Latest news with #JohnSwinney
The Herald Scotland
9 hours ago
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
Swinney government accused of twisting EHRC advice
The comments earned a stinging rebuke from Baroness Kishwer Falkner, the Chair of the EHRC, who said the Commission had made it "clear" to civil servants that public bodies should not wait for updated guidance before acting on the judgment. The peer said she was "very concerned that our conversations with officials appear to have been misrepresented". FWS told The Herald they were stunned by the claims from officials: 'At what point does this stop being ignorant incompetence and tip into wilful malpractice?' Read more: In April, the UK's highest court ruled unanimously that a Gender Recognition Certificate (GRC) does not alter a person's sex for the purposes of the Equality Act. The judgment clarified that the terms 'man' and 'woman' in the legislation refer to biological sex, not acquired gender. The EHRC then issued interim guidance in May related to trans people's use of facilities including including changing rooms and toilets, and participation in sports. It also launched a consultation on changes to parts of its code of practice for services, public functions and associations, which is due to conclude on June 30. The watchdog is due to publish the updated code later this year. While First Minister John Swinney initially welcomed the 'clarity' provided by the ruling, the Scottish Government has repeatedly said it is waiting for this further guidance before issuing new guidance of its own to Scotland's public bodies. However, the EHRC has repeatedly said that the ruling applies now and that "those with duties under the Equality Act 2010 should be following the law and looking at what changes, if any, need to be made to their policies and practices". For Women Scotland following the court ruling (Image: PA) After the meeting with the Equalities Directorate, FWS wrote to the EHRC to question the claims made by officials. Baroness Falkner replied: "As you rightly point out, our public messaging has been that the law as set out by the Supreme Court is effective immediately. "We have been clear in our public messaging and in direct conversations with duty-bearers, including the Scottish Government, that they should not wait for our guidance but should be seeking to update their policies and practices in the light of the new understanding of the law, taking their own specialist legal advice where necessary." Earlier this week, FWS wrote to the Scottish Government's Permanent Secretary Joe Griffin calling for a full investigation, saying it was "extremely concerning that statements made by a senior government official to a third party about EHRC advice have been directly contested by the regulatory body itself". In a letter to the campaigners on Friday, seen by The Herald, Mr Griffin did not challenge FWS's account of the meeting, and said his team would "revert in due course" with a fuller response. He said the Government accepted the Supreme Court's judgment and "acknowledges the EHRC statement that duty-bearers should not wait for our statutory Code of Practice for Services, Public Functions and Associations to be in place to review their policies to ensure they are complying with the law as now settled by the Supreme Court". This, he added, "aligns with the approach the Scottish Government has taken since the judgment was issued in April". Read more: In Holyrood on Wednesday, Mr Griffin was pressed by SNP MSP Michelle Thomson to name any concrete action the Government had taken since the ruling. Mr Griffin said only that the "short life working group" had been established to prepare for implementation. He could not identify any specific changes made to guidance or policy. Asked whether the threat of legal action — including two formal pre-litigation notices issued by FWS and Sex Matters — had prompted a rethink, Mr Griffin insisted that his advice remained that it was appropriate to wait for final EHRC guidance. Susan Smith from FWS told The Herald: 'After the rambling performance of the Permanent Secretary at committee, it was clear that the Scottish Government has done nothing to comply with the Supreme Court ruling. 'To justify this, the civil service has materially misrepresented the advice given by the EHRC. There is no justification for Ministers or civil servants to ignore the law, and these highly paid public servants and politicians should not sit on their haunches while grassroots women's groups with little power or funding explain to them the basic principles of law and professional standards. Scotland deserves better. 'To say we are shocked is an understatement. At what point does this stop being ignorant incompetence and tip into wilful malpractice? 'The only recourse open to us is to return to court. But given the Scottish Government resoundingly ignored earlier Court of Session rulings and is now seemingly intent on not implementing the UK Supreme Court judgment it appears largely futile and a further waste of taxpayers' money. Has the Scottish Government really put itself beyond the law?' A Scottish Government spokesperson said: "The Scottish Government has been clear that we accept the Supreme Court judgment and that public bodies have a duty to comply with the law. "Work is proceeding at pace to implement the ruling across Government. We have established a Short Life Working Group to ensure support and consistency in this. "We expect public bodies to be analysing policies and procedures and this is what is happening. For example, Police Scotland this week issued interim guidance on searching, including searching of transgender people. "The Scottish Government has also updated the Gender Representation on Public Boards (Scotland) Act 2018 guidance to reflect the judgment in relation to the definition of 'woman' under the Equality Act and this is now published online. "The recent changes to the Equality and Human Rights Commission's interim update demonstrate the complexity of this work and the need for extensive legal advice and consultation with stakeholders. We will continue to take this work forward at pace in a way which protects the rights of everyone in society. "The Permanent Secretary has responded to For Women Scotland."
