Latest news with #Lumsden
The Herald Scotland
21-07-2025
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Tories slam SNP over A96 dualling - as repair bill revealed
Repairs totalled £14.9m in 2023/24, £11.8m in 2022/23 and £13.4m in 2021/22; up from £7.7 in 2020/21. The Scottish Government had announced plans to upgrade the A96 in 2016, promising to convert the 102 mile road into a dual carriageway by 2030. However, the £3b commitment was rowed back last year, as Transport Minister Fiona Hyslop blamed austerity from the UK Government and a lengthy review of the project for delays. Douglas Lumsden has criticised the delay. (Image: Conor McAuley) North East Conservative MSP Douglas Lumsden has slammed the government over the 'eye-watering' figures, which he said demonstrated that the A96 'is not fit for the 21st century'. Mr Lumsden added: 'After decades of neglect by the SNP, it's no surprise that repair costs are soaring each year as the road falls into a state of disrepair. 'This is the tragic reality of the dangers the road poses, yet the transport minister continues to kick the prospect of fully dualling the road into the long grass, despite the SNP's promise 14 years ago. Mr Lumsden went on to call on Ms Hyslop to 'stop this nonsense" and 'commit to the full upgrade, once and for all, before parliament resumes. 'The Scottish Government's failure to properly improve the A96 betrays local communities, undermines the North East's future connectivity and endangers lives,' he said. 'Rather than spending endless sums patching up the A96, the SNP must prioritise dualling the road as a matter of urgency.' In a Transport Scotland statement, a spokesperson said the nation's motorway and trunk road network was the Scottish Government's 'single biggest asset' - and that £714m was set to be spent in 2025/26, despite a decrease in capital project funding from the UK Government. The spokesperson added: 'We have continued to invest in the maintenance of all trunk roads, including the A96, in order to ensure the continued safe and effective operation of the network that road users rely upon. These costs also include repairs and recovery from storm damage, which are on the increase. Read more: Why does everyone seem to hate Maggie Chapman? 'Long overdue': Scottish young people weigh in on lowering of voting age Smoked salmon, Irn-Bru bhajis and micro herbs: What's on the menu at Bute House? 'Our current favoured position is to fully dual the A96 and we are already starting the dualling process from Inverness to Nairn, including a Nairn Bypass, having acquired the land for the scheme earlier this year. "We continue to progress the work to determine the most suitable procurement option for delivering this scheme and thereafter a timetable for progress can then be set in line with available budgets." The spokesperson noted that the [[Scottish Government]] had agreed to carry out a review of the A96 corridor as part of the Bute House Agreement, as their erstwhile partners in government, the Scottish Greens, were opposed to the road's dualling. An ensuing consultation received more than 1,400 responses from communities and businesses along the A96. 76% of respondents were 'dissatisfied' or 'very dissatisfied' with the draft outcomes of Transport Scotland's review, which recommended that the road not be dualled in its entirety. 'Any decision on the way ahead for the A96 corridor will need to take into consideration the UK Government's recent Spending Review and its impact on Scottish Budgets,' the spokesperson said, 'as well as the forthcoming update to the Scottish Government's Infrastructure Investment Plan, expected later this year.' Nairn MSP Fergus Ewing left the SNP in part over the dualling delays. (Image: PA) Longtime Nairn MSP Fergus Ewing left the [[SNP]] earlier this year in a row over the government's lack of progress in dualling the road. He will stand as an independent candidate in 2026. Writing in the [[Inverness]] Courier in March, he said: 'It's not good enough that both governments have these great plans and ambitions for renewables, mostly to be delivered in the north and north east, but they do not match them with commensurate investment in our transport and public services. 'We here are expected to do the work, to create the development, and the impacts of pylons and turbines, but are not to get the assistance to upgrade our roads, schools, GP practices, Raigmore, or indeed the rail services about which we are getting many more complaints of late. 'Now, near on £100 million has been, or will shortly be, spent on the A96 and not one inch of tarmac laid.'
CTV News
09-07-2025
- CTV News
Police vehicle involved in highway collision near Lumsden, Sask.
