The council wants to build a new school in Queensferry, and discussed how to progress that at a full council meeting last November.

Today in South Queensferry there is the first of two drop in sessions to find out about progress with the plans to provide a new high school and answer any questions that parents or residents may have.

[tweet_box design=”default”]The first Public Drop in Session will be held at Queensferry High School between 16:00 and 20:00 today 13 June 2017.[/tweet_box]

There will be a second drop in session on 22 June 2017 at the same time.

At that stage the council had already conducted a feasibility study to determine the eventual capacity of the school. That considered potential increases in the school roll due to more children living in the area, both in the new housing included in the Local Development Plan as well as other children coming through from feeder primaries.

One consideration was that if the council transfers the Kirkliston catchment area into Queensferry High School’s catchment area, then the council officers recommended a capacity of 1200. In the same way as other new schools already do, their bespoke leisure facilities will be managed by Edinburgh Leisure.

But alternative propositions that the new school could be aimed at 1200 pupils with capacity to extend to 1400, or indeed just build a new school for 1400 pupils immediately even if they have to leave some rooms empty meantime were also considered

The council has two schools in Portobello and Craigmount with capacity for 1400 pupils which they believe is the biggest manageable school they should have. Otherwise they feel that the school can become unmanageable from an educational perspective.

A deputation from parents in Kirkliston attended the meeting in November to have their say.

One parent Mark said: “It is striking that a 1400 capacity school only costs 5% more than a 1200 capacity school.

“But I feel that the projections are understated. Two years after the school is built there will already be more than 1200 children.

“If I were a councillor trying to get it right for every child then I would look at whether the school should have 1200 or 1400 children.”

Following last week’s General Election Angus Robertson who won the leadership contest only last year was not reelected. This means that the SNP have to select a new Westminster Group Leader.

Nominations will open to MPs this morning, with the election of the new Group Leader to be announced on Wednesday evening.

Two of our Edinburgh MPs have put themselves forward for election, Joanna Cherry QC who is MP for Edinburgh South West and Tommy Sheppard who represented Edinburgh East.

Mr Sheppard stood in the group leadership contest last year against  Mr Robertson.

Jim the Magician is a really talented Edinburgh entertainer. He mainly does tricks with cards, but then there is that other trick with the ring that disappears…..

Yes we are still mystified!

We first met Jim last year when he was doing his Fringe show at The Pleasance, and since then the self-taught entertainer has given up his day job to concentrate on magic.

You will now find the full-time magician down at The Pitt Market in Leith every weekend in June and July entertaining the customers there.

Jim explained : “I suppose I am doing magic busking! This is a great place with food and drink, live music and lots of chat. So the magic fits in well.

“I have been learning new tricks. The great thing about busking is that I can try out my new tricks here!”

If you haven’t been to The Pitt, there are different food and drink outlets every weekend at the pop-up market, and there is always music and now there is magic to entertain you too!

We met the lovely @jimthemagician the other day. You will find him doing some of these tricks every weekend in June and July @thepittmarket pic.twitter.com/Rj1wZIYqsE

— Edinburgh Reporter (@EdinReporter) June 1, 2017

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The Pitt, Edinburgh Food and Drinks Yard, is at 125 Pitt Street EH6 4DE from 12 noon each Saturday and Sunday. More information here.

From 23 June to 9 July 2017 at the Dry Dock on Leith Links, My Mother is an Artist will showcase the visual art and words of 15 artists and writers, including organiser, Faracy Moon Grouse, Ursula Mestre, Pavithra Atul Sarma and Sarah Dyer.

With workshops and talks by the artists, My Mother is an Artist is family-friendly event, though some workshops are more suited for some ‘me’ time, because you deserve a little head space.

A woman tends to be defined by her role in relation to others – sister, daughter, wife and mother. This exhibition and series of workshops honours woman as mother and artist.

Does procreation mean the end of artistic creation? Or does it mean a different perspective on life? A more nurturing, closer-to-nature-and-death perspective?

Does the lack of sleep bring zombie-like struggle? Or a leaden focus on the small things?

Recent study into a woman’s domestic mental and emotional load reveals we have not progressed that far in terms of defined gender roles and the caring/domestic chore role remains a predominantly female one. But is this a choice? And how does this effect creative endeavour?

