Page 20 - Ben Macpherson News Today

IF you haven’t yet decided who to vote for, perhaps I can be of some assistance. Late last week, I put the same single question to five different politicians, one from each of the five main parties, and maybe their answers can tell us a little bit about the problems of modern Scottish politics. You can see familiar patterns at play in what they say – some new, some extremely old – and for voters trying to make up their minds, it’s very frustrating indeed. What happened was that the ...

Budget cuts blamed for lack of council-run Fife ranger service at rural election hustings Sign up for our daily newsletter of the top stories in Courier country Thank you for signing up to The Courier daily newsletter Something went wrong - please try again later. Sign Up Greater funding for local authorities is vital in tackling the dirty camping problem which has blighted rural Scotland during lockdown, a Fife politician has claimed. Alex Rowley, Labour candidate for Fife, called on mo...

1 THE STUC are hosting their traditional election hustings online this week. Hear from workers across Scotland as they share their stories and ask politicians what they will do to address the challenges facing workers today. Heavy hitters from each of the parties, including Fiona Hyslop, Patrick Harvie, Anas Sarwar, Wee Willie Rennie and Steven Kerr will be in attandance. Free Tickets available via Eventbrite – www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/scottish-trade-union-congress-scottish-parliament-electio...

Share ‘These are reasonably cautious steps getting hairdressers opened again which I’m personally very happy about as I’m sure many people are too, starting the reopening of retail It’s really positive, it gives everybody a feeling of optimism. We have to stay focused on that forward momentum.’ Later she joined the SNP’s Ben Macpherson for a takeaway coffee. The First Minister described the reopening of some businesses as giving people a feeling of optimism  Nicola Sturgeon later t...

Concern for migrant workers on government labour scheme >More in © Tim Scrivener An independent report has called for a review of Defra’s Seasonal Workers Pilot (SWP) after concerns were raised about the safety and wellbeing of migrant workers. The study assessed the risks of human trafficking for forced labour on the SWP and it urges the UK and Scottish governments to take action to review the scheme, which was set up in 2019 to avoi...

By Ian Quinn2021-03-17T14:46:00+00:00 Ministers north of the border have launched an independent review into the timeframe for the rollout The rollout of a bottle deposit return scheme in Scotland is facing the prospect of another year-long delay, amid continuing concerns over the practicalities of preparing store infrastructure amid the coronavirus pandemic. Ministers north of the border have launched an independent review into the timeframe for the rollout, with retailers warning it will be...

  Jobs will go - Anger as Scots fishermen who raised concern about rare species are rewarded by ministers with ban PREMIUM Jobs will go - Anger as Scots fishermen who raised concern about rare species are rewarded by ministers with ban MINISTERS are facing a new legal clash with fishermen who say they face losing their livelihoods after being banned from an area of Scotland to protect an endangered fish. Creel fishermen and scallop divers are furious that a blanket fishing ban has been imp...

More detail needed on climate change strategy, Government told 09/03/2021, 6:20 pm More details are needed for the update to Scotland’s Climate Change Plan, the Governmnet has been told (Jane Barlow/PA) The Scottish Government needs to address the “credibility and achievability” of its updated climate change plan with more details about how emissions will be reduced, the Environment Committee’s convener has said. Opening the debate about updating Scotland’s Climate Change Plan, Gilli...

The first RYP Cafe of the year will feature Scottish ministers Kate Forbes and Ben Macpherson YOUNG PEOPLE across rural Scotland will have the opportunity to put their questions to policy makers in a special event next week. The Rural Youth Projects Virtual Cafe is back for its first event in 2021, taking place next Tuesday, February 23 at 6.30pm. The line-up includes cabinet secretary for finance, Kate Forbes, and minister for rural affair and the natural environment, Ben Macpherson. B...

Farmer network launched to encourage more planting of trees by Gemma Mackenzie © SYSTEM Sign up for our daily newsletter featuring the top stories from The Press and Journal. Thank you for signing up to The Press and Journal newsletter. Something went wrong - please try again later. Sign Up A network of farms, crofts and estates will be established to showcase the benefits of planting trees on agricultural land. The farmer-led Integrating Trees Network, run by the Scottish Governm...