Latest news with #QuestionTime
The National
33 minutes ago
- Politics
- The National
Tom Devine speaks after Neil Oliver binned from Glasgow tour buses
As The National reported on Friday, Oliver has been quietly axed from City Sightseeing Glasgow, where he previously provided English language commentary and had his portrait featured on the side of the service's buses. Now, leading historian Sir Tom Devine has responded to Oliver being dropped by the tour guiding business, saying the GB News host had taken a slot which could have been filled by a real historian. READ MORE: Theatrics of Unionist duo on Question Time were cringeworthy Devine told The National: 'It has taken some time for Oliver's name to be removed from the city's tourist buses. Now that it has finally happened, I am pleased. "He is not a historian. Scotland is currently awash with excellent historians, any one of whom could have been selected as the face of this tourist campaign. 'I suspect the decision to delete his image is partly to do with the fact that he has become a much more controversial figure in recent years because of his eccentric opinions on politics and other issues, which have undermined his former public standing.' READ MORE: Bob Vylan member responds to Glastonbury backlash with lengthy statement Oliver has descended into the realm of conspiracy theories in recent years, claiming Covid lockdowns are part of a new world order and that vaccinations can give people "turbo cancer". He called the prospect of a new independence vote 'cancerous' and most recently had one of his YouTube videos blocked by the platform for using antisemitic language. His involvement with the tourism service has long been questioned, given his fierce support of the union and Glasgow's majority-Yes vote in 2014. West Coast Motors, the firm who operate the City Sightseeing Glasgow tour bus service, did not respond to requests for comment.
The National
2 hours ago
- Politics
- The National
Tom Devine 'pleased' by Neil Oliver's axing from tourism service
The National reported on Friday that Oliver had been quietly axed from City Sightseeing Glasgow, where he previously provided English language commentary and had his portrait featured on the side of the service's buses. Now, leading historian Sir Tom Devine has responded to Oliver being dropped by the tour guiding business, saying he is 'pleased' by the decision. READ MORE: Theatrics of Unionist duo on Question Time were cringeworthy Devine told The National: 'It has taken some time for Oliver's name to be removed from the city's tourist buses. 'Now that it has finally happened I am pleased. He is not a historian. Scotland is currently awash with excellent historians, any one of whom could have been selected as the face of this tourist campaign. 'I suspect the decision to delete his image is partly to do with the fact that he has become a much more controversial figure in recent years because of his eccentric opinions on politics and other issues, which have undermined his former public standing.' Oliver's removal has been called for since the broadcaster went on several anti-Covid regulations rants on GB News in 2021, as well as his previous remarks regarding a potential second referendum. READ MORE: Bob Vylan member responds to Glastonbury backlash with lengthy statement He called the prospect of a new independence vote 'cancerous' and most recently had one of his YouTube videos blocked by the platform for using antisemitic language. His involvement with the tourism service has long been questioned, given his fierce support of the union and Glasgow's majority-Yes vote in 2014. West Coast Motors, the firm who operate the City Sightseeing Glasgow tour bus service, did not respond to requests for comment.