Come and continue the conversation, re-connect with your own creativity and appreciate the gifts motherhood brings to your perspective.

My Mother is an Artist welcomes all female-identifying artist/mother/carers.

It used to be called the House of Lords but is now called the UK Supreme Court and it usually sits in London, but this week for three days only the Court convened in Edinburgh.

Using the technology available in the City Chambers to webcast proceedings the five judges sat to hear the case of Sadovska and another v Secretary of State for the Home Department

This appeal from a Decision of three judges at the Court of Session last June relates to the evidential burden on the state when disrupting ‘sham marriages’. There have already been two hearings in 2014 and 2015, with permission for appeal to the Supreme Court only being granted on 1 March 2017.

The marriage took place at Leith Registry Office on 17 April 2014 when immigration officers interrupted the wedding to establish whether they had committed any offences under the Immigration Acts.

Violeta Sadovska and Saleem Malik were accused of entering into a marriage of convenience and there was an order from a lower tribunal to order them to be expelled from the United Kingdom. They contended that they had been in a genuine relationship since October 2012, but both tribunals decided there was insufficient evidence to show that the marriage was genuine.

The First Tier Tribunal (FTT) held that “neither appellant demonstrated a knowledge of each other, which was consistent with a lifelong commitment to marriage or an intense romantic relationship for over a year. The tribunal also decided that there was no evidence of any planning for the marriage. The FTT held that the appellants were not in a relationship, and certainly not a durable one. Since the first appellant was a party to a marriage of convenience, the respondent had been justified in revoking her residence card and ordering her removal. There was no family life involving the second appellant to be protected and no argument was presented on the basis of a private life.”

The case was then referred to the Upper Tribunal and the appellants claimed that the tribunal had made a mistake by only examining the evidence in the interviews and not all of the evidence available. The couple also claimed that the interviews were conducted unfairly and that neither of them had good enough English to be questioned in that language.

That appeal was refused and the case then came before the five Supreme Court judges heard the appeal from the Court of Session yesterday in Edinburgh.

Mr Bovey QC for the appellants argued that Ms Sadovska did live in Scotland as a worker which is one of the requirements of permanent residency. Her statement set out an employment history from three months after her arrival.

He further argued that there was some misapprehension of her status by the lower courts and after about 90 minutes of further argument invited the court to allow the appeal. The case was last heard in the Court of Session by Lord Carloway, Lady Paton and Lord Menzies who decided that the couple should be extradited from the UK. The case against Ms Sadovska rested on the fact that she had residency rights which she abused, and against Mr Malik on the basis of his right to a family life in terms of human rights legislation.

Lord Keene of Elie QC Advocate General for Scotland, on behalf of the Secretary of State for the Home Department, addressed the court as to whether the FTT was correct in deciding that the first appellant abused her rights of living in the U.K. by entering into a sham marriage.

He argued that the decision relating to Ms Sadovska was entirely made within the applicable 2006 legislation, but noted that had the notice been given earlier then the first appellant, Ms Sadovska, would have been detained and the marriage would not have taken place.

The couple who were in court to hear the legal arguments had initially been interviewed separately and it was said displayed little knowledge of each other’s families. Their families and friends were not at the wedding, even though Ms Sadovska’s two sisters lived in Edinburgh.

The court will issue their decision at a later date, but the case is already historic as it was the first Supreme Court case to be heard outside London.

As the court assembled Lord Neuberger, President of the UK Supreme Court said :
“Before we begin, it is right to record that this is a historic occasion: it is the first time that the Supreme Court, or our predecessor the Appellate Committee of the House of Lords, has sat outside London.

“We are delighted to be here, as it enables us to underline the role of the Court in serving the people and communities of every part of the United Kingdom.

“We are very grateful to the Lord President — who will sit with us later in the week — and his colleagues, as weU as to Edinburgh City Council and to Police Scotland, for all that they have done to accommodate our visit and make us feel welcome.

“We are very pleased to see those of you who have taken the time to come and watch us in this courtroom today, which reflects much of the point of our taking this initiative. Thank you for participating in this historic occasion.”

The leading qualifier from the Alliance event at the Renaissance Club this month will book a place in the Scottish Senior pro-am on the same course in August.

The 18-hole handicap event will be decided on Stableford points and takes place on Sunday, 25 June 2017, at the East Lothian course.

