Full cabinet now in position
First Minister, Humza Yousaf introduced his new cabinet to the press on Wednesday afternoon. He has made some changes although some faces are the same: Michael Matheson takes on NHS recovery, health and social care and relinquishes the Transport Secretary role.
Jenny Gilruth formerly transport minister will take on education and skills.
Mairi Gougeon keeps her rural affairs portfolio and Angus Robertson remains Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, External Affairs and Culture. Shirley-Anne Somerville moves from Education to Social Justice.
The First Minister has now also confirmed all junior appointments. Read about that here.
Paul O’Grady, MBE, DL, 1955-2023
It was very sad to read of the sudden death of Paul O’Grady, who died on Tuesday unexpectedly. He appeared at the Edinburgh Playhouse only last week, making this even more poignant.
Liam Rudden wrote this review of his magnificent performance as Miss Hannigan, and it is a good way to remember someone who made so many laugh. Read more here.
Bus drivers in training
Bus drivers from Lothian will be trained today to help them understand what it is like to get on and off buses when the passenger is either blind or has significant sight loss.
Letter to the Editor
Dear Editor,
May we please remind the new First Minister of Scotland’s target to achieve Carbon Zero by 2045 and invite him to question the previous administration’s five-year-old pledge of support for Heathrow expansion.
Last year, the previous SNP administration was criticised by its own climate advisers for falling short on progress to its carbon target, particularly in respect of aviation, and its failure to renounce support for the expansion of Heathrow Airport was already looking illogical and perverse.
After all, Scotland is a long way from Heathrow and has no control of the airport, which already draws direct flights away from Scotland. Were it to be expanded, Scotland would only become more dependent upon it, whilst adding a further 600,000 tonnes of carbon emissions in Scotland by 2040, through 605,000 extra return trips between Scottish airports and Heathrow.
Can it really be in the name of the First Minister’s cause that Scotland should make itself unnecessarily dependent, for its international aviation access, on an airport that is down in London – and at such a cost to its own carbon targets?
If new leadership is a time to refresh, ditching Scotland’s anomalous and self-defeating support for Heathrow expansion could be a useful start.
Paul McGuinness
Chair, No 3rd Runway Coalition
(Address supplied)
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Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