A police vehicle was involved in a highway collision near Lumsden, Sask. on Tuesday night. According to a release from Saskatchewan RCMP around 7:20 p.m., Lumsden RCMP officers were on the scene of a two-vehicle collision at the intersection of Highway 11 and Highway 734. The officer in the police vehicle was assessed by EMS at the scene and the three occupants in the second vehicle were taken to hospital by EMS with 'non-threatening' injuries, RCMP said. RCMP said motorists may experience delays in the area, noting that investigation into the collision continues.
Extra.ie
02-07-2025
- General
- Extra.ie
Flying the nest? Nine in ten young have nowhere to fly to
When it comes to flying the nest, young people are having their wings clipped. Nine out of ten people aged 18-34 have a friend or family member living at home with their parents because they cannot afford to buy a house, a new survey has found. It also revealed that 86% of young people report personally knowing someone living at home to save on housing costs. That figure rose to 92% when respondents were asked if they had a close connection with someone who had either emigrated or was planning to leave the country due to housing problems. Worryingly, the problem has sparked an exodus of teachers, nurses and tradespeople. Although age plays a factor, more than half – 54% – of those aged 45-54 and nearly half of over-55s know someone still living at home with their parents due to housing affordability issues, the survey of 1,000 people found. When it comes to flying the nest, young people are having their wings clipped. Pic: Shutterstock Dominic Lumsden of Insurance, which was behind the study, said: 'The findings highlight how widespread the housing affordability crisis has become. Most people know someone who has no choice but to remain living at home, often well into adulthood, simply because buying a home has become so expensive. 'Overall, more than half of respondents know someone who has left and/or is due to leave the country, and more again know someone who is living with their parents – 62%. But if you drill down even further it becomes more and more obvious how acute the housing issues are amongst the younger generation. Even if the younger survey respondents are not in the position themselves, they know someone close to them who is.' The survey also found that 54% of 18-to-34-year-olds have a close connection with someone who has already emigrated. Also, 38% of that age group have friends or family considering leaving. Dubliners were most likely to know someone who has left Ireland due to housing unaffordability at 45%, while those living in Munster were least likely at 33%. Young people can't move out of their parents' home due to the housing crisis. Pic: Getty Images Mr Lumsden said: 'The data highlights how housing affordability is impacting people across all age groups, but younger adults are feeling it most. With nearly nine in ten 25-to-34- year-olds knowing someone still living at home due to unaffordable housing, it's clear the traditional milestone of moving out and buying a home is increasingly out of reach for many. 'This echoes the 2022 Census findings, which showed 61% of 20-to-24-year-olds were still living with their parents, up from 54% in 2011. What's particularly alarming is how housing pressures are now driving young people to leave Ireland altogether.' The latest Central Statistics Office Population and Migration Estimates revealed more than 69,000 people left the country in the year to April 2024 – the highest level since 2015 – including 34,700 Irish nationals. 'This ongoing 'brain drain' means we are losing many of the essential workers who form the building blocks of our society – teachers, nurses, tradespeople,' Mr Lumsden added. 'The survey paints a stark picture: housing unaffordability is no longer just a personal struggle; it's a national issue that's putting real strain on our communities.'
RTÉ News
12-06-2025
- Business
- RTÉ News
Annual inflation slows to 1.7% in May
New figures from the Central Statistics Office show that the annual rate of inflation slowed to 1.7% in May from a rate of 2.2% in April. The CSO said inflation was flat month-on-month while the Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices, which strips out mortgage interest costs, fell to 1.4% on an annual basis from 2% in April. Today's figures show the most significant increases in the 12 months to May were seen in the price of food and non-alcoholic beverages, which rose by 4%. Price rises were seen across a range of products including meat, chocolate and milk, cheese and eggs. Prices of alcohol and tobacco also increased by 3.1%. May also saw higher rents - up 5.3% - and a 1.3% increase in the cost of electricity. The cost of health and motor insurance premiums also rose last month - increasing by 8.7% and 8.5% respectively. But transport costs on an annual basis slowed by 2.4% mainly due to lower prices for airfares, petrol and diesel, while clothing and footwear prices fell by 1.9%. The CSO also published its National Average Prices for selected goods and services for May today. This shows price increases for a pound of butter, which rose by €1.03, while Irish cheddar cheese per kg increased by 57 cent. Two litres of full fat milk moved 27 cent higher while an 800g loaf of white/brown sliced pan increased by five cent and spaghetti per 500g was up two cent. But May saw reductions in the price of a 2.5kg bag of potatoes, which fell by 25 cent when compared with May last year. Commenting on today's figures, Dominic Lumsden, a spokesperson for Peopl Insurance, said that while today's figures show that the rate of inflation has eased, there are many areas where inflation is running well above average. These include postal services (up 7.4%), hygiene products (up 4.6%) and taxi fares (up 8.7%). Today's CSO figures also show that above-average inflation has also been recorded for many basic grocery items with butter prices up 18%, beef and veal prices up 19.9%, and fresh low fat milk prices up 13.7%, he added. He said for people holidaying at home this summer, the rising cost of cinema trips (up 5.6%), restaurants and take-away food (up 3.3%), and recreational and sporting services (up 6.3%) will eat into their budget. "Another price increase which may have gone under the radar now we're into the milder summer months is the carbon tax increases which kicked in at the start of May. This will push up the cost of home heating oil, coal, briquettes and gas for consumers - making it more expensive for them to heat their homes," Mr Lumsden said. "While it will arguably be the colder autumn and winter months before homeowners feel the real brunt of these increases, the carbon tax hike will undoubtedly put more under pressure," he added.