Registration is from 12.30 followed by lunch and a warm-up session ahead of a 2.30pm start.

The entry fee is £100 and includes lunch and two complimentary week passes for the championship.

A proportion of the entry fee will be donated to the Leuchie House national respite centre.

The Scottish Senior Alliance pro-am is on Friday, August 4 and Saturday, August 5 and to enter the qualifier contact golfproshop@trcaa.com or call 01620 850901 and quote the Scottish Senior Open qualifier.

There are no age restrictions.

Former Edinburgh Monarchs skipper Craig Cook has been confirmed as the new captain of Great Britain ahead of the 2017 Monster Energy Speedway World Cup.

The Belle Vue and Workington star has been in fine form so far this season and will now lead the Lions into their Event One clash with Australia, USA and Czech Republic at King’s Lynn on July 1.

Team boss Alun Rossiter believes the 30-year-old from Cumbria will thrive in the role as they aim to book their place in the final in Leszno on July 8.

Rossiter said: “I could’ve gone with one of the more experienced guys, but I just feel it’s something Craig will thrive on and bring out the best in him.”

Last weekend Channel Five showed a remake of the popular film Dirty Dancing. The original, made in 1987 and starring Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey, has become an iconic feel-good flick. However, going by reaction on social media, the updated film version made earlier this year falls somewhat short of the original classic.

Such negative views would not have been welcomed by the production team of Dirty Dancing The Classic Story on Stage which began its six-day run at the Edinburgh Playhouse on Monday evening. Directed by Federico Bellone and choreographed by Gillian Bruce, the show attracted a sizeable if not quite sold-out audience to the Playhouse. However, those who did go on the opening night would not have been disappointed.

The stage sets were not the most spectacular ever seen but the dancing skills, professionalism and sheer passion shown by the cast could not be faulted. The stage show has kept true to the film version with Johnny Castle, played with style and class by Lewis Griffiths, displaying sublime dancing skills and a physique that induced wolf whistles from some in the audience.

The part of Frances ‘Baby’ Houseman was played by Katie Eccles and she was equally impressive with her character torn between her love for Johnny and loyalty towards her misguided father, played superbly by Julian Harries.

Full of passion and romance, heart-pounding music and sensationally sexy dancing, this record-breaking all new concept of the show was a delight. The show features hit songs such as ‘Hungry Eyes’, ‘Hey! Baby’ and ‘Do You Love Me?’

My only criticism was that I felt the first half seemed slightly rushed and the second half a bit too long! But this should take nothing away from what was a very enjoyable show.

The whole cast performed the dance routines excellently and this added to the atmosphere. The show ended with the trademark song and dance routine ‘I’ve Had The Time of My Life’ which brought a deserved standing ovation from the audience. Those who loved the film – the original film that is – will love this stage show.

Monday hadn’t been the best of days for this reporter but the feel-good factor was restored, in part at least, by this excellent performance. There’s so much bad news in the world at present it’s worth going to see Dirty Dancing on stage – it won’t fail to lift your spirits!

Edinburgh Reporter Rating: ****

Dirty Dancing, The Classic Story on Stage is on at The Edinburgh Playhouse until Saturday 17^th June 2017. Tickets here.

Police are appealing for information after a Lothian bus had to brake sharply to avoid a car that had pulled out in front of it on the A71, Stenhouse Road, opposite HMP Edinburgh around 1.15 pm on Friday 9th June.

The number 35 was travelling East towards the city centre and an 86-year-old woman who was travelling on the bus died the following day as a result of injuries she sustained.

Two other people were injured in the incident – an 86-year-old man and a woman in her 30’s.

The car was a white Audi either a Q3 or Q5 model.

Officers are now urging anyone who witnessed the incident to please get in touch.

Sergeant Fraser Wood of Edinburgh road policing unit said: “Sadly a woman has died as a result of the evasive action the bus driver had to take to avoid the car.

“We would like to trace the driver of the car and any witnesses to the incident on Friday.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact Edinburgh Road Policing Unit on 101 quoting incident number 1598 of 9th June.

Edinburgh Capitals forward Pavel Vorobyev has confirmed his return to Murrayfield and he has set himself a new target.

The 35-year-old, as a minimum, wants to help Edinburgh make the end-of-season play-offs.

