Edinburgh books festival has a few questions to answer
My nose twitched. The eyebrows went skywards, but why?
Here's the Sunday Mail again: 'The book festival said it would be 'spurious' and 'misleading' to suggest any link between Lloyd's appointment and the announcement of the cash, which it said had been planned for months.'
Interesting choice of words there, particularly 'spurious'. It's the kind of ten-dollar word a lawyer might use when a simple 'wrong' would have done. It is there to send a message: nothing to see here folks, so let's all just shuffle on.
Read more
It is true. On the face of it, there is nothing wrong. As the festival said when news of Ms Lloyd's appointment emerged, she was appointed following 'a fully advertised recruitment process'. I could have applied, you could have applied, but we didn't. Moreover, she would bring 'valuable experience in communications, leadership and public affairs'.
It has been more than the regulation two years since Ms Sturgeon and Ms Lloyd held positions in public life, the former as FM and the latter as her strategic adviser. Ms Sturgeon has carried on as an MSP, controversially as she has not been seen much in the Scottish Parliament. Those memoirs won't write themselves, you know.
But Lloyd is different. She is a free agent, able to do what she wants, no permission required or sought. She has every right to earn a living by selling her skills wherever she pleases. Hence the application to the books festival.
The same goes for her appointment to a firm called Flint. On its website, Flint says it 'helps businesses and investors succeed in an increasingly complex world'. Its CEO is James Purnell, former Labour MP, former minister under Blair and Brown, ex-BBC and think-tanker.
Click through and you will eventually meet the Flint team, which now includes Ms Lloyd. Listed as a specialist partner with expertise in devolved administrations, operations team, policy and political analysis, her work for the FM is outlined in glowing terms. It's impressive stuff. She's an impressive woman.
Once again, she's doing nothing wrong. Countless former aides, and elected representatives, have gone the same route, using what they learned in the public sector and applying it in the private. Put your knowledge and experience to work. Everyone who ever progressed in a career has done likewise.
To summarise, Ms Lloyd was appointed a director at the Edinburgh International Book Festival. Nothing wrong in that. She advises businesses and investors using the expertise acquired while working for the First Minister. Nothing wrong in that.
As for her book festival appointment coinciding with the award of a £300k Scottish Government grant, remember the latter had been 'planned for months', according to the event organisers. The Scottish Government said the same thing when it announced the money at the end of June: the deal had been signed off months before by ministers but was not publicised.
What I would like to know, as a taxpayer if nothing else, is exactly when Ms Lloyd was appointed books festival director, and whether anyone at the festival knew that the £300k was in the pipeline.
Why was the Government announcement held back? The money is part of a larger package of help given to the event by the Scottish Government, and there is a lot more to come. Again, were those involved in the appointment of Ms Lloyd aware of this? It's a matter of public record, after all.
Once again, nobody has done anything wrong. That happens a lot in Scotland, particularly when the Scottish Government, and the current administration in particular, is involved. You can pass any number of faces on the stairs, familiar ones like John Swinney, and swear they had a case to answer for something or other, but when it comes to holding them to account, there is nobody there. Ferries, education, NHS waiting times, growth - you name it, no one is taking the blame for failure any time soon.
You will never see any of these faces take the sort of pasting handed out last week to Professor Iain Gillespie, former principal of the University of Dundee, by the Education Committee. Yes, ministers have been questioned, but not like that.
One of the unfortunate principal's mistakes was to fail downwards when the done thing in Scottish public life is to fail upwards. Move on, move up, take the rewards but accept zero blame unless there is no other option. It was and is the Westminster way and it has transferred to the Scottish Parliament.
We'll be seeing it a lot more of this moving on as the elections approach. Get ready to hold your nose as departing MSPs, and their aides, compete for jobs in the public and private sectors. And if the SNP should win a majority again, despite their record, the failing upwards can carry on as normal.
I wonder if Ms Sturgeon will address the subject of failure when her much-anticipated session at the books festival comes to pass. If she is up for it, I would like to hear Ms Lloyd's thoughts as well. Now that she is a festival director and in what they call 'a public-facing role', there shouldn't be a problem. John Swinney too - all are welcome. Until then, I'll keep wrinkling my nose. Bewitched, no. Bothered, plenty.