The National
3 hours ago
- Politics
- The National
Theatrics of Unionist duo on Question Time were cringeworthy
Both Bowie and especially Sarwar are the perfect examples of everything that is wrong with Scotland when it comes to Scots attacking all things Scottish for their London puppet masters. To be fair to him, Andrew Bowie at least comes across like he has some manners and a warped kind of dignity, but Anas Sarwar came across as a totally spoilt wee brat who constantly tried to speak over the presenter and ignore all efforts to rein him in as he delivered his usual absolute drivel trying to rubbish the NHS staff and constantly mentioning the ferries, as he completely ignored the enormously damaging and farcical decisions from down south that are hundreds of times more costly. READ MORE: Question Time called out as Reform councillor on St Andrews panel It was an absolutely pathetic spectacle to have to watch, and the only thing more pathetic to witness was the tiny wee handful of audience members who actually clapped at the end of Sarwar's constant drivel. Perhaps I am reading this wrong and they were simply clapping in delight that someone had eventually managed to take out his batteries. When, oh when, are we going to get an SNP politician who will demand to be heard, call out the downright lies, not sit down when told to until they get their point across, and to point out every much bigger failure they have made down south rather than sit meekly and accept it? On a slightly different note... Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte has told the world they will need to learn Russian if their countries do not spend tens of billions – money few of them have – on defence, which in reality is quite simply to help enrich the armament companies even more, which in turn boosts the US economy. Watching this excuse for a man sook up to the orange clown at the Nato summit really prompts the question: is the Western world full of complete clowns when it comes to leading their countries and organisations across the world? If it is not, they are certainly doing a good job of pretending they are, with the likes of what we see across the pond and over here in Westminster and now at Nato. READ MORE: Lesley Riddoch slams Labour benefits cuts on Question Time Lastly, we really have to ask ourselves what on earth are the SNP doing, only managing to gain a tiny 20% or so of the vote from the polls of people's voting intentions from across Ayrshire and the South of Scotland, whilst the reviled Tories and Farage's new party have around 50% of the intended vote between them? OK, we all know there's a hotbed of sectarianism which blights this part of the land, which would rather place a vote that damages their own family's prospects, but it also points to many people wanting to escape the absolutely monstrous mess down south but who also seem too feart to dip their toe too far into Scotland so tend to mainly stay close to the Border, judging by these results! We can all understand the move away, but for the life of me I can't understand why somehow with the cahoonas to make the move north in the first place, who can then witness the truly awful impact of the damage done to Scotland under Westminster rule with their own eyes, and then vote for more of the same! It's for the birds, it really is. There really is nowt as queer as folk. Could you imagine what could be achieved without a shower o' wee timorous beasties representing us all? Iain K Dunoon
North Wales Chronicle
7 hours ago
- Politics
- North Wales Chronicle
Llinos Medi: MP on her first year representing Ynys Môn
In the 12 months that have passed since her election, she has repeatedly urged the Government for clarity on its plans for a new nuclear power station on the island at Wylfa, requested emergency government support after the Port of Holyhead's closure due to storm damage, called for devolution of the Crown Estate in Wales, voted in favour of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, and made her debut appearance on BBC's Question Time. Reporter Matthew Chandler met Ms Medi last week to reflect on her first year in Parliament. LM: It's quite amazing how quickly the year has gone. I would say in this last week or so, I've started to feel like I've got my head around the building, the expectations of me in the chamber, and of the mechanisms of this place. But it's about how you strike the balance, because I am here to represent my constituents, and when the workload is so heavy here, and you're not in your constituency enough, that isn't good, either. Sometimes, constituents contact me wanting to meet with me, and I've got to push them back a few weeks. I'm uncomfortable about that, especially when they're about serious matters. I still feel new here, and I think I'll still feel new for the next three years. Llinos Medi (first from left) with her Plaid Cymru colleagues in Westminster (Image: Submitted) LM: It's totally dependent on the workload here. The last three weeks, I've been in London much more than on the island. I've had to make decisions to go home midweek to meet some constituents who had serious matters that I needed to speak to them about. So, it's been quite challenging to get the balance right. Sometimes, you make the decision to stay in London, and then you're in the chamber for four hours and are not called to speak, so you've not been able to contribute. Being on Ynys Môn is really important, because I need to be able to be in touch with the people on the island. LM: I would say the amount of emails and casework we get at the moment shows that we are accessible. We have had lots of good outcomes through our casework for individuals on the island. We have surgeries, and have tried to arrange them in small rural villages, as well - not just the towns - so that people there feel they're accessible to them, too. Also, the fact that I live on the island, I know the people there, I've brought up my children there, I've spent 43 years there… hopefully, that increases accessibility, as well. LM: There was one piece of casework where the outcome on someone's quality of life was dramatic. She worked for a charity and had asked for support for some work she was doing. I was at an event, and this individual came up to me and just gave me a massive hug. I had to hold back tears, because I knew my team and I were able to have a dramatic impact on somebody's future. There have been other instances; somebody came to me and thanked me for helping with his benefits - his words were: 'I've been trying for 10 months, and you've sorted it in 10 