Vorobyev said. “I go out every game and give 100per cent and look to improve from last season.

“I was happy playing with the Capitals and the city is great to live in with a great set of fans.

“I felt at home there which was important to me.”

Vorobyev played 60 times for the Caps last season and picked up 21 goals and 58 points.

He proved very popular among the fans and his return is sure to excite the Edinburgh support, still delighted at the news of Dmitri Khristich’s appointment as head coach.

And the Kazakhstan-born forward said he’s looking forward to working under the new coach Dimitri Khristich.

He added: “Dmitri was a great player and I am sure he is going to be an excellent coach.”

Berwick Bandits are four points behind second-bottom Scunthorpe Scorpions after skidding to a 54-38 defeat at Peterborough Panthers.

Gary Havelock’s men have ten points from 16 fixtures with Peterborough on 15 but they have only raced 11 matches.

Nick Morris top scored or the visitors with 12 points and skipper Kevin Doolan collected nine.

Former Grand Prix racer Chris Harris totalled 12 points for the home side with Ulrich Ostergaard and Jack Holder both scoring 11 points.

Panthers got off to a filer and were 13-5 ahead after three races.
Then a 5-1 in Heat Six edged the scoreline on to 24-12 in favour of the home side who maintained their grip of the match until the final heat despite losing Simon Lambert with a wrist injury.

Lewis Bridger was again absent through injury and Bandits manager Gary Havelock conceded that Peterborough are a tough side to beat.

And he praised David Howe who scored six points despite racing through the pain barrier after his recent crash.

Police Scotland has today launched a targeted week of action to promote counter-terrorism activity across the country.

The Counter Terrorism Awareness Week forms part of the UK Counter Terrorism Policing Networks Initiative and is co-ordinated by the National CT Policing Headquarters.

From Monday 12th until Sunday 18th June, specialist and local officers will be working together along with a number of partners to undertake a range of activities throughout Scotland, aimed at providing the public with useful information to help deter terrorism and keep them safe in the event of a terrorist incident.

In response to the tragic events in Manchester and London and other recent incidents, which have occurred across the world, Counter Terrorism Awareness Week will focus on safety and security in crowded public spaces.

On Tuesday 23rd May, the national threat level was raised to Critical, meaning another attack in Britain is considered imminent.  Following review by the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre (JTAC) this was reduced to SEVERE on Saturday 27th May, meaning that an attack is still highly likely.  However, Police Scotland’s message to the public remains the same -“Be alert, not alarmed” and “Be vigilant and report suspicious behaviour”.

The public should continue go about their daily business as normal, however we would ask that they be vigilant to suspicious activity and report it to us.

To launch Counter Terrorism Awareness Week, Local Day of Action officers, along with a wide range of partners will be in attendance at Aberdeen’s Union Square on Monday 12th June to commence the week’s activity.

Attendees will take part in a briefing led by ACC Steve Johnson, the Police Scotland lead on Organised Crime and Counter Terrorism, and specialist Counter Terrorism Security Advisers about Counter Terrorism Awareness Week reminding those present of the useful advice about Run, Hide, Tell from ‘Stay Safe.’

Local officers will also provide reassurance to Aberdeen’s shoppers, workers and visitors and will be available to answer questions at various crowded places sites in Aberdeen city centre.

Over the course of the week various events, awareness-raising seminars and business security training will be held throughout the Cities of Aberdeen, Dundee, Inverness, Stirling, Perth, Edinburgh and Glasgow. These have all been specifically planned to demonstrate the range of resources and capabilities at Police Scotland’s disposal in relation to counter-terrorism.

In total, over two hundred Police Scotland resources will be utilised between the 12th and 18th June, with staff from a variety of partner agencies assisting in all areas of Scotland.

The key themes being promoted are:

• Action Counters Terrorism (ACT)
• REACT (a form of behavioural detection training)
• Run, Hide, Tell (Police guidance for the public in the event of a firearms and weapons attack).
• International Protect & Prepare (how we can help protect UK citizens and UK interests overseas)
• Citizen Aid (a downloadable app for use by the public to help save lives in the event of a terrorist attack).
• Festivals and Events Safety (Safety at Festivals/Events)

Those involved in Counter Terrorism Awareness Week will offer reassurance to the public by demonstrating counter-terrorism techniques in support of the UK CONTEST Strategy, while at the same time providing current information to various groups and individuals on safety and security.

