Statement by John Swinney MSP, finance secretary
The following statement was released today by John Swinney, the cabinet secretary for finance, employment and sustainable growth. It was sent to all Scottish newspapers and is a response to coverage of...
View ArticleWeir’s Week: banned bagpipes, mis-tweeting and cage-fighting kids
By Stewart Weir Saturday The first Old Firm game is near. Side-step those eggshells, lips sealed, low profile, best behaviour now and all that, because the world is watching – or at least our police...
View ArticleNarrow loss to Argentina exposes all too familiar Scottish failings
According to some, it was the missed dropped goal from Dan Parks that cost Scotland victory. According to others, it was the lapse in concentration that failed to secure the kick-off which ultimately...
View ArticleMogadishu: malnutrition, makeshift camps and bulletproof vests
By Caroline Gluck It's hard to blend in during a community visit when you’re wearing a heavy flak jacket. But here I was in Mogadishu, the conflict-ravaged capital of Somalia, dressed not in the hijab...
View ArticleAsbos, contraceptives or culling: how to deal with the grey squirrel
By Elizabeth McQuillan Love them or hate them, grey squirrels have placed their paws firmly on the UK forestry agenda, seemingly intent on treetop domination. While it might be fun to watch grey...
View ArticleScottish Low Carbon Investment conference meets in Edinburgh
As international delegates gather in Edinburgh for the second Scottish Low Carbon Investment (SLCI) conference today and tomorrow, a new guide published by Scottish Enterprise suggests that the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Long, hard, rough and hilly: the World’s Ultimate Running Races
By Matthew Shelley The London, New York and Berlin marathons are incomparable for scale, speed and exhilaration. But how about the Brazil Jungle Marathon? It’s 138 miles of humidity and swamps in the...
View ArticleUseful Scots word: flit
By Betty Kirkpatrick Some words are much better than others at conveying their range of meaning by their very sound. Such a word is modern English flit, as in small birds flitting from tree to tree....
View ArticleThe 100 Club: a record number of centenarians in Scotland
The number of people in Scotland living for more than a century has reached a new high, according to figures released this morning. Statistics from the General Register Office for Scotland estimate...
View ArticleWho he? Red faces as Ed Miliband drops Ken Macintosh right in it
Labour MSP Ken Macintosh is trying his best to laugh off the embarrassing snub delivered to his leadership bid by UK Labour Party leader Ed Miliband – but, deep down, he will be fuming. This is what...
View ArticleWeir’s Week: Americans at Ibrox, a back heel and on-field bust-ups
By Stewart Weir Saturday As with any career, there are highs and lows during the lifetime of your average footballer, leading a rollercoaster existence. One such player could be Maurice Edu, a...
View ArticleFriday song: Of Mince And Men
The Sensational Alex Salmond Band have served up another video to accompany their popular album. This week’s load of – er, this week's offering, written and performed by Tommy Mackay, Fife comedian of...
View ArticlePoor finishing again lets Scotland down in another valiant defeat
So that’s it for another four years. Barring a Georgian upset of seismic proportions, Scotland are out of the Rugby World Cup having failed to get beyond the pool stage for the first time. After...
View ArticleLow on carbon, high on hyperbole? The SLCI conference reviewed
By Stuart Crawford Well, then, what was last week’s much-trumpeted Scottish Low Carbon Investment Conference all about? And what messages did we get from it? It was a strange affair, that’s for sure....
View ArticleOpinion: beavers, bumblebees and the biodiversity balancing act
By John Knox The news from the beaver colony is mixed. We learned from Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) recently that the beavers at Knapdale in Argyll are happily chewing their way through 10 per cent...
View ArticleGrowing or gloomy? Reports give mixed messages on the economy
There are mixed messages about the British economy from reports out today. Two of the reports, which look at manufacturing, suggest that the economy is growing – but only just. The third, focusing on...
View ArticleAs the chancellor speaks, report shows rise in failed loan applications
A report from the European Commission’s statistical office, Eurostat, shows how the economic crisis has hurt business, and small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in particular. The report confirms...
View ArticleProblems continue for ‘hugely inefficient’ pension system
How many reports does it take to get the message across that the UK private pension system is “not fit for purpose”? Those of us nearing retirement age have started looking at how much we will have to...
View ArticleOf grave concern – 10 Scottish final resting places of note
By Elizabeth McQuillan Scotland has spawned plenty of notable characters over the centuries, and many have in due course enriched Scottish soil with their flesh, bones and history. Here is a quick tour...
View ArticleSNP’s anti-sectarianism plans run into trouble
“Scotland’s shame”, “a stain on football”, “a national disgrace”: sectarianism has been called all these things and more. But what no one seems any clearer about is what should be done to tackle it....
View Article