days.' There are other stories, where you meet people for whom the system just hasn't worked. They're trying so, so hard to succeed in life, but every barrier has been put in front of them, and the state hasn't supported them. Obviously, I have empathy for them. Sometimes, people have just said to me: 'It's so nice that you understand how I feel.' One person said: 'You've given me the strength to be able to just battle through for a few more weeks. It isn't about social media, or having pictures taken, it's about having that direct impact on someone's quality of life. It's a team approach. I've got an amazing team on the island; my staff are very experienced, so I'm really, really lucky. Having that knowledge of what's going on in your constituency impacts what you say and do here in London, and definitely motivates you more. It's always the most vulnerable who usually don't have a voice. I want to make sure they feel they have somewhere to turn to, and someone who can support them. LM: Definitely. We all understand that the spend is increasing, and that we need to manage that. I totally get that. But you don't take away a lifeline and expect people to just be able to manage. That's ridiculous. Plaid Cymru have opposed Labour's welfare plans from the start, as we could see the dramatic impact they would have on our communities. Poverty exists in our communities, and disabled people feel its effects worse than anyone else. We know poverty is worse in Wales, and is 10 per cent higher among disabled people than in England. Some people use Personal Independence Payment (PIP) to plug the gap for housing allowance, so what you might have is more homeless people - so the state will be paying for homelessness. They are trying to make out that they're going to make these savings, but in reality, it will cost more in the end. They're talking about getting people into work, but there's no clear plan about how they're going to help the employers to give those jobs. I just find it really short-sighted. It just looks like sums on a paper, without any work done on the impact and the additional costs. It's giving with one hand and taking away with the other. It's not just for people out of work, either. Some people use their PIP to pay for public transport to get to work. We asked for a Welsh impact assessment because of the deprivation in Wales. Especially in areas like ours, where maybe some of the jobs are just seasonal work, it isn't as easy as they make out. LM: Devolving the Crown Estate would just give us parity with Scotland. It gives you an extra lever on how you want to spend. By 2029, child poverty will be at nearly 35 per cent in Wales. One country in the UK where it's coming down is Scotland - it'll be 19 per cent by 2029. We've seen Wales' natural resources being drained from our communities, and the profits going with it… the only thing that we're asking for is that we have the profits in our hands, to be able to spend them in a way that will benefit our communities, and poverty is one of them for us that could have a dramatic impact. Child poverty is just one example of what you could do with that. It is a problem for us all, because where children are in poverty, their educational outcomes are lower, so it becomes a long-term issue. The government has tried to say that devolution of the Crown Estate would fragment the market. My amendment was for a two-year transition, anyway, and Scotland hasn't seen any fragmentation of the market. This is a very weak argument. What they do know is that Wales will be producing a lot of energy, but they want the profits to go back to the treasury. LM: I'd say that's quite challenging, because you've still got that same narrative there. I was speaking to a young person last weekend who had lost his job, and his initial thought was: 'Oh gosh, I'm going to have to move away.' But when he started looking, he got a job instantly (on Ynys Môn). LM: I did - it was because of this narrative. I think we've told our young people to think in that way. We need to make sure that everything is aligned on the island for our young people. You will still hear me going on about Wylfa. I'm on the nuclear energy All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) and the small modular reactors APPG, and I'm vice-chair of the marine energy APPG because of Morlais (tidal energy project). I'm still in contact with the local authority, Stena Line and the Freeport, and am constantly in contact with Menai Science Park (M-SParc). LM: The decision on Sizewell C (a £14.2billion Suffolk nuclear plant given the go-ahead by the government in early June) is a positive step forward, because this government has shown they are in support of new nuclear, and have made financial decisions to show that support. What I'm still doing now is pushing the government to give us a clear indication on what they think is going to happen at the site so that we can prepare ourselves. If Wylfa comes, I want to make sure that we as an island, and also North Wales, maximise the benefits of the development. To do that, we need to work together and plan ahead. The skills side is one thing, the supply chain is another. How do we make sure that local businesses can get into the supply chain, and can benefit and thrive? They can offer apprenticeships and grow as businesses, as well. We just need that clear indication from the government that they will develop on Wylfa, and then we need a timeframe. As it is, people are disheartened. LM: I do now. The last question I asked Ed Miliband (secretary of state for energy security and net zero), I felt his response was much warmer towards me. The energy minister (Graham Stuart) has said himself in the chamber that I've raised this several times, so they definitely have heard me. I think I've been heard, but what we want is the government to understand the importance of giving us that clear indication, so we can plan ahead and can fully benefit from Wylfa when the decision is made. LM: I now have an office on the island which we struggled to get, and hopefully, it'll be opening soon. We've got a phone line, and our email system, but it's not an exaggeration to say we have thousands of emails. We try our best to be accessible. LM: I still feel, when I'm in that chamber representing Ynys Môn, that I've been given an amazing job to speak on behalf of its people. What I've got the most pride in is my accent. When I'm stood there, I think about the young children of Ynys Môn hearing their accent in that chamber. That's we why have democracy; so that we're represented by people from our communities.
