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Telegraph
5 days ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
SNP civil servants request swimming pool and pay rise to return to office
The SNP's work-from-home civil servants requested the reopening of a swimming pool and a pay rise after being ordered back into the office for two days a week. The Scottish Government told its officials they must return to the office for 40 per cent of their working week from October as part of a drive to improve productivity. Internal responses from staff, obtained under a freedom of information request, showed widespread complaints about the change, including a request for a pay rise to cover commuting costs. One official requested the reopening of a swimming pool, which shut in 2020 during the Covid pandemic, at the Government's Victoria Quay offices in Leith. Among the other responses, obtained by The Scottish Sun, were a call for 'shush' spaces to relax at work and complaints about being deprived of longer lunchtime walks. Stephen Kerr, a Scottish Tory MSP, described the complaints as a ' masterclass in entitlement and woke whinging '. He added: 'Civil servants whinging about missing their lunchtime strolls and the swimming pool should remember who pays their wages. This is the SNP's Scotland – high taxes for working families while some public sector staff treat home working as a lifestyle choice. 'It's no wonder public services are in decline when the culture inside government is so divorced from reality. The public won't forget who let this attitude take root.' Previous SNP government guidance said there was no 'centrally fixed mandated number of days' that staff needed to attend the office, but there was an 'expectation' that they would do so 'at least once per week'. Under the new rules, civil servants must hit the average of being in the office for 40 per cent of the time over the course of a month, still allowing them to spend some weeks working entirely from home. The figure is lower than the equivalent Whitehall policy, which states that civil servants must spend at least 60 per cent of their time working at the office. Officials responded to the change using the Scottish Government's Saltire intranet service. One asked: 'Given that one of the reasons provided for discontinuing the provision of the swimming pool at VQ was the low number of staff in the office to use it, can I ask if this decision will now be revisited?' Another said: 'Close a swimming pool to save the environment and reduce emissions, while mandating thousands to travel another day a week seems a bit strange.' A third civil servant wrote: 'Many have made big decisions based on balance – whether that be starting a family, getting a pet, getting rid of cars; down to things like starting a new fitness class, being able to take that longer lunchtime walk for their mental health or meet a friend after work because there is no commute. 'The prospect of that now being taken away is undoubtedly causing stress and anxiety.' Kenny Gibson, the convener of Holyrood's finance and public administration committee, asked the Scottish Government's most senior civil servant about the change on Tuesday. Mr Gibson told Joe Griffin, who was appointed permanent secretary in March: 'There appears to be considerable resistance from some civil servants to what the public would perceive as a fairly modest proposal that they come into the office at least two days a week, with incredulity from many that they don't do that already. 'After all, public service workers, from refuge collectors to teachers to nurses, all have to be at work.' Mr Griffin said he had decided to increase the number of days officials must be in the office 'quite early on in my tenure' as there was evidence 'people working together in person are more likely to engage in high value activities.' Referring to the complaints, he said: 'Some people have reacted to that decision. I understand some of the anxieties that people have. We absolutely need to make sure that we are taking account of diversity and inclusion requirements, and how we do that, but the direction of travel is clear for the reasons that I've given.' He said he wanted to 'demonstrate the benefits' of getting staff into the office two days a week before 'going further in due course.'