Sunday Post
16 hours ago
- Politics
- Sunday Post
Failure over domestic abuse law is leaving women at risk
Get a weekly round-up of stories from The Sunday Post: Thank you for signing up to our Sunday Post newsletter. Something went wrong - please try again later. Sign Up Key new powers to protect domestic abuse victims are still gathering dust four years after MSPs voted for them – and all ministers have done in the past 12 months is hold a workshop. Holyrood unanimously backed the new law in 2021 to help police, courts and landlords deal with emergencies where women are in acute danger. But John Swinney is now the third first minister who has failed to activate the powers. The same Domestic Abuse Prevention Orders and Notices (DAPOs and DAPNs) promised for Scotland are now up and running in a series of pilot schemes in England and Wales. In Greater Manchester alone, DAPOs were used more than 200 times in the first few months with at least six brutes ending up behind bars for breaching them. But while those abusers were being rounded up down south, the Scottish Government convened a workshop on the logjam last March. Now ministers have revealed that the measures are being shelved indefinitely while they set up a new working group to talk about the issue further. Sophie Berry, a solicitor for the Women's Rights Project at Glasgow's Govan Law Centre, said: 'The failure to implement this legislation is an unforgivable missed opportunity to help vulnerable women and children escape domestic violence and abuse in Scotland. 'It took many years of consultation and careful drafting to get the Domestic Abuse (Protection) (Scotland) Act 2021 on to the statute book, and it received overwhelming support. 'I see no credible argument for why England and Wales are able to achieve what we apparently cannot, four years after our own legislation was passed.' Scottish Conservative MSP Pam Gosal has lodged her own Bill at Holyrood, calling for a register of domestic abusers. She said: 'Given that domestic abuse cases remain shamefully high, the SNP government's haphazardness when it comes to delivering legislation on this issue is deeply alarming. 'Even by their standards, this failure to pass competent legislation and get it implemented is beyond unacceptable and shamefully betrays victims. 'DAPOs are supposed to protect the most vulnerable, but now it could be years before we get them implemented. 'If the SNP Government are serious about tackling the scourge of domestic abuse, they must start putting victims first. A good place to start is by giving their backing for my Prevention of Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Bill that is going through parliament.' Scottish Labour justice spokeswoman Pauline McNeill said: 'The SNP promised to protect vulnerable women and children, but after four years, three first ministers and countless delays, all they've delivered is a workshop. 'While England and Wales are jailing abusers under DAPOs, SNP ministers have shelved the same powers in Scotland and are now blaming their own legislation. 'This is a shameful failure – and it lies squarely at the feet of the SNP and John Swinney. 'We need action, not warm words. Vulnerable women and children are being let down because of their incompetence and inaction.' The Domestic Abuse (Protection) (Scotland) Act was passed by MSPs of all parties in March 2021 – by 118 votes to 0. Then Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf hailed it as 'transformational legislation', predicting it would help between 600 and 3,000 families a year. He told Holyrood: 'We collectively have a duty to ensure that our law and law-enforcement agencies have the tools to (protect) victims… 'We should never again have that stain on our collective conscience that victims of domestic abuse – predominantly women – must flee their homes in order to protect themselves.' The Act targets perpetrators in two ways. Firstly, it would allow a council or housing association landlord to evict a convicted domestic abuser if the victim wishes to carry on living in the property. But even before a case goes to court, the police would be able to issue a suspect with a DAPN, ordering him or her out of the shared home if there is a risk of physical violence or psychological trauma escalating. Courts can then follow up with a DAPO to cement the protection for three months and impose a vast range of conditions on suspects that can include being fitted with a GPS tracker or attending drug or drink rehab. Police in England and Wales already had more powers than Scottish officers, and now the enhanced notices and orders have been running for several months in Greater Manchester, London, Cleveland and north Wales. But they still cannot be used in Scotland because SNP ministers have failed to table the secondary legislation needed to bring them to life. Last summer, The Sunday Post highlighted fears that victims are being left at risk because of the delay, with then Housing Minister Paul McLennan admitting in an excruciating podcast interview that he was totally confused. He said: 'I think obviously there was legislation, you know, there shouldn't have been, and to be honest, I don't know how that would actually work.' Since then, three Holyrood committees have put pressure on the government to come up with a solid date for implementation. But this week, Victims and Community Safety Minister Siobhian Brown wrote to the equalities committee: 'The consensus from those who participated in the workshop was that fundamental changes were needed to the legislation. 