Perth Now
11 hours ago
- Automotive
- Perth Now
Major change to speed cameras in one state
Drivers across one Aussie state will be forced to exercise further caution while driving on two major stretches of highway after state-government approved changes to speed camera functions come into effect on Tuesday. The NSW Minns Labor Government announced on Monday both light and heavy vehicles would receive penalties for speeding at two sites on two major NSW highways as part of a trial which has expanded the ability for standard traffic cameras to ping speeding light vehicles for the first time. Standard speed cameras will now be able to penalise light vehicle drivers for the first time in state history. NCA NewsWire / Jeremy Piper Credit: News Corp Australia Until recently, 'average speed' cameras have only been used in NSW to detect the speeds of heavy vehicles like buses and semi-trailers, but this will expand on Tuesday to fall in line with the procedures of every other state and territory and include small vehicles like cars and bikes. The trial cameras are located on the Pacific and Hume highways in regional NSW, which disproportionately bears two thirds of the state road toll despite being home to a third of the population. Trial sites for average speed cameras have been set up on the Pacific and Hume Highways. Both sites extend capabilities for speed cameras to detect speeds of both heavy and light vehicles. NSW Government Credit: Supplied In the first week of the two month 'warning period' in which drivers would be formally cautioned rather than fined, one in every 122 cars and motorbikes were detected speeding on the Pacific and Hume Highways. Drivers were still fined occasionally during this period, but only if they were caught exceeding the speed limit by over 30km/hr. By the end of the seventh week, there was a notable increase in improved behaviour, with recorded speeding light vehicles dropping to one in every 235 on the Pacific Highway and one in every 194 on the Hume. Standard highway speed cameras in NSW have historically only penalised heavy vehicles for road misconduct. NCA NewsWire / Jeremy Piper Credit: News Corp Australia Minister for Roads and Regional Transport Jenny Aitchison said the severity of the road toll has been – and remains – a major point of focus for the Minns Labor Government. 'Speeding contributes to around 42 per cent of road fatalities every year and so far this year, speeding has contributed to 33 per cent of all road fatalities. That's 59 lives lost due to dangerous driving, just this year,' Ms Aitchison said. NSW Roads Minister Jenny Aitchison speaks during Question Time at New South Wales Parliament House, in Sydney. NewsWire/ Gaye Gerard Credit: News Corp Australia 'Last year we committed to investigate ways to lower road trauma at our Road Safety Forum, including trialling the use of average speed cameras for light vehicles.' 'NSW is the only jurisdiction that has limited the use of average speed cameras to heavy vehicles, creating confusion across border communities and establishing a different standard for drivers.' The trial will continue for another 12 months, and all drivers caught speeding at the test locations will receive penalties during that period. Transport NSW keeps a running tally of annual road fatalities, which as of June 30 2025 is 182 – almost 30 more than the same time last year.
