Latest news with #pro-Union
Glasgow Times
17-07-2025
- Politics
- Glasgow Times
Scottish Government to meet Orange Order after air rifle shot
OFFICIALS from the Scottish Government are to meet with the Orange Order, John Swinney has said, after an air rifle was fired at participants in a recent march. Thousands marched through Glasgow earlier this month as part of events to commemorate the 1690 Battle of the Boyne. During the day, four people were struck with 'air weapon pellets', according to police, while the march continued along Sauchiehall Street, near Kelvingrove Park, with no serious injuries reported. READ MORE: Richard Murphy in explosive spat with BBC presenter over 'pro-Union bias' Speaking to the PA news agency, First Minister John Swinney (below) confirmed officials will speak to representatives of the Orange Order on Wednesday, with community safety minister Siobhian Brown due to do the same at a later date. (Image: PA) 'The Scottish Government is meeting with representatives of the Orange Order today,' he said. 'Officials will take that forward and in due course, the community safety minister will meet with the Orange Order. READ MORE: Popular Scottish travel blogger dies at home after false West Bank claim 'In recent days, members of the Orange Order have been subjected to acts of violence which are deplorable and they are unacceptable to whoever they affect within our society. 'These matters are currently being taken forward by Police Scotland.'
The National
16-07-2025
- Business
- The National
ScotRail slammed for plans to outsource complaints team to French firm
The train operator is reportedly set to outsource its complaints team to French-owned Teleperformance, according to the Daily Record. Passengers looking for a refund for a late or cancelled service must speak with a call centre in Glasgow which is run separately from the railway. The customer services team, which handles complaints and personal injury claims, was previously operated by Dutch transport giant Abellio under a contract agreed before Scottish ministers took charge of ScotRail in 2022. But it is set to be run by Teleperformance going forward after a deal was announced to employees last week. READ MORE: Richard Murphy in huge spat with BBC presenter over 'pro-Union bias' The company runs call centres in 34 countries and has previously been accused of using "union busting" tactics against workers. Simon Barrow, national secretary of the SNP Trade Union Group, said outsourcing the complaints team to Teleperformance would be a "bad move" as he pushed for an end to "private profiteering". He told The National: 'ScotRail's current intention to switch to a new French-owned outsource contractor for its complaints service is a really bad move at a time when building confidence in publicly owned services, and making them genuinely public, is vital. 'But this is only part of the problem. A significant portion of the maintenance and operation of ScotRail stations and depots is already outsourced, and a facilities management services review may well push further in this direction. 'What Scotland needs instead is a reliable, high quality public service that brings jobs and opportunities to Scotland by ending private profiteering. 'As with opposing ticket office closures, which are a serious disservice to customers and staff alike, we will be supporting the campaigns of our rail union colleagues to bring back real public control and benefit in Scotland's rail network.' READ MORE: Keir Starmer fails to rule out bringing in tax on pension contributions ScotRail has said no contracts have been awarded and the company said it would not comment while it is in the "final stages" of a competitive procurement process. Gordon Martin, the RMT union's Scottish organiser, said: "We oppose all outsourcing on the railway and want to see all rail workers insourced in Scotland. "Our insourcing campaign will continue across Britain until we achieve justice for all our outsourced members." An insider told the Record "most people don't know" the customer experience operation is still outsourced despite the train operator having been brought under public control. "We expected, rightly, that a nationalised railway would bring us in-house," they said. A ScotRail spokesperson said: "No contracts have been awarded. We are in the final stages of a competitive procurement exercise for our customer contact centre services, and wouldn't comment on this process while it is live and ongoing."
The National
16-07-2025
- Politics
- The National
Scottish Government to meet Orange Order after air rifle shot
OFFICIAL from the Scottish Government are to meet with the Orange Order, John Swinney has said, after an air rifle was fired at participants in a recent march. Thousands marched through Glasgow earlier this month as part of events to commemorate the 1690 Battle of the Boyne. During the day, four people were struck with 'air weapon pellets', according to police, while the march continued along Sauchiehall Street, near Kelvingrove Park, with no serious injuries reported. READ MORE: Richard Murphy in explosive spat with BBC presenter over 'pro-Union bias' Speaking to the PA news agency, First Minister John Swinney (below) confirmed officials will speak to representatives of the Orange Order on Wednesday, with community safety minister Siobhian Brown due to do the same at a later date. (Image: PA) 'The Scottish Government is meeting with representatives of the Orange Order today,' he said. 'Officials will take that forward and in due course, the community safety minister will meet with the Orange Order. READ MORE: Popular Scottish travel blogger dies at home after false West Bank claim 'In recent days, members of the Orange Order have been subjected to acts of violence which are deplorable and they are unacceptable to whoever they affect within our society. 'These matters are currently being taken forward by Police Scotland.'
The National
16-07-2025
- Business
- The National
Keir Starmer fails to rule out bringing in tax on pension contributions
At the final Prime Minister's Questions before the summer break, Starmer would not be drawn on whether the Chancellor would impose taxes on pension contributions. Tory leader Kemi Badenoch asked the Prime Minister: 'We know the Chancellor is launching a review into pension contributions. It's as clear as day why this is – it is because the Government is considering taxing them. READ MORE: Fresh headache for Rachel Reeves as inflation jumps to 18-month high 'Does the Prime Minister agree with me that a tax on pension contributions is a tax on working people?' Starmer replied: 'We made absolutely clear manifesto commitments which she asked me about last week and we're keeping to. I'm not going to write the budget months out.' (Image: Ian West/PA Wire) It comes after the SNP raised questions about whether the scope and level of VAT could be changed, as Rachel Reeves (above) seeks to plug holes in her budget to meet her self-imposed fiscal rules. The Chancellor has pledged to have taxes cover day-to-day public spending and to get debt falling as a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP). READ MORE: Richard Murphy in explosive spat with BBC presenter over 'pro-Union bias' Debt is rising as a percentage of GDP and official forecasts project it will top 270% by 2070 – and top economists have warned that the 'fiscal headroom' left by Reeves's plans is too narrow to meet future shocks. She has also found herself with less room for manoeuvre after controversial cuts to the Winter Fuel Payment and disability benefits were scrapped.
The National
16-07-2025
- Business
- The National
Keir Starmer fails to rule out bringing in fresh tax on wages
At the final Prime Minister's Questions before the summer break, Starmer would not be drawn on whether the Chancellor would impose taxes on pension contributions. Tory leader Kemi Badenoch asked the Prime Minister: 'We know the Chancellor is launching a review into pension contributions. It's as clear as day why this is – it is because the Government is considering taxing them. READ MORE: Fresh headache for Rachel Reeves as inflation jumps to 18-month high 'Does the Prime Minister agree with me that a tax on pension contributions is a tax on working people?' Starmer replied: 'We made absolutely clear manifesto commitments which she asked me about last week and we're keeping to. I'm not going to write the budget months out.' (Image: Ian West/PA Wire) It comes after the SNP raised questions about whether the scope and level of VAT could be changed, as Rachel Reeves (above) seeks to plug holes in her budget to meet her self-imposed fiscal rules. The Chancellor has pledged to have taxes cover day-to-day public spending and to get debt falling as a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP). READ MORE: Richard Murphy in explosive spat with BBC presenter over 'pro-Union bias' Debt is rising as a percentage of GDP and official forecasts project it will top 270% by 2070 – and top economists have warned that the 'fiscal headroom' left by Reeves's plans is too narrow to meet future shocks. She has also found herself with less room for manoeuvre after controversial cuts to the Winter Fuel Payment and disability benefits were scrapped.