Scottish Sun
5 days ago
- Politics
- Scottish Sun
Moaning woke Scots civil servants demanded POOL & pay rise to return to office
Officials running Scotland's struggling public services have been accused of being 'divorced from reality' after we uncovered hundreds of gripes lashing out at bosses for cutting their working from home time from four days to three. WORK-from-home civil servants demanded a swimming pool and a pay rise after being ordered back into the office for just two days a week. Scottish Government officials also moaned they would miss a 'longer lunchtime walk' — and even questioned if their human rights were being breached. 7 Scottish Government workers are moaning about working two days in the office Credit: Getty 7 Some civil servants have requested a swimming pool be reopened Credit: Getty - Contributor 7 7 7 7 Tory MSP Stephen Kerr said the demands are a 'masterclass in entitlement" Credit: Alamy 7 Officials running Scotland's struggling public services have been accused of being 'divorced from reality' after we uncovered hundreds of gripes lashing out at bosses for cutting their working from home time from four days to three. Astonishing comments included a call for 'shush' spaces to chill out at work, a pay rise to help with commuting costs and grievances about being deprived of their longer lunchtime walks. One complained the order may be a breach of their human rights — while another said the reopening of an Edinburgh pool should be part of 'wider plans on the range of facilities available for rising office attendance.' The diva-like demands were slammed by Tory MSP Stephen Kerr, who described them as a 'masterclass in entitlement and woke whinging'. He added: 'Civil servants whinging about missing their lunchtime strolls and the swimming pool should remember who pays their wages. 'This is the SNP's Scotland — high taxes for working families while some public sector staff treat home working as a lifestyle choice. 'It's no wonder public services are in decline when the culture inside government is so divorced from reality. The public won't forget who let this attitude take root.' Workers lashed out at an edict that 9,300 staff, allowed 'hybrid' working since Covid, would have it curtailed by autumn to boost productivity and 'strengthen working relationships'. Their moans on the Government's internal computer network, Saltire, were obtained by The Scottish Sun under freedom of information laws. Demands included calls for the swimming pool at their Victoria Quay building, which shut in 2020 during the pandemic, to be reopened. One whined: 'Given that one of the reasons provided for discontinuing the provision of the swimming pool at VQ was the low number of staff in the office to use it, can I ask if this decision will now be revisited?' Heartbreaking Old Firm march Grieving parents call for knife crime action in Scotland Another weighed in: 'Close a swimming pool to save the environment and reduce emissions, while mandating thousands to travel another day a week seems a bit strange.' On the work-life balance implications of returning to the office for two days instead of one, a colleague wrote: 'Many have made big decisions based on balance — whether that be starting a family, getting a pet, getting rid of cars; down to things like starting a new fitness class, being able to take that longer lunchtime walk for their mental health or meet a friend after work because there is no commute. 'The prospect of that now being taken away is undoubtedly causing stress and anxiety.' We can reveal one official even demanded to see an 'equality and human rights impact assessment'. CULTURE 'DAMAGING' By Chris Musson - Associate Editor (Politics) LIKE him or loathe him, John Swinney is known as a sleeves-rolled-up grafter. And I can't imagine the First Minister, left, is happy about the work-from-home culture in his government. The idea of civil servants doing just one day a week in the office — and moaning about doing two — comes at a time when the national focus should be on fixing services. Under the 'hybrid' model, the government has a phone system to divert calls to individual teams' mobiles. It doesn't always work, and lines can ring out, as journalists trying to reach press officers would tell you. Maybe it's a glitch. Or maybe they're downstairs making toast. If this is the same across government, it's a wonder anything gets done — apart from officials' washing. This nonsense is also damaging the SNP, not just the nation. With an election next May, at this rate the WFH staff won't be the only ones out of office And calling for 'shush spaces', another said: 'I really don't want to have to go back to having to work in an environment where I can't even hear myself think.' A colleague chimed in: 'These 500-plus comments aren't expressing a simple disagreement over policy, they are expressing a fundamental shock and sense of betrayal that SG is not the employer we thought it was.' The rule change comes amid concerns about civil servants' productivity and the huge cost of running half-empty government buildings since Nats continued the work-from-home culture, even as the pandemic ended in 2022. Latest figures suggest the average salary for affected workers is more than £50,000, while around 3,000 are earning more than £66,000. PERK LIFE SPARKED BACKLASH MARCH 2020 - The vast majority of Scottish Government staff switch to working from home due to lockdown. FEBRUARY 2022 - A 'hybrid working model', as the pandemic