
SNP to consider banning football fans caught using flares at games
She said the Scottish Government would launch a consultation on whether Football Banning Orders should be extended to include people using pyrotechnics at games.
Pyro displays at games are divisive among fans, with many considering them part of the atmosphere while others complain that flares are dangerous and make it hard to see the game.
Football bosses are also split on whether fans should be banned from setting off flares at games.
The Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) last week called for greater use of Football Banning Orders to deter people from using pyrotechnics.
But Scottish Football Association (SFA) chief executive Ian Maxwell has insisted he did not want to see people banned from using flares at games, telling BBC Sport Scotland: 'You would absolutely never want to get to that stage and we need to look at the steps that we can take to avoid that.'
Tuesday's meeting involved the SPFL, the SFA, Rangers, Celtic, Hibernian and Aberdeen football clubs as well as supporters' associations, the police, prosecutors. Glasgow and Edinburgh city councils and the local authority umbrella organisation Cosla also attended.
Constance said: 'We must all do everything possible, individually and collectively, to rid football of dangerous and harmful behaviours.
We will publish a public consultation on Football Banning Orders legislation and how they can be effectively used to address disorder, in particular the reckless and illegal use of pyrotechnics at matches, and work closely with our partners to develop the consultation and consider next steps.'

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Bangladesh tribunal sentences Hasina to jail for contempt over a claim she had a license to kill
A special tribunal has sentenced Bangladesh's former leader Sheikh Hasina to six months in jail after she was found in contempt of court for allegedly claiming she had a license to kill at least 227 people. Wednesday's sentence was the first in any case against Hasina since she fled to India during a mass uprising last year that toppled her 15-year rule. The contempt case stemmed from a leaked audio recording of a supposed phone conversation between Hasina and a leader of the student wing of her political party. A person alleged to be Hasina is heard on the audio saying: 'There are 227 cases against me, so I now have a license to kill 227 people.' The Criminal Investigation Department confirmed the audio's authenticity through forensic analysis. The recording showed Hasina's anger at the charges of murder and numerous other crimes against her under the interim administration of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus, who vowed to punish Hasina and her top aides for the deaths of hundreds of people in the uprising against her. The sentencing by the Dhaka-based International Crimes Tribunal came as a trial against her being held in absentia on charges of crimes against humanity began in June. The tribunal had ordered Hasina and her former home minister to respond by May 15. When they failed to do so, the tribunal summoned them May 25 to appear in court June 16. Later the tribunal asked for notices to be published in newspapers asking Hasina to appear. The prosecution said later neither of the suspects appeared before the court or explained their absence through a lawyer. In such circumstances, the tribunal has the authority to issue a sentence under the law. Hasina and her Awami League party had earlier criticized the tribunal and its prosecution team for their connection with political parties, especially with the Jamaat-e-Islami party. The Yunus-led government has banned the former ruling Awami League party and amended laws to allow for the party to be prosecuted for its role during the uprising. In February, the U.N. human rights office estimated that up to 1,400 people may have been killed in Bangladesh over three weeks in the crackdown on the student-led protests against Hasina, who was the country's longest serving prime minister. The tribunal was established by Hasina in 2009 to investigate and try crimes involving Bangladesh's independence war in 1971. The tribunal under Hasina tried politicians, mostly from the Jamaat-e-Islami party, for their actions during the nine-month war against Pakistan. Aided by India, Bangladesh gained independence from Pakistan under the leadership of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Hasina's father and the country's first leader.