'A short-life working group will be established to consider recommendations for possible legislative change to ensure that domestic abuse protection orders can be implemented operationally and sustainably. 'Once determined and agreed, we will look to consult more widely in 2026 and thereafter consider the need for legislation.' The Scottish Government said it is handing £21.6 million this year to more than 100 organisations working to prevent violence against women and girls and support survivors. It said: 'We are committed to fully implementing the Act 2021. This is a complex piece of legislation, and through extensive and close working with stakeholders several unexpected operational challenges have been raised. 'A short-life working group is being established to consider possible legislative changes to ensure the Act can be implemented as intended and so it works for people. We will then consult on any proposed changes.' A catalogue of ministers have played their part in the failure to implement the Act. Nicola Sturgeon used the 2019 SNP party conference to announce the coming of DAPOs – and repeated the pledge in her Programme for Government speech of 2020. Her successor, Humza Yousaf, was justice secretary when the law was passed. Both are set to leave Holyrood at the election next year with golden goodbye resettlement grants in excess of £100,000 without having seen through their promises to domestic abuse victims. Among other justice secretaries, Michael Matheson – another about to stand down as an MSP – first touted the orders in 2017 while Keith Brown claimed Part 2 would go live in 2022. Current incumbent Angela Constance insisted those landlord powers would be up and running by spring 2024. So too did Deputy First Minister Shona Robison, when she was social justice secretary, and ex-housing minister McLennan. Minister for parliamentary business Jamie Hepburn and equalities minister Kaukab Stewart have been liaising with committees about the delays. It was Brown, the victims and community safety minister , who wrote to MSPs on Holyrood's equalities committee last week to reveal that DAPOs have been put on the back-burner. She said: 'We will look to consult more widely in 2026 and thereafter consider the need for legislation.' Timeline How progress stalled after government promises nearly eight years ago. Nov 2017 Justice secretary Michael Matheson reveals plan for new orders. Oct 2019 Sturgeon to SNP conference: 'Within this parliamentary term, we will introduce a new law to establish emergency protective orders.' Sept 2020 Programme for Government: 'The experience of lockdown reiterated the importance of protecting women and girls…facing domestic abuse.' Oct 2020 The Bill is introduced along with consultation. Jan 2021 Justice committee backs the Bill but says more work needed to make it practical. Mar 2021 The Bill becomes law after MSPs vote. Apr 2021 Westminster passes its own Domestic Abuse Act for DAPOs/DAPNs in England and Wales. Winter 2022 Deadline missed to implement Part 2, which gives powers to landlords to eject abusers. Sept 2023 Justice Secretary Angela Constance: 'Detail being worked through.' Working group set up to discuss Part 1. Spring 2024 Another deadline to implement Part 2 of the Bill is missed. Jun 2024 Housing minister Paul McLennan: 'I don't know how that would actually work.' Nov 2024 Pilot schemes activated across England and Wales. Police begin using the orders. Mar 2025 Workshop held to discuss Part 1. Jun 2025 Part 1 shelved indefinitely with new working group and consultation to be set up in 2026. Dec 2025 New deadline for Part 2, but warning that it may be delayed yet again. OPINION: Survivors affected by lack of urgency By Sophie Berry, Solicitor at the Govan Law Centre, Glasgow It really is incredible that here we are, yet another year down the line, and still there's no sign of the key parts of this legislation being implemented, just endless delays and excuses. Deadlines missed and promises broken, but plenty of time for a workshop, consultations and working groups. It's unbelievably frustrating for all of Scotland's domestic abuse organisations that have contributed significant time and resources to bringing this legislation into existence. Far more importantly, though, these are potentially life-and-death measures for survivors who continue to be affected by the lack of urgency with still no end in sight. Almost 64,000 domestic abuse cases were reported to Police Scotland in 2023/24, with 81% involving a male perpetrator and a female victim. Every day at Govan Law Centre's Women's Rights Project, we see women and children suffering the consequences of the failure to put these protections in place. Yet, at the same time, we hear that significant progress is being made in England and Wales, with pilot schemes which appear to be making a real difference to the lives of survivors. It makes no sense. Women are most at risk just when they are trying to leave an abusive partner. Giving the police the power to intervene on behalf of a person at imminent risk could make a vital difference at the most critical time. And that's as true today as it was in 2021, so any further delay would be unforgivable.
