Scottish Awareness Weeks 2024

Awareness weeks are a popular means of creating visibility for sectors and campaigns across a collaborative area of work.  Parliamentary events and exhibitions are often part of the mix alongside public relations and media work.  Here’s our list of some of the Scottish weeks with their dates for 2023 or 2024.  If you have any […]

What’s On: SNP conference fringe – 15-17 October 2023

FRINGE PROGRAMME  Sunday 15 October – lunchtime Strathclyde Partnership for Transport: Rethinking public transport: how do we deliver world-class, affordable and sustainable public transport? – Fiona Hyslop and Cllr Stephen Dornan The Royal Society of Edinburgh: Humans at the heart of a just transition – Michelle Thomson Advice Direct Scotland: Cost of Living and Energy […]

Programme for Government 2023-24 Preview

The Scottish Government will announce its 2023-24 Programme for Government (PfG) in parliament tomorrow. With a change in leadership, the PfG will not only outline the government’s priorities but will highlight Humza Yousaf’s key policy objectives as First Minister. Party dissent and internal investigations into SNP finances has led the First Minster to describe the […]

The Future of the Bute House Agreement

When the SNP formed a minority government after the Scottish Parliament elections in May 2021, the party quickly sought to enter into a cooperation agreement with the Scottish Greens. Following a period of negotiations, the SNP and Scottish Greens reached what is known as The Bute House Agreement in August 2021. This set out how […]

Newsdirect at the Scottish Festival of Political Communication

Newsdirect was delighted to co-sponsor the inaugural Scottish Festival of Political Communication, convened by the University of Stirling’s Faculty of Humanities and Arts, alongside Laura Westring and Charlotte Street Partners. The event aimed to shed light on the role of communication in politics, highlighting roles and industries that surround Scotland’s democratic institutions and interrogating the […]

Humza Yousaf names his Cabinet and Ministers

Humza Yousaf has appointed a 10-member Cabinet supported by 18 ministers in his first round of appointments since being confirmed as First Minister.   Health Team Health is now Michael Matheson supported by Jenni Minto and  Maree Todd Rugby-playing minister, Maree Todd, remains in charge of sport, but switches her other responsibilities – giving up […]

Education: Putting Nicola Sturgeon’s Top Priority to the Test

During a speech in 2015, Nicola Sturgeon declared that she “wanted to be judged” on her education record and committed that it would be her “priority” during her time in office. In doing this, the First Minister opened the Scottish Government’s education performance up to regular criticism from opposition parties or, in the words of TES […]

Sport’s place within the Health, Social Care & Sport Committee

Senior Account Manager, Ian Woodbyrne, evaluates the place for sport within the Health, Social Care & Sport Committee and proposes its potential inclusion within the Constitution, Europe, External Affairs & Culture Committee.   In June 2021, new MSPs to the Scottish Parliament were required to vote upon a motion extending the time allowed for the […]