ends, comes into effect with staff only expected to be in the office for 20 per cent of the week — one day. JUNE 2022 - The SNP Government urge all of society to consider more working from home to slash greenhouse gas emissions. SEPTEMBER 2023 - Nats ministers come under fire over plans for a 'bonkers' push for a four-day working week for civil servants. NOVEMBER 2023 - We reveal Scottish Government staff are being granted an extra hour off every week to chill out — at a cost of £7million a year to taxpayers. SEPTEMBER 2024 - It emerges the public is footing a bill of £6million a year for half-empty Scottish Government offices due to the ongoing work-from-home culture. APRIL 2025 - The Scottish Government is accused of wasting £3.3million a year to pay for 56 bosses with the word 'wellbeing' in their woke job titles. MAY 2022 - Bosses reveal plans for staff to be back in work at least 40 per cent of the week — two days — prompting a backlash on the staff intranet system. OCTOBER 2025 - The new two-day-a-week attendance rule is due to kick in, with the Scottish Government saying that the current one-day diktat has 'reduced opportunities to network, develop and connect in person'. Another post read: 'Fingers crossed we get a pay award so we can actually afford to get to work.' A workmate fumed: 'This represents a real-terms pay cut and erosion of benefits.' A third added: 'In 27 years in the civil service I've never seen anywhere near this level of anger about anything. There's a huge lack of evidence to support the decision.' We told how staff were granted an extra hour off every week to relax — at a cost of £7million a year to taxpayers. The 2023 'Wellbeing Hour' encouraged workers to do yoga, read, paint or walk to cut stress.
Daily Record
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Daily Record
Sharp rise in Stirling knife crime sees response from cops and First Minister
The figures - acquired by a Conservative MSP - have revealed a "shocking" rise in the number of incidents involving 'bladed or pointed article crimes' from 2022 to 2024. A 'shocking' surge in knife crime incidents has been revealed in Stirling over the last two years according to newly-released data. The figures were discovered by Central Scotland MSP Stephen Kerr in a parliamentary question at Holyrood which asked about the number of 'bladed or pointed article crimes' reported across the council area. The data shows that 81 such crimes were recorded in Stirling in 2024, rocketing up from 48 in 2022. Mr Kerr has raised the alarm over the figures and the impact on local communities - while taking a shot at the Scottish Government's handling of the issue. The MSP — who is standing at the Conservative candidate in the Stirling constituency at next year's Holyrood election — said: 'These shocking figures lay bare the SNP Government's abject failure to get a grip on Scotland's knife crime epidemic. 'This terrible surge in knife crime in Stirling in just two years isn't just a statistic; it's a terrifying indictment of a justice system that is failing our communities. 'Enough is enough. The SNP need to stop their soft-touch approach to justice, get tough on knife crime, and make Stirling safe again.' The most recent data from Statista shows a record high in the number of incidents recorded by police involving offensive weapons of all kinds (including knives and bladed weapons), with 10,835 such crimes highlighted in 2023/24. Forth Valley area commander, Superintendent Lynsey Kidd said tackling knife violence is a priority for local officers. She added: 'We recently launched an offensive weapon initiative across Forth Valley aimed at tackling and reducing the carrying of weapons, including knives. 'We acknowledge the impact that violent crime has on individuals, families, and local communities, and we remain resolute in our commitment to keeping our communities safe. This includes highly visible patrols across Stirling and Forth Valley, to prevent and detect issues and reassure the public. 'Recognising that the underlying factors are often complex in nature, we work closely with our national and local partners to draw on their collective expertise and resources to develop and deliver tailored responses to detect, deter and respond to such crime.' She added: 'As ever, we thank the public for their support and seek their help to hold offenders to account. If you have information, please contact us on 101 or anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.' First Minister John Swinney — who this week convened a cross-party summit on youth violence — said: 'There is absolutely no justification for carrying any weapon, including knives, at anytime, anywhere — and we must be relentless in that message to young people. 'We must make sure we are doing everything possible to respond to the changing behaviours of young people at an early stage, while ensuring parents are aware of the help and support available. 'Challenging crime and anti-social behaviour is the responsibility of everyone which is why our approach to tackling violence among young people is focused on education programmes, on the unacceptability of violence, effective punishment for offences, appropriate police powers and sustained school and community engagement. 'This will help show young people the dangers and consequences of violence, including carrying a weapon, and help prevent them from making decisions which could determine the rest of their life and devastate the lives of others.'
