff the decisions the board needs to make, he stressed that they need to do what is best for TVDSB. "I am also sad as I write this memo to everyone. But we must keep our eye on what is best for the Board because at the end of the day, what is best for the Board will translate into good things happening for students."
The Standard
28-05-2025
- Business
- The Standard
S&P affirms HK's AA+ creditworthiness, acknowledges challenges in coming years
S&P expects a recovery in the city's finances to be slow, largely due to weak land sales and high infrastructure spending. Photo by REUTERS
The Herald
26-05-2025
- Business
- The Herald
Pick n Pay results show recovery is starting to take shape
'This was an important year for Pick n Pay as we executed the first leg of our operational and financial recovery. We are exactly where we said we would be when presenting the strategy last May, and in some aspects we are tracking slightly ahead. Particularly pleasing is the reduction in our Pick n Pay trading loss by 64% after predicting a 50% reduction' The first of its six strategic priorities announced in May last year was to recapitalise the Group. In this financial year, the Group completed its two-step recapitalisation plan, raising R12.5bn through the Pick n Pay rights offer (R4bn) and the Boxer JSE listing (R8.5bn) and restoring the Group to a net cash position of R4.2bn. 'We have started to give much-needed attention to our core Pick n Pay supermarkets and we are pleased to see the early results in reporting positive like-for-like (LfL) sales growth, notwithstanding the sustained pace of new store openings by our competitors in a restrained and competitive market,' said Summers. Company-owned supermarkets delivered consistent gains in sales growth, improving from -0.5% in the 2024 financial year to +3.6% in the period under review. 'Our franchisees have also shown steady positive recovery and the positive LfL momentum has continued in the first eight weeks of FY26,' said Pick n Pay. Summers said some of the loss-making stores that were converted are returning to profitability. Pick n Pay has also started opening new stores and will increasingly refurbish its supermarkets. Pick n Pay Clothing delivered 11.6% growth from standalone stores. It opened 30 company-owned stores during the financial year, to bring the total estate to 415 stores. 'When I returned in October 2023 I stated the recovery of Pick n Pay would be a multiyear process and that things would get worse before they got better. It is our sense that we see this unfortunate chapter bottoming out and we have recalibrated our recovery programme to break even in FY28.' Business Times
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
FTX to Pay Over $5B to Creditors as Bankrupt Estate Gears Up for Distribution
FTX creditors are set to receive over $5 billion in distributions starting May 30, as part of the second phase of the bankrupt exchange's court-approved recovery plan, the FTX Recovery Trust said Thursday. The estate will pay out to four classes of creditors, with recoveries ranging from 54% to 120% of their original claims. The amounts are based on the U.S. dollar value of customer holdings at the time of FTX's collapse in November 2022. BitGo and Kraken, two custodians overseeing the distribution process, are expected to transfer funds to eligible claimants within one to three business days from May 30. The payout breakdown includes 'Class 5' creditors, or Alameda Research counterparties, lenders, and trading vendors, who are set to receive between 54% and 72% of approved claims. Small, unsecured claimants are recovering about 61%. Meanwhile, intercompany claims involving FTX's various subsidiaries are being repaid at 120%. Over 90% of all claims have entered the distribution pipeline, the Repayment Trust said in its release. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
