Party Conference Dates 2024
SCOTLAND Friday 16 – Sunday 18 February 2024: Scottish Labour Party conference in Glasgow Friday 1 – Saturday 2 March 2024: Scottish Conservative & Unionist Party conference in Aberdeen Saturday 6 April 2024: Scottish Green Party conference in Edinburgh Saturday 18 – Sunday 19 May 2024: Scottish Liberal Democrat Party conference in Hamilton UK […]
UK Labour Shadow Cabinet – updated
Leader of Opposition & Labour Party – Keir Starmer Deputy Leader of the Labour Party, Shadow First Secretary of State, Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Shadow Minister for the Cabinet Office, Shadow Secretary of State for the Future of Work – Angela Rayner Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer – Rachel Reeves Shadow Secretary […]
Queen’s Speech – what’s expected
Queen’s Speech: HM The Queen will deliver the Queen’s Speech at 11:30 in the House of Lords on Tuesday 11 May, setting out the government’s legislative agenda for the coming year, and marking the formal reopening of parliament. The parliament will hold a series of debates this week on the content of the speech. Boris […]
Election 2021: The Green Commitments
Jack Fawcett, Senior Parliamentary Reporter, compares the environmental commitments in the party manifestos. Green Thumbs – where the parties stand on environmental issues From Glencoe to Skye, the Trossachs to the Borders and from Moray to Caithness, Scotland’s landscape is beautiful, and Scots want to keep it that way. Climate change has been a prevalent policy […]
The UK’s Vaccine Programme Poses New Challenges for Equity and International Travel
Rafe Uddin, Parliamentary Reporter, evaluates the UK vaccination programme and future challenges for international travel. Earlier this month, the EHRC warned there was a need to strike the “right balance between individual liberty and the rights of others” when discussing domestic COVID status certificates. Boris Johnson has been reserved about the use of ‘vaccine passports’ […]
Remote Working: policy considerations for the ‘new normal’
Ian Woodbyrne, Account Manager, analyses how remote working has been considered by stakeholders and policymakers across a range of themes. At the Scottish Government’s coronavirus briefing in November, Nicola Sturgeon was asked whether she would match the Welsh Government’s target for 30% of its workforce to be working remotely. The First Minister suggested a […]
The Legacy of the Rural Economy & Connectivity Committee
David Wilson, Senior Account Manager, offers a round up of the work of the Rural Economy & Connectivity Committee during Session Five of the Scottish Parliament. You’d be forgiven for thinking the Rural Economy & Connectivity Committee wasn’t a big deal in the last parliament as it was often overshadowed by other committees, Brexit […]
Councillors and MPs sign up to Salmond’s Alba Party
At a press conference streamed live on Youtube on Friday, Alex Salmond launched the Alba Party – the vehicle he hopes will deliver his return to front-line politics. It follows hard on the heels of allegations, counter allegations and the bitter war of words that surrounded the harassment inquiry, formalising the rift between the current […]
Scottish Government announcements – due in March
Scottish Government announcements & updates – due 12-25 March Energy Strategy Position Statement Ministerial Taskforce for Population – update Near Me video consulting service – independent evaluation of the rapid roll-out COVID-19 legislation – update Young Person’s Guarantee – details of the additional £70 million allocation for 2021-22 Strategic Policy Framework for School Age Childcare – progress update […]
GUEST BLOG: Don’t underestimate the voting public
This week’s guest post is from Alastair Ross, Assistant Director, Head of Public Policy (Scotland, Wales & NI) at the Association of British Insurers (ABI) Since 1999 the Scottish electorate has proved itself to be continually a step ahead of where perhaps polling and certainly commentators have initially estimated it was. I’d contend that […]