Alison Rowat is a Herald feature writer and columnist
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scotsman
28 minutes ago
- Scotsman
Choice is more decline or new direction with Labour
Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, bottles whisky during a visit to the Glenkinchie Whisky Distillery to mark the UK-India trade deal (Picture: Andrew Milligan/) Tomorrow marks a year since the general election, when people across Scotland voted decisively for change. Since then, we have got to work delivering our Plan for Change to invest in Scotland's renewal, raise living standards and put more money in people's pockets. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, 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... Consider some of the achievements of the Labour Government so far. We've increased the minimum wage, delivering a pay rise for 200,000 Scots, and protected pensioners' living standards by guaranteeing the Triple Lock, something the Conservatives are now wavering over. We've ended austerity and provided a record budget settlement for the Scottish Government, with an additional £9.1 billion over the next three years thanks to Labour, meaning more money for Scottish public services. The SNP voted against it at Westminster but were happy enough to spend the money in the Scottish Budget. The public will rightly ask where they have spent their money? We've introduced the Employment Rights Bill, the most ambitious set of workers' rights proposals in a generation, which will ban fire and rehire, strengthen parental leave and end exploitative zero-hours contracts. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad We've safeguarded the UK's last blast furnaces at Scunthorpe, allocated £200 million for Grangemouth's future and brokered a deal to secure the Methil and Arnish fabrication yards. Contrast this with the SNP's years of inaction on Grangemouth, and their silence on the mothballing of the Dalzell and Clydebridge steelworks. We've invested for the long-term, with the recent Spending Review confirming £750m for Edinburgh University for the UK supercomputer, billions for GB Energy and a big commitment to nuclear south of the border. Meanwhile, in Scotland, the SNP clings to its ideological objection to nuclear. In England, where health is delivered by the UK Government, we are already seeing marked improvements in the NHS. We promised two million additional NHS appointments in the first year and have delivered four million. This could not be more different to the desperate situation in Scotland; last week the chair of BMA Scotland warned that the Scottish NHS is 'dying before our eyes'. On the international stage, we've agreed historic new trade deals with India and the United States, which will see Indian tariffs on Scotch whisky immediately halved, and then further reduced to just 40 per cent, and US tariffs on steel and aluminium slashed to zero. Additionally, we've reset the relationship with the EU with a new partnership which stands to be of enormous benefit to Scotland's young people and businesses. This comes alongside my Scotland Office Brand Scotland mission, which seeks to promote Scottish exports and attract foreign investment. In the face of unprecedented geopolitical instability, we've remained firm in our support for Ukraine and increased defence spending, which, in addition to keeping Scotland safe, will support our thriving defence industries from the Clyde to Rosyth and create jobs across the country. Changing a country is not like flicking a switch. We've had to make tough choices, and I know that people are as impatient as I am for change to come faster and go further. But be in no doubt, the work of change has begun. A year from now, that work continues in the Scottish elections, when Scots will have the opportunity to choose between more decline with the SNP or a new direction with Scottish Labour. Ian Murray is MP for Edinburgh South and Secretary of State for Scotland
Scotsman
29 minutes ago
- Scotsman
Readers' Letters: Why is bullying allowed in so-called inclusive and progressive Scotland?