Scotsman
20 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Scotland First Minister John Swinney visits record-breaking exhibition at Dovecot Studios
Last week First Minister John Swinney enjoyed a visit to the record-breaking exhibition The Scottish Colourists: Radical Perspectives at Dovecot Studios Edinburgh. 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... The exhibition marks a century since the four Scottish Colourists, FCB Cadell, JD Fergusson, SJ Peploe, GL Hunter, widely recognised as Scotland's most pioneering artists of the early 20th century, exhibited together as a quartet for the first time in London. Dovecot's exhibition to mark this centenary shows the Colourists enduring appeal. With building visitors pegged at over 90,000 in the past 12 months, Dovecot has increased its annual pre-pandemic footfall by over 50%*. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Celia Joicey, Director of Dovecot Studios says: "We are absolutely thrilled by the phenomenal response to The Scottish Colourists: Radical Perspectives exhibition — expert curation from the Fleming Collection, has attracted new audiences and supported deeper public engagement with the Colourists' work. FM John Swinney at Dovecot Studios "Creating an exhibition programme with wide appeal, which includes forthcoming exhibitions on IKEA design and 20th century fashion, is crucial to our survival as a 21st century arts organisation and we are grateful to our visitors for its success." Dovecot's increased footfall is distinctive. It has been recently reported that UK galleries are suffering from a decline in visitor numbers due to Brexit, the aftermath of Covid-19 and the cost-of-living crisis (I Paper, 2025; Art Plugged, 2025). By contrast, Dovecot's landmark show on The Scottish Colourists is now the most attended in the organisation's history, surpassing the highly successful Grayson Perry show in 2019. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Bucking a slow start to the year for many museums and galleries, with a sector report citing visitors are still 10% down on pre- pandemic numbers (Association of Cultural Enterprise and Museum & Galleries Edinburgh, 2025), the exhibition has resonated with new and local visitors. 35% of those surveyed said they were first time visitors to the gallery. FM John Swinney at Dovecot Studios Dovecot cites the quality of its public programme and curating as a factor in this success. The exhibition places the Scottish Colourists alongside their European and UK contemporaries for the first time, challenging conventions around who should be considered the leading radical painters from 1905 to the outbreak of war in 1914. The exhibition is also supported by talks, events and workshops. James Knox, Exhibition Curator and a Director of the Fleming-Wyfold Art Foundation, says: "The critical reassessment we've undertaken in this exhibition has allowed us to show these artists in a new light, demonstrating how their work remains deeply relevant today. It's inspiring to see these iconic Scottish artists being celebrated 100 years on since their first exhibition and how this international generation of radical painters forged a new language of colour in the early 20th Century." Knox believes the appeal of the exhibition highlights the vital importance of championing Scottish art through fresh critical reassessment. For example, for the first time the exhibition sees the Colourists work shown alongside Fauve painters Henri Matisse and André Derain. Major institutional loans include Derain's renowned Fauvist work, Pool of London, lent by Tate, key works by Bloomsbury Group innovators Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant, as well as major examples from Walter Sickert's more nuanced Camden Town Group. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad It also shows many works held in private collections not seen by the public before. Thanks to the support of so many lenders, The Scottish Colourists: Radical Perspectives is an opportunity to mark a key moment in the ongoing revival of Scottish art, and its relevance on a global stage. FM John Swinney at Dovecot Studios Due to the higher-than-anticipated attendance to date, Dovecot Studios have extended the exhibition by a day, until Sunday, June 29, to ensure as many visitors as possible have the opportunity to see the work of the Scottish Colourists displayed alongside their better-known European contemporaries. * 58,353 Dovecot building visitors 1 June – 31 May 2019 compared with 88,774 1 June 2024 – 31 May 2025 (i.e. 52% increase)
The Herald Scotland
21 hours ago
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
Want to talk about waste, Mr Swinney? Have you got a mirror?