The Herald Scotland
an hour ago
- The Herald Scotland
Action to tackle 'unacceptable' empty homes in Scotland announced
These officers provide advice and assistance to owners on various options like renting, selling, or renovating their properties. They also work with local authorities to identify and address problematic empty properties. The move comes as Scotland is currently facing a housing crisis after a national emergency was declared in the Scottish Parliament over a year ago. Last year, The Herald launched a seven-point 'charter for change' to help end Scotland's housing emergency including a call to change the law so thousands of Scots found to be at risk of homelessness every year get support earlier to stay in their homes. The Charter for Change also called for the conversion of empty and void properties into affordable, settled homes to be sped up to move people out of temporary accommodation quickly. Last year, council tax data published by the Scottish government showed that 43,538 properties in Scotland were lying empty, and 73% of these homes were empty for over a year. The new posts are being supported as part of a £2 million Scottish Government investment through the Scottish Empty Homes Partnership in 2025-26. The Scottish Government says this funding they have announced will see staff take a "more proactive and targeted approach" to tackling local housing issues. READ MORE: 'Incompetent' ScotGov 'failings' on affordable homes pledge laid bare 'It's time John Swinney got his hard hat on to build more homes' FM faces backlash over 'disappointing' plans on affordable homes Scotland housing charities urge Swinney commit to homebuilding pledge Funding will also be used to train and induct new staff, grow services and ensure empty homes are utilised, including by increasing support for Local Authorities to make compulsory purchase orders. Ms McAllan said: 'Bringing homes back into use is a vital part of our plan to tackle the housing emergency – when too many families are struggling to find somewhere to live, it is unacceptable to me that so many houses are lying empty for long periods. 'It's vital to help councils to step up measures to turn privately-owned empty properties into much-needed homes and it's encouraging that local authorities have already come forward to make use of this support. 'As the First Minister has set out, this government is determined to eradicate child poverty – and tackling the housing emergency by making sure families have access to a home is a crucial part of that.' In a sit-down interview with The Herald, the new housing secretary also pledged to not roll back on house building targets. In 2021, the SNP promised to deliver 110,000 affordable homes by 2032. However, their critics in parliament and the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations have said they will fail to meet this commitment. Asked by The Herald if the target is still credible, Ms McAllan said: 'I think it is. I think that it will require us to step up. It's challenging for a number of reasons not least costs.' The Cabinet Secretary cited inflationary costs that have been 'bearing down' on construction since Covid as well as rising demand for housing. She added: 'These are challenging targets but I think the public expect their governments to challenge themselves. "I'm absolutely not intending to roll back on any of that.' Ms McAllan said the 'core' of action to tackle house building should be the Affordable Housing Supply Programme in which the government is investing £768 million this year in which the secretary says will translate into 8,000 affordable homes. However, she said this is "not enough" and that is why she is exploring "what levers can be pulled to bring empty homes into use" to "turn around social voids". Ms McAllan also said the Additional Dwelling Supplement is also "potentially helping" with the issue of second homes issues. Nine local authorities have so far agreed to employ the additional empty homes officers. Scottish Empty Homes Partnership National Manager Tahmina Nizam said: 'Every home matters as we work together to end Scotland's housing emergency. 'In councils across the country Empty Homes Officers are delivering results, with over 11,000 homes having brought back into use since 2010. The additional posts supported by this funding will expand on that vital work. New Empty Homes Officers are already in post at City of Edinburgh Council, while recruitment is underway in several other local authorities. 'Homes weren't built to sit empty; every empty home has the potential to transform a family or individual's life, but collectively they have an enormous role to play in reducing housing need and tackling the housing emergency. 'We look forward to welcoming more new Empty Homes Officers as they come into post and supporting their efforts to bring more homes back into use.'