The bullying of people with gender critical views can't be allowed, says reader 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... Catriona Stuart's piece ('Gender critical academic trained in 'duck and cover' manoeuvres at university', 1 July) at last confirms what women have been saying and experiencing for years. A UK Government-funded report has revealed 'that those who have challenged the theory that sex is always less important than gender identity have been bullied, harassed and blocked from career progression' and that this has impacted free speech and academic integrity. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Academia is only the tip of the iceberg, the arts have equally been de-platforming, cancelling and discriminating against 'gender critical' people. The Scottish Government and many MSPs should be ashamed of themselves for allowing this to happen in what they keep telling us is an inclusive and progressive Scotland. It is absolutely not progressive to shut down free speech and to bully. It is not inclusive to vilify people who have legitimate and commonly held views that sex is real, or that women (biological) are a legitimately defined group both in law and in common understanding. The terms 'man' and 'woman' have been defined for millennia. For the less than 0.5 per cent who meaningfully have an issue with those terms and concepts, that is truly unfortunate, but we purportedly live in a democracy. As an example of the Scottish Government's complicity in creating this 'hostile culture', the academic mentioned in the article was compelled to resign from her chairing of a charity, headquartered in Edinburgh, because of fears that the charity would lose Scottish Government funding due to her involvement. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad It is telling that there has been no comment on the report from the Scottish Government. First Minister John Swinney needs to grasp the nettle and show leadership, demonstrate that this culture of intolerant, bullying behaviour is nothing to be proud of and certainly not in Scotland and its people's best interests. Rona McCall, Gairloch, Highland Don't backslide The Scotsman's report of opposition to Ash Regan's Members Bill was concerning reading for women who have been exploited in the sex trade, and the groups that are fighting hard to ensure justice and enhanced support ('MSPs told to 'pull plug' on Regan's Prostitution law proposals', 1 July). A powerful 'sex-work' lobby stands to lose out if Ms Regan's Bill progresses, and are attempting to stop it. The Scottish Government, meanwhile, has inexplicably failed to legislate in this area over a period of years, despite having formally recognised prostitution as a form of violence against women. There must be no back-sliding now. Criminalising the often powerful and privileged men who pay for sex is an essential element in tackling the demand for sexual services at source. This is especially important in light of the trafficking of vulnerable women and girls into Scotland to perform sexual acts for men in return for payment. This despicable trade cannot be credibly addressed without robust measures to reduce and eliminate demand through criminal sanctions. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The sexual exploitation of highly vulnerable and often trafficked women and girls, for the gratification of men, is a stain upon Scotland's political conscience. It would be a tragedy if MSPs permit yet another parliamentary session to pass without any action to criminalise this recognised form of violence against women. Michael Veitch, Scotland Policy Officer, CARE, Glasgow Happy land Yet another letter from Stan Grodynski telling us how badly off we are in Scotland because we are part of the world's sixth-largest economy, the United Kingdom (2 July). 'For hundreds of years the people of Scotland have been subjected to a deviously sophisticated campaign of British indoctrination...' Geezabrek. If the SNP lot at Holyrood had, as they say, 'full control of the levers of power' we would be in dire straits. Independence would result in an economic maelstrom, and would make the Highland Clearances look like a sensible social experiment. Mr Grodynski never ceases to tell us how badly off we are in Scotland under 'British rule', but the fact is that we are incredibly lucky to live here, in comparison with most of the world. Consider things we take for granted. Unlimited supplies of pure water from every tap. Power cuts few and far between. Supermarket shelves stocked with high quality food and never empty. Retail parks busy supplying every conceivable item one could wish for. Most neighbourhoods across the land free of crime. The rule of law and a functioning democracy which can hold law enforcement to account. A social security safety net to help those in need. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad And although the NHS struggles with an ageing population and ever greater demands on it, it's a first class health service free at the point of need. We enjoy a free press unhindered by censorship. Unlike many countries dissent and opposition to the state is tolerated, as is freedom to worship or not however one chooses. A population which values tolerance, humour and resilience. And an outstanding natural environment with a temperate climate with few weather extremes, no volcanoes or earthquakes and no wild beasts or dangerous creepie crawlies (midges excepted). The Office of National Statistics regularly surveys the four nations on a happiness scale from 0 to 10. Scotland scores an average rating of 7.47, England, 7.41, Wales 7.38 and Northern Ireland 7.62. So no real difference across the Kingdom. We're all much the same together. We should be hugely thankful for our lot given the state of the world. Yes there are problems, but Scotland's problems are similar to England's and independence is not a magic potion to cure the nation's ills. William Loneskie, Oxton, Lauder, Berwickshire Blown away Sir Keir Starmer, in one of his most recent statements, a day after a backbench Labour revolt has seen him yet again forced into a U-turn – this time on welfare cuts – said ''the UK's benefits system is broken and fixing it is a moral imperative'. