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The Herald Scotland
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
Enough is enough: why the pointless virtue-signalling, Mr Swinney?
Surely no clear-thinking, sentient person will not have been sickened, disgusted and outraged by the footage and newsreels coming out of [[Gaza]] on a daily basis featuring the IDF's barbaric treatment of the indigenous population... but for John Swinney to pretend for one minute that airlifting a handful of injured and damaged children and bringing them to our shores is going to make an iota of difference to the overall carnage that is daily being perpetrated on the inhabitants of [[Gaza]], is preposterous. At best this is yet another poorly-thought-through impractical proposition: who decides which injured children should benefit? What will happen to them once they have been treated? Who will accompany them? Will they (and their relatives/carers) be allowed to remain in the UK afterwards? At worst it could be construed as an indirect way of trapping Westminster into refusing to cooperate with the SNP (again) and probably denying treatment to these poor unfortunate souls. If our FM genuinely wants to help, and I've no doubt he sincerely does, he should be calling out the perpetrators from the rooftops (the Israeli government and the IDF) of these heinous crimes against innocent children. He should be making representations to any and every organisation that could and should be intervening to help, using any means possible at his disposal. But of course, he already has his hands full with his own self-inflicted problems. So why the pointless virtue-signalling, First Minister? Colin Allison, Blairgowrie. Read more letters Stop demonising private landlords Ruth Gilbert's article on rent controls ("'Time to protect tenants': Are landlords trying to water down Scottish rent controls?", July 20) wrongly blames Scotland's housing crisis on private landlords, ignoring systemic failures and the unintended consequences of punitive government policies. Over 94% of Scottish landlords own fewer than five properties, often relying on rental income to supplement pensions. Since 2016, interventions like the Additional Dwelling Supplement, reduced mortgage interest relief, and stricter regulations have crushed margins, far outpacing post-Covid inflation's already steep 20%-plus rise in maintenance and compliance costs. Scottish Land & Estates reports 15% of landlords sold up in 2023, with more exiting in 2024, shrinking rental stock. Edinburgh's 12% drop in listings year-on-year has intensified competition, driving rents higher. Why did Ms Gilbert overlook this critical driver, focusing instead on landlord greed? Rent controls will amplify this exodus, deterring investment. Despite £1 billion UK-wide build-to-rent investment in late 2024, developers now call Scotland's regulatory climate 'uniquely hostile', stalling projects. Rent controls will accelerate this exodus, deterring investment. A prime example is the stalled BTR project at Buchanan Wharf in Glasgow, where Legal & General paused plans for 500-plus units in 2024 due to regulatory uncertainty and rising costs, as reported by Rettie. The mid-market sector, pitched as affordable for low- to middle-income tenants, is a flawed compromise – often unaffordable and diverting resources from social housing. Vilifying small landlords – often individuals who've invested life savings in a property – is misguided. Cumulative government interventions have made their businesses unviable, and rent controls will accelerate exits, worsening the crisis. Ms Gilbert's failure to acknowledge this suggests a one-sided narrative. Rent controls won't build homes. Scotland needs a balanced approach: streamlining development, encouraging investment, and supporting tenants without demonising landlords, who are part of the solution. Ian Lakin, Aberdeen. New hope for postmasters Long before an ITV drama highlighted the failings the Post Office's Horizon IT system, I had followed the in-plain-sight scandal for many years, and much of the reporting of it filled me with rage. No computer system is fool-proof; participants acted in good faith; checks and balances did their best in challenging circumstances; how were communities to know better than our courts? Refreshingly, Andrew Tickell's column ("Despair as Post Office inquiry details scandal's human cost", July 13) indulged no such excuses. The surplus sentencing of, and hopelessly inadequate redress available to, postmasters was laid bare. "Even if you honestly believed these postmasters were guilty as charged, it was still you who stigmatised these people, still you who played an indispensable part of the great harm done to them", Andrew wrote. It is a scandal that keeps on giving. Prior to Horizon, the Post Office used the Capture IT system, and it was just as polluted with "bugs and errors". When Patricia Owen was