In the news today
At Holyrood today
Council announce five year economic strategy
Tram project to be investigated by UN
Alexander McCall Smith
Saving Introducing in Scotland
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The Scottish Government has a full agenda of business today including the Offensive Behaviour at Football and Threatening Communications (Scotland) Bill which is now at Stage 3 in the parliamentary process.
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The City of Edinburgh Council is to launch an ambitious five year economic strategy. The new strategy, which will be considered by councillors next week, sets out the following targets:
- Support the creation and safeguarding of 20,000 jobs
- Support £1.3 billion of physical investment
- Help 10,000 into work or learning
- Invest in the city’s physical development
- Support inward investment
- Support businesses
- Help unemployed people into work or learning
Extensive public consultation was carried out from July to September this year on a comprehensive analysis of Edinburgh’s economy earlier this year – The Edinburgh City Region Economic Review. This was the largest and most wide-ranging consultation on the economy ever undertaken in the Capital. Its findings underpin the key areas of action in the new Economic Strategy.
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The Edinburgh tram project has now reached the lofty heights of the UN, according to The Herald which reports that the matter is to be discussed in Geneva tomorrow. Campaigners have claimed that the project has meant increased pollution in the city, and that they have not been treated fairly by the council.
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Alexander McCall Smith clearly has a huge problem in his Edinburgh home as he has tweeted for help on how to arrange his bookshelves…We do hope Santa does not bring him more books as this is only going to make the problem worse! He was speaking to Radio 4’s Today programme about how to resolve the issue and some of the suggestions which have been made..
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Musicians who have been building a movement to save Radio One’s Introducing in Scotland will meet with the Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Fiona Hyslop today.
The young musicians, bloggers and promoters and are raising concerns about the future of the Scottish music industry if the flagship Radio 1 show, hosted by Ally Macrae, is scrapped.
The level of support across Scotland and other nations within the UK is comparable to that which helped save 6 music. The campaigners will be joined by Carly Connor, who recently supported Paolo Nutini on his UK and European tour and is tipped to be the next big thing to come out of the Scottish music scene.
The campaign has been backed by several successful Scottish musicians
Internationally successful rock band from Kilmarnock, Biffy Clyro, stars of Edinburgh’s Hogmanay last year, backed the campaign, saying:
“We fully support the campaign and are very much against the axing of the show. Introducing in Scotland is an incredible resource for Scottish bands, artists and the music-loving public and its scrapping would be a huge loss for us all.
“We wish you the best of luck with the campaign and look forward to listening to the show for many years to come.”
Fellow Scottish artist Lou Hickey, who played with musician, Jon Fratelli, said:
“Scotland has its own unique and varied musical identity. We need to give our home grown talent all the support we can. We really hope we can have the Cabinet Secretary for Culture’s support for our cause.
“A UK-wide radio show would not offer anywhere near the same amount of exposure and opportunities for emerging Scottish artists. It would be a travesty if the only platform designed specifically to support new Scottish artists is scrapped.”
Frightened Rabbit, an indie rock band from Selkirk, who have supported Death Cab for Cutie, said:
“It would be a travesty if the show as cut from the BBC radio schedule in Scotland. For over 10 years, the slow has been an invaluable and irreplaceable platform for new and established Scottish bands.
“It serves to breed an essential community within Scottish music and scrapping this show would reinforce the popular fallacy that the industry does not exist outside London.”
Joan McAlpine, who has supported the campaign from the beginning, is delighted that the campaign has received such fantastic support from both the up and coming and internationally renowned artists.
Ms McAlpine, member of the Education and Culture Committee and who previously wrote for NME as a journalist said:
“It is really encouraging to see the level of support for the campaign and it is great to have Carly join us for the meeting with the Cabinet Secretary. Carly is an incredibly talented musician who understands the break that Introducing in Scotland can offer to new artists.
“It’s hugely unfair that future generations of musicians are may not receive the chance they need from exposure on such a great platform. The cost of saving Introducing in Scotland is tiny in comparison to the salaries being paid to London executives and presenters. The future of the Scottish music industry must be secured.”
The online petition has received more support per head of the population that the UK-wide save 6music campaign.
The campaigners are set to head to London on the 19th of December to deliver the Scottish petition, ahead of the closing date for the BBC consultation.