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Well, yes, maybe it is in need of looking at, However, there is a rather more important moral imperative that has been in need of examination for a very long time, not least when many are struggling, and will struggle even more so this coming winter to heat their homes and pay their energy bill – constraint payments. For those who are unaware: It is the money wind farm operators receive when required by the Grid operators to turn off their wind farms, when output of power, as a result of too much wind, far exceeds demand, and which the existing National Grid, in balancing the system, cannot accept or it would result in an overload. Numerous reports indicate Britain paid a record £1 billion to switch off wind farms in 2024, and in the first two months of 2025 alone these payments reached £252 million. This is not a direct subsidy for wind farms but rather a cost associated with managing the grid and ensuring a stable electricity supply. The costs are ultimately passed on to consumers through their energy bills. In the meantime consumers are being repeatedly advised by Ed Miliband, the UK Secretary of State for Energy, that this 'renewable revolution' will soon be giving us cheaper energy and therefore lower bills. Well, given the latest announcement by Ofgem that a further £24bn energy grid upgrade to boost renewables has been approved, and that that investment will increase network charges on bills by £104 by 2031, huge sums of money being blown in the wind and pigs will fly comes to mind! Neil McKinnon, Glenalmond, Perth Innocents die Bob Vylan's chant of 'death to the IDF' means 'death to the Jews', as all soldiers are of the Jewish faith. Nobody really knows how many have died in Gaza but the Palestinian Authority have stated that the majority of deaths are Hamas or their supporters. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Yes innocents die. It's a war fought unlike any other where one group hides within the population and the other is targeting an individual within that group. Hamas will not release the hostages because once that happens they have no leverage. Only the elimination of Hamas will bring peace to Gaza and Palestine. Lewis Finnie, Edinburgh Carol's a star Although no doubt extremely proud of the family connections it might be a change from being referred to as the mother of Scottish actor Ewan McGregor, for Carol McGregor to be described as the sister of Local Hero actor Denis Lawson in the Scotsman article regarding an opening event for the Filmhouse (1 July). On three occasions she is mentioned as his sister or big sister, but despite being the person originally invited to the opening at no point does your reporter consider this merits her name being included, or any reference to her own association with Scottish film. Was The Scotsman not curious as to why this unidentified person was the actual invitee, not her brother, who was in effect a plus one, or even her son? Please show some respect for the lesser-known people who assist in making the wheels go round as well as the so called stars, even if only in the interest of economy, because there are fewer letters in her actual name than her description. Graham Hay, Livingston, West Lothian How exciting Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad How come Susan Sarandon is so excited about making her UK theatre debut (24 Hours, 2 July) when I saw her gracing the boards of the Lyceum in 2002 in a play, The Guys, with her then partner, Tim Robbins, on the subject of 9/11? Gail Whyte, Bathgate, West Lothian Write to The Scotsman
STV News
31 minutes ago
- STV News
‘Radical change' necessary to meet housing needs of ageing nation, report warns
'Radical change' is needed as too many of Scotland's homes fail to meet the needs of an ageing population, a report has warned. The Scottish Federation of Housing Associations (SFHA) has called on MSPs to create a national strategy for housing the elderly and people with disabilities. In its Homes Fit For The Future report, it points out that 70% of the country's housing stock was built before 1982, with many unfit for the needs of Scotland's ageing population. It said within 20 years, more than a quarter of Scotland's population will be aged 65 or over, whilst those under 16 are projected to make up just over half that amount (13.3%). The SFHA has raised concerns about the impact unsuitable housing already has on disabled and older people and has warned the situation will get worse as the country ages. It said this will have severe consequences for the NHS and social care. Despite looming pressures, it said the Scottish Government's accessible housing working group has not met since 2021. As well as calling for a national accessible housing strategy, SFHA has said newbuild homes across all forms of housing should be built to a common design standard, ensuring they are accessible for elderly and disabled people. The report has called on MSPs to ensure grants for social housing allow investment in technology such as digital applications, which can allow people to live independently, prevent injuries, and reduce hospital admissions. Other types of technology include fall-detection sensors and voice-enabled companions. SFHA policy manager Susie Fitton, who wrote the report, said: 'The devastating impact of Scotland's housing emergency is well documented. 'We desperately need more homes being built, but we need to be strategic about the design of these homes to ensure they will serve the needs of people as they age. 'Most of our current housing stock was designed for a previous century and we must update our approach. 'Across Scotland there are around 78,000 people we currently know need an adaptation to live independently in their home. The real number is likely to be higher and it will only climb as our population gets older. 'We want to see a national accessible housing strategy. Policymakers must ensure that the funding and systems in place for delivering adaptations are significantly improved to meet the need.' Ms Fitton said a common design standard would ensure homes are made accessible from the day they are built, which she said is the best way to ensure they are fit for the future. She added: 'Meeting the needs of our ageing population will require radical and innovative solutions, which includes embracing technological change. 'Given technology can allow people to live independently and prevent injuries and hospital admissions, then policymakers must ensure social housing grant levels are enough to invest in such preventative technology from the outset when building new homes.' The Scottish Government has been approached for comment. Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