The Herald Scotland
an hour ago
- The Herald Scotland
MSPs alarm over welfare costs as bill to soar to £9 billion
Richard Leonard, the convener of the Holyrood committee, wrote to auditor general Stephen Boyle, to respond to future work plans he had presented committee earlier in the year. "The committee supports the areas set out in your draft work programme and agrees that the sustainability of public services in their current models are now in doubt and that fundamental change is required. We also share your concerns around the persistent inequalities in areas such as health and poverty," said Mr Leonard. 'We agree with your assessment that 'social security spending is increasingly outstripping Barnett consequentials in Scotland' and that this is a risk to the Scottish Government's financial position.' READ MORE: Mr Leonard's letter to Mr Boyle on Monday comes as the fiscal watchdog the Scottish Fiscal Commission forecast that social security spending in Scotland is projected to increase significantly, from £6.8bn in 2025/26 to £9.4bn in 2030/31. In its report last November, Audit Scotland warned public services were at risk as a result of the Scottish Government's failure to implement meaningful reforms while making a series of multi-billion pound spending commitments. The spending watchdog accused the administration of not knowing how it will pay for above inflation public sector pay deals or rising welfare costs. It added that the Scottish Government had set out plans to balance the books in 2024/25 with a one-off raid of up to £460 million on a clean energy fund, but "does not know how this higher spending will be funded in the future". Meanwhile, spending on welfare has ballooned, owing to policies such as Nicola Sturgeon's Scottish Child Payment which cost £467m in the current financial year. Mr Boyle told the public audit committee on April 30: "The current context for the Scottish Government and public services in Scotland remains challenging. "Rising demands together with a constrained financial outlook pose risks to the sustainability of public services in their current form. A clear vision and strong leadership are required to drive the reforms that are needed to ensure the sustainability of services into the future." He added: "The scale and pace of the public sector reform that is required to support future sustainability have not yet been delivered." In its latest five-year outlook, published in May, the Scottish Fiscal Commission (SFC) said that while overall funding for the Scottish budget is forecast to grow, much of the increase will be absorbed by the rising cost of devolved welfare benefits, public sector pay settlements, and new policy commitments, such as the permanent scrapping of peak-time rail fares. The Commission noted that Scotland is forecast to spend £1.3bn more on devolved social security than it receives in UK funding in 2025-26, with that gap widening to around £2.2bn by the end of the forecast period. A key factor is the Scottish Government's decision to mitigate the two-child limit in Universal Credit, a policy expected to cost £156m in 2026-27 and rise to £199m by 2029-30. The MSPs' concerns over the rising costs of welfare in Scotland comes after a climbdown by the UK Government on Monday to reform the welfare system. In a late concession on Tuesday evening, ministers shelved plans to restrict eligibility for the personal independence payment (Pip), with any changes now only coming after a review of the benefit. The changes, which were made to meet demands from Labour backbenchers, has left Chancellor Rachel Reeves with a £4.5bn gap to fill with tax rises or cuts elsewhere, after the retreat means the package of welfare reforms may end up increasing spending. Meanwhile, the outlook for the Scottish and UK economies has weakened, with growth now expected to remain sluggish through the rest of 2025, according to the Fraser of Allander Institute at the University of Strathclyde. The analysis said economic growth is now slowing compared to the start of the year and inflation has also edged up to 3.4%, after staying below 3% throughout 2024. It added that the business environment is showing signs of strain, with companies reporting cutting back on activities in the first quarter compared to last year, hit by rises in national insurance contributions, which took effect in April, alongside uncertainty surrounding US President Donal Trump's trade tariffs. Dr Joao Sousa, Deputy Director of the Fraser of Allander Institute, said: 'The fiscal announcements by both governments suggest that there are significant economic challenges in the years and months to come for the UK and Scottish governments. 'Particularly from 2027-28 onwards, the choices of government look to become more difficult. Of course, this is the role of the government in power: but the difficulties of the UK government this week show that events can quickly derail its plans.' Speaking to journalists in Edinburgh on Wednesday the First Minister vowed he would not replicate the Pip changes in adult disability payment, which is the equivalent benefit north of the border. John Swinney said: "We will not make the changes or to make the cuts that the UK Government was proposing, we've made that crystal clear." A Scottish Government spokesperson said: 'Social Security is a vital safety net for families across Scotland and any one of us could need to depend on it at any time. "Our compassionate approach is based on the values of dignity and respect, and seeks to ensure as many people as possible get the help they are entitled to. 'This approach allows for support that is not available anywhere else in the UK, including the Scottish Child Payment which is keeping 40,000 children out of relative poverty this year. As of 31 March 2025, 326,225 children aged 15 and under were actively benefiting from Scottish Child Payment."