Programme for Government
The First Minister is to set out the Programme for Government on Tuesday which will be a year ahead of the Scottish Parliamentary elections in 2026. Usually the programme is set in autumn, but it has been brought forward in what the government regards as a critical year.
Today will open the new offices of Heineken in Edinburgh on Monday and mark the company’s commitment to Scotland as he pledges to accelerate action to help businesses invest, create jobs and grow the economy.
Ahead of presenting the 2025-26 Programme for Government to Parliament, the First Minister said: “Heineken has made a significant investment in Scotland, underlining our world-class reputation as a great place to invest and do business.
“There are also global challenges which are causing real anxiety for businesses in Scotland that require an immediate response. That is why I have brought forward my Programme for Government, which will accelerate action to create jobs, drive investment and grow Scotland’s economy.
“Growing our economy is central to improving people’s living standards, investing in public services, eradicating child poverty and tackling the climate emergency.
“The Programme for Government that I publish tomorrow will set out action to support businesses during turbulent times and help make Scotland a more prosperous country.”
All of the business to be discussed at Holyrood on Tuesday is on the Business Bulletin here.
The day’s session which begins at 2pm will include a Time for Reflection slot led by Rev Dr Karen Campbell the Parish Minister of Marchmont St Giles’ and will end with a Members Business session led by Christine Grahame MSP celebrating the 30th anniversary of Eco-Schools and Success for St Andrew’s RC Primary School in Gorebridge.
Peaceful protest
Residents and locals are gathering on Wednesday 7 May at 5pm to protest about the safety of the road at the junction of Ashley Terrace and Harrison Gardens. This follows a recent crash when an 80-year-old woman was seriously injured by the driver of a car on Ashley Terrace on 28 April.
Locals say that they have been waiting for a long time for a pedestrian crossing and point out that traffic on the street has increased significantly as a result of the closure of the bridge at Harrison Road “due to structural concerns”.
At the council this week
Monday, 5th May, 2025 – no meetings
Tuesday, 6th May, 2025 – no meetings
Wednesday, 7th May, 2025
- 9.30 am Planning Local Review Body (Panel 2) – Dean of Guild Court Room – City Chambers
Thursday, 8th May, 2025
- 10.00 am – 5.00 pm City of Edinburgh Council – Main Council Chamber – City Chambers. There is a meeting of all councillors this week. Sadly Cllr Val Walker who was the Culture and Communities Convener died last month quite suddenly and unexpectedly. A tribute to Cllr Walker is included in the council leader’s report which you can read below:
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Open in new tab The council has gone through a speeded up recruitment process, and councillors are asked to appoint Julie Ashworth as the Chair of the newly formed advisory body, the Edinburgh Visitor Levy Forum.
This is the body which will advise the council on how to spend the projected millions which will be raised in tourist tax when it begins next year.
Edinburgh resident, Ms Ashworth, is described as: “founder and CEO of BroadReach Leadership Consultancy, whose clients span retail, technology, travel, education and the arts. She currently serves as a Public Interest Board Trustee for the Institute of Chartered Accountants Scotland, is Chair of the Board for the University of Aberdeen and has been a longstanding member of the Institute of Directors Scotland Board (becoming chair in June 2023). She also contributes on a cross party working group of the Scottish Parliament and is a member of the Scottish Government’s New Deal for Business Group so has an understanding of the political landscape in Scotland as well.”
Councillors will also be asked to approve the salary levels for senior councillors (which are set by The Scottish Government). This means that the leader of the council will receive £71,519 and for the Lord Provost the salary rises to
The Council has 19 senior councillors out of a maximum of 24 and spends £733,826 of its £955,455 allowance on salaries for this group. Read the full list below, but there is an error in the list as Cllr Lang will no longer be the Liberal Democrat leader as he has stepped back from the role while filling the £200,000 Chief Executive role at the Law Society of Scotland which he says is on a temporary basis. Cllr Ed Thornley is the opposition group leader receiving a salary of £40,027 per annum.
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Cllr Graham has raised the matter of the community council elections held recently which left eight community councils without representation (although at least one the Old Town Community Council has been saved by the second round of nominations). Cllr Graham wants the council to examine the process and ask what happened and how to avoid it happening in the future. She would also like community councils to be involved in the participatory budgeting which will be used to allocate Transient Visitor Levy funds widely across the city.
- All the papers for the council meeting are here.
- Friday, 9th May, 2025 – no meetings
Edinburgh Tartan Parade
The first parade takes place on Saturday and as well as watching what happens on the street anyone can buy tickets for the ceilidh which will be hosted by Gail Porter at Usher Hall in the evening. Tickets here.
A spokesperson for the parade said: “This exciting event will bring together tartans, pipe bands, dancers, musicians, organisations, and individuals from Edinburgh, as well as across Scotland, and beyond – to celebrate the country’s rich heritage, tartans, culture and inclusivity.
“The inspiration for the Edinburgh Tartan Parade stems from the successful NYC Tartan Day Parade and the ongoing collaboration between Tartan Parade Scotland and Kyle Dawson, the President of the NYC Tartan Day Parade. Tania Pramschufer, the director of Hand Up Events, founder of Tartan Parade Scotland (and World Fair Trade Tartan), has brought together a dedicated volunteer team to bring this new and exciting event to Edinburgh! While supported by Hand Up Events, Edinburgh Tartan Parade is a stand-alone event, independently organised and run by the dedicated team of volunteers.”
Tradfest continues – what’s on today?
At Tradfest today there is a session at 1pm for children over 4 to learn about Old Edinburgh street games and stories. Booking advised.
This is just part of the programme of events at Tradfest which continues until 12 May. The full programme is below:
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Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