Dominion Post
06-06-2025
- Sport
- Dominion Post
Ben Lumsden 'swallowed his pride' and worked to get back into WVU's starting baseball lineup
MORGANTOWN — Prior to this season, Ben Lumsden had started 101 games in his college baseball career, 51 at UT Arlington as a freshman and another 50 last season at WVU. It's with that background that likely made Steve Sabins' conversation with Lumsden earlier this season slightly uncomfortable. 'In the middle of the year, we had a meeting, and I was like, 'Do you want to be here?' ' Sabins said. 'He was like, 'Do you want me here?' Yeah, I wanted him here, but he had to get better. He wasn't good enough to get on the field.' WVU STATS It is that type of straight-forward conversation that can send a college athlete any number of ways. Generally, it's conversations like those that will lead the athlete to the transfer portal, especially after he went from 50 starts in 2024 to four starts a season later. Not Lumsden, who took over as the Mountaineers' starting first baseman during the Clemson Regional last week. In the 13-12 victory against Kentucky to win that regional, Lumsden was 2 for 5 and drove in four runs. Turns out Lumsden did want to be at WVU. 'He swallowed his pride. That's hard to hear,' Sabins continued. 'A guy who was a stud for us last year had to swallow his pride. He went and worked harder than that guy has ever worked before, and that's what this is about.' It is an inside glimpse to the type of culture and reputation Sabins wants to build at WVU. He is not looking for the type of situation where players get too comfortable and slack off after earning a starting position. That's not going to lead WVU (44-14) to the next level. 'It's not easy,' Sabins explains. 'You have to work harder than everybody else. LSU has got good players. Texas has good players. Kentucky has good players and great resources. We're not going to be better than them by working half as hard, that's for damn sure.' He's also not looking for players who take the easy way out and transfer when adversity strikes. 'Currently, it's very easy to run when things don't go your way,' he said. 'It's extremely easy to quit or to think the grass is greener. 'Young people have a decision to make, and it's becoming increasingly more difficult for young people to make the decision of putting your feet in, dig in, get better and don't blame others. It's not a leadership issue. It could be a you issue.' And so we get back to Lumsden, who Sabins said will one day, 'Play pro ball, if he continues to get better.' Lumsden's two-run base hit in the fourth inning tied the Kentucky game, 4-4. In the eighth inning, Lumsden was even more clutch, coming up with another two-RBI base hit that tied the game, 12-12, before Armani Guzman scored the go-ahead run with another base hit. For added measure, Lumsden also had an RBI single in the ninth inning that helped the Mountaineers beat Clemson 9-6. WVU scored four runs in that ninth inning to take the lead. All of this after Lumsden suddenly became the starter at first base, taking over for four-year starter Grant Hussey, the school's all-time leader in home runs. It's likely Lumsden will be back in the starting lineup when the Mountaineers travel to No. 6 overall seeded LSU (46-15) at 2 p.m. Saturday for the super regionals. 'In these scenarios, when you're going up against really great teams, you have to maximize everything you got,' Sabins said. 'Every bullet that you can pull out, you try to. I just thought that Ben Lumsden gave us the best chance offensively in some of those places.'