charged with theft for a £6,000 shortfall at her branch under Capture, IT specialist Adrian Montagu turned up at her trial to testify to the fact that the earlier software too was "totally discredited". But, for reasons unknown, he was not called by Ms Owen's barrister, and the court was denied the opportunity of hearing that Capture was "an accident waiting to happen" . Ms Owen was convicted in 1998 and received a suspended jail sentence; she died in 2003. Her family assert that the conviction "wrecked" her life. However, the newly discovered specialist IT report commissioned for Ms Owen's defence could help quash the convictions of other postmasters. Archie Beaton, Inverness. Don't give in to Putin I am pleased to say that I can finally say that I agree with George Morton (Letters, July 20). Britain and Russia are effectively at war. Russia had been murdering people on British soil and staging cyber-attacks on our infrastructure long before it attacked Ukraine. Berwick on Tweed has apparently been at war with it since about 1855, having never made peace after the Crimean War. This situation is clearly a grave cause for concern and vigilance, but I do not think that giving in to Putin is the way forward. We tried to appease Hitler in the 1930s and when we eventually had to fight him, he was stronger, and we were weaker. We must continue to do everything possible to support Ukraine. We should have done more earlier. If there is any comfort for Western European democracies in this horrible situation it is that Ukraine has come close to destroying Russia's war machine and they won't be ready for another big adventure for at least five years. Britain and three EU countries have bigger GDPs than Russia so should be able to outperform Russia in the flow of munitions and firepower. There are plenty of better things to spend the money on, but we dare not leave the eastern border of the EU poorly defended. Russians may learn to prefer butter to guns but Putin is unlikely to give them the choice, or us. Ronald Cameron, Banavie. Russian President Vladimir Putin (Image: PA) Marathon efforts I agree with much of what Susan Egelstaff says in her excellent column ('Why do we know so little about Glasgow 2026 with only a year to go?", July 20). However, I was disappointed that Susan is one of many sports journalists who failed to pursue my earlier request to report the exclusion of the Marathon from the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games. It is now well over six months since I first raised this matter. I have sought support from various bodies, including Team Scotland, the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) and even the King, in his position as Patron of the Commonwealth Games. In some cases I have experienced great difficulty in getting a response, particularly in the case of the CGF. I understand the financial constraints faced by Glasgow 2026 but, in my last letter to the CGF, I suggested that the Marathon could be self-financing if it were a mass participation event, financed by sponsorship and entry fees from the mass participants, as distinct from the elite athletes representing their countries. The latter could start, say, 20 minutes before the former. Thousands of runners could be willing to pay a substantial entry fee to participate in such a prestigious event, which would also help to showcase the city of Glasgow to a multi-million international TV audience. In my latest letter to the chief executive of the CGF I suggested that, if she and her team are incapable of organising such a Marathon for Glasgow 2026, they should investigate the possibility of hiring the organisers of the London Marathon or the Edinburgh Marathon or the Great Scottish Run. Three weeks later, I am still waiting on a reply or even an acknowledgement. Perhaps I should not be surprised, as it took her 14 weeks to reply to my previous letter. So far I detect a lamentable lack of efficiency, ambition and initiative on the part of the CGF. If they fail to raise their game, I fear that, in the longer term, the Commonwealth Games will be faced with an existential crisis. Dennis Canavan, Bannockburn. Rail pricing is ludicrous Your Big Read article on ScotRail ("The great Scottish train robbery", July 20) quotes an Aslef official who states that "all that the travelling public want is clean, safe, reliable and affordable trains. That's what the [[pub]]lic are pushing for'. This is an incomplete list. We also want the opaque pricing of tickets to end. Last week I bought a return ticket from Glasgow to Dundee on a senior railcard. The price at the ticket machine was £33.00. But when I went to the ticket office I was offered a split ticket option: a ticket from Glasgow to Perth (£13.85) and a ticket from Perth to [[Dundee]] (£7.45) costing a total of £21.30. And without the need to change trains. [[ScotRail]]: please explain this ludicrous pricing. Colin Mason, Kilmarnock.