Given the awfulness of the ongoing ferry saga, the state of the Scottish NHS, the cancer waiting times, the demise of the Scottish education system, giving criminals home detention curfew at 15% of their sentence, the disastrous Gender Recognition Reform Bill bill and the failed Named Person Scheme to name but a few, is it not reasonable for John Swinney and his Cabinet to step down and call an election so we can get a government of whatever persuasion that actually wants to improve our services and make Scotland a better place to live? They've been in power for 18 years and they have nothing to be proud of. Jane Lax, Aberlour. • Without wishing to diminish the responsibility of former Dundee University principal Professor Iain Gillespie and his colleagues for the financial failure of Dundee University it was richly ironic to see SNP MSPs on the Education Committee vent their outrage on this individual when the Scottish Government's record on economic rectitude has been abysmal. Pot, kettle comes to mind. Alan Ramage, Edinburgh. Where the focus really is Watching First Minister's Questions on Thursday (June 26) I lost count of the number of times John Swinney said that he and the SNP were "focused" on dealing with the many problems facing their handling of the NHS. He was responding to the latest data on cancer treatment, delayed discharges and the absence of Health Secretary Neil Gray on a trip to Japan. These had prompted multi-party attacks on their abysmal record. His use of that word would be credible only if those hearing it did not know that the SNP only exists to focus on separatism on behalf of those who think it is the solution to all our woes. Mark Openshaw, Aberdeen. Read more letters The Iranian connection The UK Defence Journal reports that dozens of social media accounts pushing for the break-up of the UK disappeared simultaneously on the day Israel bombed Iran's cyber infrastructure ("'Dozens of pro-Indy accounts went offline when Israel bombed Iran'", heraldscotland, June 25). Few will be surprised there. But, even so, it should open a few eyes in the nationalist movement. Perhaps some deep thinking needs to be done by the Scottish nationalists on having Iran as an ally, whether wanted or not. Alexander McKay, Edinburgh. Slim down the civil service Anyone who heard the evasions and prevarications practised by Joe Griffin, the new head of the Scottish civil service, in front of a Holyrood committee this week ("Top civil servant told to 'get on it' after Supreme Court ruling on gender", heraldscotland, June 24) will not be surprised that nothing much of value seems to be achieved by government in Scotland. It is over two months since the Supreme Court ruled that biological sex is the determining factor in definitions of "woman", "man" and "sex". Yet the SNP administration is still unable to implement policy that reflects that judgment because first, according to Mr Griffin, the Justice Department needs to establish a working group to talk about what they should do. Yes, Minister was far ahead of its time in describing this: "when the time is ripe", "in the fullness of time", as Jim Hacker said about implementing a particular policy not to his taste. We know that the SNP regime is dragging its heels on fulfilling the requirements of the Supreme Court decision because its leaders still believe that they were right to impose the Gender Recognition Reform Bill, which was mercifully halted by Westminster. It is not at all reassuring that the already grossly bloated Scottish civil service seeks to obstruct the law by procrastinating. Scotland now has a huge financial black hole. It is time for Holyrood to administer Ozempic to the bureaucracy, to slim it down to its essential functions, and also to bring civil servants back into offices they have avoided for all but one day a week. Jill Stephenson, Edinburgh. The high cost of nuclear waste Your front page headline today ("Nuclear industry says ministers' green energy plans are 'fraud' and will see Scots miss out", The Herald, June 27) does bring to mind the old aphorism that 'it takes one to recognise one'. Those with long memories will recall the promises from the nuclear industry of 'electricity too cheap to meter', of safe disposal of nuclear waste, safety of the entire process and so many more. All of these have failed to come to pass as Windscale, Chernobyl and many smaller events bear witness. The continued costs for future generations of the safe storage of nuclear waste are conveniently forgotten. It hardly behoves an industry with this track record to accuse others of fraud. Dr RM Morris, Ellon. • Today's front page shows the argument about the use of nuclear energy: do we believe the safety assurances made by the Nuclear Industry Association or the warnings that Torness (like Hunterston) is cracked beyond repair and potentially dangerous? The day that the British Government agrees to build a reactor beside the House of Commons is the day I'll accept it is safe. Allan McDougall, Neilston. We need proof of safety Having been raised on the west coast of Cumberland, I remember going to the local farm with our tin can to collect the