Famous Glasgow names to be awarded honorary degrees
The Labour peer, OBE, KB, and founder and owner of City Facilities Management Holdings, is among 11 names to be given the recognition from Strathclyde Uni at graduation ceremonies this summer.
Lord Haughey with his wife, Susan, founded City Refrigeration in 1985.
He is a former non-executive director of Celtic, a sponsor of the Scottish Cup and helped save Hampden as the home of Scottish football by part-funding a deal to buy the stadium from Queen's Park.
Also being recognised for her work is crime writer Denise Mina, a former student of the university and successful novelist with top-selling books, many of which are set in Glasgow like Garnethill, and The Long Drop, her true crime story about murderer Peter Manuel.
Politicians are also being awarded honorary degrees.
Glasgow's Lord Provost, Jacqueline McLaren, a Glasgow SNP councillor and Mary Robinson, former President of the Republic of Ireland (1990-97) and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (1997-2002).
Professor Sir Jim McDonald, Strathclyde Principal and Vice-Chancellor, said: 'It is a pleasure and privilege to see so many high achievers, from such a wide range of fields, receiving honorary degrees from our University.
'Each has excelled in their respective professional careers and activities and, between them, they reflect every aspect of Strathclyde's ethos as a leading international technological university that is socially progressive.
'They are inspirational and present exceptional examples for our students and graduates to emulate. We welcome them all to the wider Strathclyde family.'
Honorary degrees will also be awarded to Professor Dame Anne Johnson, Professor of Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Co-Director of the Institute for Global Health at University College London, Jon Stanton, Chief Executive of the Weir Group, Fiona Drouet MBE, founder and CEO of the Emily Test charity, Dr Ruth McKernan, neuroscientist and venture partner, SV Health Investors, David Garbutt, Chair of NHS Education for Scotland, Lady Eileen McDonald, Ambassador for the University of Strathclyde.
Awards of Alumnus and Alumna of the Year will also be made to, respectively, Colin Gray, Head of the Scottish Government in the USA, and Lena Wilson, former CEO of Scottish Enterprise.
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New Statesman
an hour ago
- New Statesman
The British 'wealth exodus' is a big fat myth
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Inheritance Tax, long treated as politically toxic, is being pulled into the frame by necessity: HMRC is looking to bring in £15bn from it by the early 2030s. So when tax exile threats are deployed against modest changes to non-dom status, this isn't limited to Britain's wealthy moving overseas. It's about preparing the ground to block any future settlement that touches the hoarded, housed wealth of UK's upper-middle classes, many of whom would rather keep their Soho Opera than save a few pounds in the Caymans. Taxing wealth properly is technically difficult — but not impossible. What is impossible is designing good policy while scare stories are trotted out by wealth management's PR machine desperately trying to save its skin and frighten governments off progressive taxation. This government is in danger of falling for it – hook, line, and sinker. [Further reading: Let the non doms leave] Related
Telegraph
an hour ago
- Telegraph
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Its former headmistress Roisin Maguire said the policy has priced out 'working class' families from private education. She says: 'I'd love to have taken Bridget Phillipson into St Joseph's and said this is a school with one of the lowest fees, these parents are the people who work extra shifts at the hospital in order to afford this because their child has high needs. '[Ms Phillipson] has in her mind Eton and Harrow when she thinks of independent schools, but that's not the picture on the ground of schools who are affected by this.' Historic VAT claims While smaller, more affordable schools have closed, some schools such as Eton and Harrow, counter-intuitively, can make large retrospective claims. These schools are able to recover historic VAT they paid on capital expenditure including buildings and land acquisition over the past 10 years. 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A government spokesman said: 'Ending tax breaks for private schools will raise £1.8bn a year by 2029-30 and help to recruit and retain an additional 6,500 teachers and raise school standards, supporting the 94pc of children in state schools to achieve and thrive.' 'This is a loss. Girls are thriving here' The stage at Queen Margaret's school in York was alive with music and laughter last week as girls danced and sang, writes Natasha Leake. Their performance of 'The Fun Song', the school's long-standing inter-house competition, was more than just a joyful display – it was a poignant farewell. Just days later, the top all-girls boarding school closed its doors forever. It came following a sudden announcement in June that financial pressures, exacerbated by Labour's introduction of VAT on school fees, had forced its closure. 'I sat at the back, and I just had one of those moments of real sadness,' says head teacher Nicola Dudley, two days before the school closed forever on July 5. 'Looking at the girls on stage, they were brilliant. They were having so much fun… They were singing and dancing their hearts out without any inhibitions. And I think that is just the nature of a small all-girls school. I thought, this is a loss; these girls really are thriving here.' Dudley is speaking on the same day that sports day takes place at the school for the last time. After her appointment in September 2024, just 10 months ago, she had hoped to guide the school with renewed energy and passion for all-girls education, which she herself had experienced growing up. 'There is a real feeling of sadness,' she says. 'It's grieving for the loss of a community that's meant so much to so many people, and that's really hard.' Founded in 1901, Queen Margaret's school is set in the idyllic countryside of Escrick Park in Yorkshire. Next year would have marked its 125th anniversary. 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And for the local economy, the impact of the school's closure is devastating. 'It is easily the biggest employer in this village,' he adds. 'It's like a village disappearing, because of all the gardeners, all the cleaners, all the chefs, all the teachers.' Following the June 13 announcement of the school's closure, waves of disbelief permeated the school community. 'It was a big shock to the teachers, definitely to the girls,' the teacher reflects. 'They were absolutely devastated… a lot of them were crying because they have made lots of friends… nobody likes change, they have to find a new school within weeks.' Further afield, Old Margretian WhatsApp group chats have been buzzing furiously, as alumni have been gathering to discuss the school's closure but also to reminisce about better times. Annabel Sampson, now features editor at Tatler magazine, attended the school from 2000 to 2008. 'It was such a happy, hilarious time,' she remembers. 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- Scotsman
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