STV News
18-07-2025
- Politics
- STV News
More than 1,500 wildfires in decade must be ‘wake-up call', Tories say
More than 1,500 wildfires have been recorded in Scotland in the past decade, figures show, with the Conservatives warning the data must be a 'wake-up call' for ministers. Statistics from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service released to the party under freedom of information legislation show 1,574 wildfires between 2015 and the end of May this year. The Highlands suffered most, reporting 574 fires during that period, followed by 131 in the Western Isles. That compares with just seven in Renfrewshire and Clackmannanshire. The statistics also show the first five months of 2025 have already seen more wildfires reported than in any other full year apart from 2017 and 2018. It comes as a report from Scottish Land & Estates found two wildfires last year, at Carrbridge and Dava in the Highlands, were the biggest in Scotland's history. Scottish Tory rural affairs spokesman Tim Eagle said it was 'disgraceful' it took rural affairs minister Jim Fairlie three weeks to visit areas impacted by recent blazes. He said: 'These figures need to be an urgent wake-up call for ministers like him to change their approach.' He welcomed that the Scottish Government's controls on muirburn had been delayed by a year, but urged the First Minister to ensure rural areas 'won't be harmed further by misguided legislation and that the SNP's actions do not increase the threat these communities are increasingly facing from wildfires'. Muirburn – the controlled burning of vegetation on peatland – can help to limit wildfires, with the Scottish Government's new licensing scheme for the practice due to be in place this year. Mr Eagle added: 'This alarming rise in wildfire numbers raises significant concern about the growing threat they are posing to rural Scotland in particular. 'Areas like the Highlands are already facing huge challenges but are now having to brace themselves every time there is a spell of good weather. 'The recent wildfires we saw across the Highlands had a devastating impact across our landscape.' 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
STV News
04-07-2025
- Business
- STV News
Plans to install hundreds of 4G masts in rural areas scaled back
A project to install more than 250 mobile masts in rural Scotland has been massively scaled back following pressure from business and nature groups. The Shared Rural Network project had planned to build 258 4G masts across unserved parts of the country. But this will now be reduced to just 44 following revised plans – a reduction of around 83%. It comes after pressure from groups including Scottish Land & Estates, the John Muir Trust, the National Trust for Scotland, and a number of community councils. Opponents say the project would have installed masts in parts of the country that do not require them, and the scaled-down proposals will protect some of Scotland's most beautiful scenery. Anna Gardiner, senior policy adviser at Scottish Land & Estates, said: 'We are delighted that the Government has listened to our concerns and has scaled back the number of masts to be built in areas where they simply were not needed. 'This protects some of our most spectacular and beautiful landscapes and will alleviate pressure on planning authorities in rural areas. 'The original plan was totally flawed as it was based on covering an arbitrary percentage of the UK's geography, but in fact it did not benefit many of the rural communities and businesses which are currently in Total Not Spot Areas – where there is no 4G coverage from any provider. 'These areas are still crying out for a mobile network and in many cases community councils have been ignored. 'We would urge the UK Government to redirect the considerable sum of money that has been saved in order to prioritise these communities.' Thomas Widrow, head of campaigns for the John Muir Trust, said: 'This is great news for the amazing landscapes and biodiversity of Scotland. 'Some of the proposed locations for a mast were completely inappropriate. 'We need to ensure there is connectivity where people live and work, not in our most fragile and remote wild places.' Telecoms minister Sir Chris Bryant said: 'The Shared Rural Network has been a lifeline for rural areas, helping bring fast and reliable mobile internet to over 95% of the UK a year ahead of schedule. 'Our updated plans with telecoms operators will ensure new coverage is focused on those rural areas in Scotland where people actually live, work or travel, including popular walking routes. 'This important step will ensure masts are only built where they are most needed.' 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
The National
04-07-2025
- Business
- The National
Mobile mast plans for rural Scotland massively scaled back