day's milk. I was surprised to see Archie Rose, the village bobby, supervising the pouring of the day's milk into the farm's drains. Calder Hall, as it was then called [now Sellafield], had had an "incident". My father was not exactly pleased with my story. When I worked in Barrow later in life I became aware of three men of the same age as myself who went to the same school as each other and all had tumours on the brain. Unfortunately two died, one of whom was the former England football captain, Emlyn Hughes. They say there are no hotspots, but I recognise that as a raging inferno. For years it was recognised that pollution from fossil fuel burning was injuring the health of a number of people. Action was not taken until the implications of climate change were realised. I am not prepared to sit back and smile at expansion of nuclear power until a proven secure way is found for disposal of nuclear waste. Andy McAdam, Ayr. Shuffling the problem A simple question for those in charge of Scottish energy policy, and let us assume that the electricity grid will continue to be "national" in the sense that electricity will flow in both directions over the Border. If coal as a source of energy is gone, the opposition to new wind installations is growing in effectiveness, there is no sign of usable tidal power and the Scottish Government has set its face against nuclear generation, has that government invented a clever way of interrogating each electron making its way north to ensure that it was not produced by nuclear means so that it can be sent home? If not, in times of power deficiency in Scotland will we not simply be shuffling the problem off on to our neighbours, and that could never happen. Oh wait, though: was that a truck full of landfill I just saw heading south? Brian Chrystal, Edinburgh. Nuclear is for weapons SO Ed Miliband's 'golden age' of nuclear power awaits us. Well, Keir Starmer is warning us to be ready for war, and we know from Ukraine that nukes are potential war targets. A strike on Torness could, depending on its severity, render much if not most of the Central Belt uninhabitable for many decades. Let's face it; nukes are built to produce plutonium for weapons, with the electricity merely an expensive by-product. In a country with our tidal potential, going down the road preferred by Ed Miliband and the GMB union would be dangerous lunacy. George Morton, Rosyth. Will Scotland be using electricity generated by nuclear power? (Image: PA) Change tack on prostate cancer I note Lauren Del Fabbro's article ("Olympic star Hoy calls for change over NHS prostate cancer tests", The Herald, June 21) regarding an interview with one of the bravest and most noble sporting legends of all time who has been dealt the most devastating hand imaginable, but who being a person with such moral fortitude has again risen to the challenge and has now singlehandedly done more for highlighting the failures of the NHS in the way that they deal with prostate cancer than all of the charities and pressure groups. The NHS tells us that most men who have prostate cancer will have no symptoms. The NHS says that if prostate cancer is caught early 90% of men will have an effective treatment. It does seem to be an absolutely staggering situation the NHS has created in the way it attempts to deal with prostate cancer. The NHS only tells GPs about the NICE referral route for men who have symptoms. The NHS refuses to tell GPs about the referral route for men who have no systems (bearing in mind that most cases of prostate cancer will have no symptoms at first). This route for men without symptoms is called the Prostate Cancer Risk Management Programme (PCRMP). Because of the fact that the NHS fails to provide advice and guidance on the PCRMP referral route, GPs are generally not aware of this mechanism and because of this men are routinely not referred when they should be. This results in men being diagnosed much later on when they come back with symptoms, often leaving men without any curative pathway. It is only following Sir Chris Hoy's harrowing position and because of his legend status that the NHS was forced into doing something. So on December 12, 2024 there was a change put in place to the PCRMP in that the minimum age limit of 50 before men could obtain a PSA test was removed. Hence in 2025 a man of any age who does not have symptoms can ask his GP for a PSA test. So many thanks to Sir Chris Hoy for his incredible courage and his ability to start to make change happen within a body that resists change. The NHS would never have moved without his influence. The next change that needs to happen is that the NHS tells its GPs that there is not just the NICE referral route but the PCRMP referral route for men without symptoms as well and in so doing many prostate cancer will be caught early and men's lives will be saved. Duncan Carins, Ewhurst, Surrey. Trump to a T Today's verse from Scripture in your Family Announcements section (June 27) was from St John chapter 15: 'You are my friends if you do what I command.' I immediately thought of Donald Trump; it seems to sum up his philosophy perfectly. Doug Maughan, Dunblane.