Telegraph
10-06-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
SNP boosts Gaelic education in languages bill
SNP ministers have given parents across Scotland the right to demand a Gaelic school in their area, despite only about 1 per cent of the population speaking the language. Kate Forbes, the Deputy First Minister, said parents anywhere in the country could make a request for a school where the curriculum is taught through the medium of Gaelic. Councils would be required to assess if the request was 'practical and affordable' under provisions contained in a new Scottish Languages Bill. After taking advice, ministers might direct local authorities to proceed with the new school if assessment deemed it to be viable. But Stephen Kerr, a Scottish Tory MSP, said the plan was 'a staggering misjudgement of priorities' and 'a blatant example of the SNP chasing ideological vanity projects'. Scotland's most recent census, conducted in 2022, found there were only 58,000 Gaelic speakers. This equates to 1.1 per cent of the population, with half living in the Western Isles. The last monolingual Gaelic speakers died about 50 years ago, but successive Labour and SNP-led Scottish governments have tried to encourage more children and adults to learn the language. Ms Forbes's announcement came after it emerged in April that the number of modern language teachers in Scotland has dropped by nearly a quarter since 2008, the year after the SNP came to power. Over this period, the number of French teachers has plummeted by 44.2 per cent, while the number teaching German has fallen by 63.3 per cent. There were 66 German teachers in all Scottish schools – a record low. Scotland has also fallen down international league tables for literacy, with pupils dropping behind their English counterparts in reading and writing. Unveiling the new plan at Inverness Gaelic Primary School, Ms Forbes said: 'This Bill aims to build a strong foundation to support Gaelic's continued growth following an encouraging increase in Gaelic speakers and learners across Scotland. 'It would boost Gaelic education provision throughout Scotland, and better establish Gaelic and Scots as national languages. 'Gaelic medium education enriches communities and offers good value for money. Gaelic medium schools frequently demonstrate above-average performance, with some local authorities showing better grades across all qualification levels despite costs being no greater than English medium schools.' The Bill will also introduce educational standards for Gaelic and Scots, establish them both as 'official languages' and support the 'creation of areas of linguistic significance in Gaelic communities'. But Mr Kerr was critical, saying: 'Scotland's education system is in a state of serious decline – standards in literacy and numeracy are falling, teachers are overstretched, and far too many pupils are being failed. 'Yet the SNP Government thinks the priority is to open Gaelic schools in areas where Gaelic isn't spoken as an everyday language. This is a staggering misjudgement of priorities. 'It's a blatant example of the SNP chasing ideological vanity projects instead of addressing the real problems facing Scotland's classrooms.' 'Dismal record on languages' Miles Briggs, the Scottish Conservative shadow education secretary, said: 'This should not deflect SNP ministers from ignoring their dismal record on other languages, given they have presided over the loss of hundreds of modern language teachers. 'Together with their failure to eradicate the attainment gap, and an alarming rise in violence in our classrooms, these plans cannot neglect the urgent need to reverse the decline the SNP's policies have caused in Scotland's schools.' Bilingual signs have been erected in Scotland since the 1990s, after first being approved by Donald Dewar when he was Scottish secretary under Tony Blair, before becoming the first first minister following devolution.
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The Hockey News Playoff Frenzy Live: Reaction As Oilers Eliminate Stars Setting Up Cup-Final Rematch
Welcome to The Hockey News Playoff Frenzy Live, streaming nightly during the NHL's Stanley Cup playoffs. After the big game of the night, our experts go live to react to the match that was, break down the key moments and storylines and read your opinions. Advertisement On tonight's show, Stephen Kerr, Michael Augello and Andrew McInnis react to the Edmonton Oilers eliminating the Dallas Stars in the Western Conference final to return to the Stanley Cup final for the second-straight year. Share your thoughts in the comments, and the hosts may discuss your message during the stream. Check out the show right now. Promo image credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