The Shared Rural Network project had planned to build 258 4G masts across unserved parts of the country. A PROJECT to install more than 250 mobile masts in rural Scotland has been massively scaled back following pressure from business and nature groups. But this will now be reduced to just 44 following revised plans – a reduction of around 83%. It comes after pressure from groups including Scottish Land & Estates, the John Muir Trust, the National Trust for Scotland, and a number of community councils. Opponents say the project would have installed masts in parts of the country that do not require them, and the scaled-down proposals will protect some of Scotland's most beautiful scenery. READ MORE: Plans for 1500 solar panels for historic Scottish hydro power stations Anna Gardiner, senior policy adviser at Scottish Land & Estates, said: 'We are delighted that the Government has listened to our concerns and has scaled back the number of masts to be built in areas where they simply were not needed. 'This protects some of our most spectacular and beautiful landscapes and will alleviate pressure on planning authorities in rural areas. 'The original plan was totally flawed as it was based on covering an arbitrary percentage of the UK's geography, but in fact it did not benefit many of the rural communities and businesses which are currently in Total Not Spot Areas – where there is no 4G coverage from any provider. 'These areas are still crying out for a mobile network and in many cases community councils have been ignored. 'We would urge the UK Government to redirect the considerable sum of money that has been saved in order to prioritise these communities.' Thomas Widrow, head of campaigns for the John Muir Trust, said: 'This is great news for the amazing landscapes and biodiversity of Scotland. 'Some of the proposed locations for a mast were completely inappropriate. READ MORE: Faslane nuclear base radioactive secrets to be released after FoI battle 'We need to ensure there is connectivity where people live and work, not in our most fragile and remote wild places.' Telecoms minister Chris Bryant said: 'The Shared Rural Network has been a lifeline for rural areas, helping bring fast and reliable mobile internet to over 95% of the UK a year ahead of schedule. 'Our updated plans with telecoms operators will ensure new coverage is focused on those rural areas in Scotland where people actually live, work or travel, including popular walking routes. 'This important step will ensure masts are only built where they are most needed.'
The Herald Scotland
01-07-2025
- Climate
- The Herald Scotland
Firefighters spend fourth day tackling wildfires
Dozens of firefighters have been involved in tackling the blazes, which broke out on Saturday. They have used specialist equipment including all-terrain vehicles, fogging units, leaf blowers and beaters on the ground, with SFRS wildfire tactical advisers co-ordinating the response. SFRS deputy assistant chief officer Ross Robison said: 'The vast scale of these fires has been challenging for our crews over the past four days, particularly because of the strong winds that have caused the fires and smoke to spread further across the landscape. READ MORE: 'There has been a significant deployment of resources to the area, including on call and whole-time crews from Aberdeenshire, Moray and Highland who have been working effectively alongside landowners and partner agencies. 'I'd like to recognise the efforts of all firefighters who attended and particularly those who are on call and often combine this role with other jobs in the community. 'They continue to be invaluable in responding to incidents like these that impact hugely on rural areas. 'We've been supported by the use of helicopters provided by partners for water bombardment and we have deployed specialist wildfire teams and assets.' Several roads have been closed while emergency services deal with the wildfires. People living and working in the area are advised to keep windows and doors closed if smoke is visible. Scottish Land & Estates (SLE), which represents rural businesses, highlighted the role gamekeepers have played in helping to tackle the fires. It called on the Scottish Government to urgently prioritise investment in wildfire prevention and response through measures including better resourcing of SFRS and more training for firefighters. While the situation has improved following rainfall, land managers and gamekeepers remain concerned about persistent smouldering, particularly in areas of deep peat, and will continue to monitor the situation closely over the coming days. Ross Ewing, director of moorland at SLE, said: 'The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service played a vital role in this incident, particularly in command, control and co-ordination, but the reality is that the majority of the hands-on firefighting was undertaken by gamekeepers – using their own equipment, experience and local knowledge. 'Without that rapid response from the land management community, the situation could have been far worse – and concerns remain that flare-ups could yet occur. 'Their efforts were exceptional, but we cannot rely on goodwill and geography to deliver a credible wildfire response. 'In this case, private investment by landowners in their employees and specialist equipment averted a catastrophe. Ministers must recognise this when future spending decisions are made. 'Real weaknesses in our national resilience to wildfire have been laid bare in this incident.' The Scottish Government and SFRS have been asked for comment.