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
HOLYROOD SKETCH STEPHEN DAISLEY: It's two months off for the Class of '25... I'd give them all 12
The Holyrood Class of '25 marked their final day of term yesterday, not with the traditional cider down the park and ritual burning of school ties, but with one of the grimmer sessions of FMQs I've sat through. Every other question was on Scotland's woeful record on cancer. Russell Findlay set the tone by noting that one in three cancer patients do not start treatment within the target time. A dismaying statistic in itself, but one made all the bleaker given the target time is 62 days. Findlay rhymed off the health boards where patients were still waiting to start life-saving care. John Swinney noted North Lanarkshire wasn't listed, as it is meeting the target. Bully for them, but hardly reassuring for those in the rest of the country. Findlay had an idea. Those seldom end well in politics, but the Tory leader made a reasonable suggestion: ring-fence the SNP government's half-billion underspend for an emergency cancer fund. The First Minister objected that his latest budget had hiked up NHS cancer cash. Then he did something he really needs to knock on the head. He argued that, if you look at median waiting times, things are going better. They are for the median patient, but what about those waiting longer? In cancer treatment, time is as precious as any medicine or therapy. Mark Twain was right about the three types of falsehoods: lies, damned lies, and statistics. But trying to hoodwink cancer patients with statistics is the most damnable of all. The Health Secretary was notably absent, though he's seldom notable when he's present. Findlay queried Neil Gray's whereabouts. My guess would be in a ministerial limo bound for Pittodrie or the pub. But, no, he was in Osaka at a health technology conference. It's his second official visit lately. I'm sure we're all impressed Mr Gray is big in Japan, but if he wants to be a hit at home he might want to spend more time in Scotland doing his job. Findlay sniped that the NHS was in crisis but the Health Secretary was 'out of the country talking tech'. It's got to be an improvement on what he talks here. Chanting a litany of SNP failures, Anas Sarwar asked if 'the guy who promised to steady the ship has now become the captain of the Titanic'. It's worse than that: Swinney is the captain and the iceberg. Since becoming an MSP in 2024, Tim Eagle has brought a much-needed quality to the debating chamber: snark. He succeeded Donald Cameron after his elevation to the Lords, and while his predecessor was a patrician Highland gent, Eagle is a squawking, talons-bared bird of prey. 'There is no political disaster like an SNP disaster,' he spat, describing how the visitor levy was causing a 'crisis' for rural businesses, including 750 firms in his neck of the woods. The recipients of his philippic mumbled their displeasure. 'You can mutter away, but it's true,' he told them. Gas, meet peep. Holyrood has now entered its summer recess and MSPs are off for two months. The length of break upsets voters, who reckon politicians should spend less time on their hols and more in parliament. Have you seen what happens when they're in parliament? The GRR Bill, the DRS scheme, ferries that can't sail. At least when they're on a beach they're not creating new thought crimes to charge us with. Two months off? I'd give them all 12.