Assistant Chief Constable Steve Johnson said: “The purpose of this week-long initiative is not to alarm the public, but to provide them with all the necessary information they require to identify suspicious activity and more importantly, to keep themselves safe and secure.

“The tragic events in Manchester and London have undoubtedly left our communities shaken and concerned and our activities taking place throughout Counter Terrorism Awareness Week are aimed at offering reassurance to the public by demonstrating the range of capabilities at our disposal to both deter, and respond to, terrorism-related incidents.

“As was the case during our Counter Terrorism Day of Action in November 2016, there is no specific intelligence suggesting an attack in Scotland, however keeping our communities informed is essential to ensure they can assist counter terrorism.

“I have said before that ‘Communities Defeat Terrorism’ and Scotland’s greatest defence against the terrorist threat is our close knit communities and the relationship police and partners have with the public.

“I would like to thank our colleagues from all partner agencies for their continued support of counter-terrorism policing and for the assistance they are providing throughout Counter Terrorism Awareness Week.

“We are demonstrating that Scotland is a hostile environment for those intent on causing harm and by continuing to work together we can ensure this remains the case”.

“The events taking place this week are primarily focussed on the country’s cities; however, all of our communities should be mindful of countering terrorism.  Further information on this subject can be obtained by visiting our website at www.scotland.police.uk/keepsafe.”

Cabinet Secretary for Justice, Mr Michael Matheson said:

“Understandably, given the horrific events in London on 3 June, the third attack in the UK in the last three months, many people in Scotland have concerns about the threats posed by terrorism.

“We must not allow terrorism to triumph, people should not be afraid to go about their daily business as usual.  Police Scotland rightfully reviewed security arrangements of major events following the recent incidents but security is a responsibility we all share and we need to continue to work together, and benefit from our strong community links, in keeping each other safe.

“Initiatives like Counter Terrorism Awareness Week are important, now more than ever. As part of the week, Police Scotland and their partners will be providing practical advice and taking forward a wide range of engagements to inform and reassure the public. These will include more visible police presence in cities across Scotland and awareness raising events.  I would encourage us all to engage in these opportunities.”

Superintendent David Marshall said: “Recent events have highlighted the importance of people reporting anything suspicious or out of the ordinary.

“We are rightly proud of the fact that we have a largely open and accessible transport network in this country. However this means the police and public must work together to ensure it continues to remain as secure and safe as possible.

“It can be easy to become oblivious to your surroundings. During this week people are reminded of the important part they play in keeping themselves and fellow passengers safe.

“If we can utilise the eyes and the ears of the public in surveillance of the transport system, combined with our substantial CCTV coverage, we stand every chance of detecting and stopping potential attacks.

“If you see anything suspicious you can text from your phone to 61016, call us on 0800 40 50 40 or tell a member of rail staff, or one of our officers when you see them on patrol. In an emergency, always call 999.”

Police have released images of a man that officers wish to trace in connection with a serious assault that occurred in George Street on Sunday 5th March around 2.45am.

A 20-year-old man was attacked and sustained a significant facial injury that required hospital treatment.

Detectives believe that the man pictured on the CCTV footage may be able to assist them with their investigation and would ask him or anyone who recognises him to come forward.

He is described as white, in his 20’s, around 6ft tall, slim/athletic build with short dark hair. At the time of the incident he was wearing a dark coloured jumper with a bold orange stripe across the front.

Officers are also looking to speak to three other men who police believe were in the company of the male.

Detective Constable Narelle Allan of Gayfield CID said, “The victim was on a night out when he was attacked in a vicious manner which resulted in a painful and serious facial injury that required surgery. Police have been conducting enquiries including viewing CCTV from a nearby business premises.

“The man shown in the images is believed to be significant to our investigation and anyone who can identify him is asked to come forward. Similarly, we would ask that he get in touch with police himself in order to assist with the investigation”

Anyone with information can contact Police Scotland on 101, quoting incident number 1860 of 13 March 2017 or Crimestoppers in complete anonymity on 0800 555 111.

Big names – Big egos – Big it up!

Our friends at Premier Entertainments are all in a lather in announcing their super hot Fringe line-up including debuts from Chortle Student Award Winner, Kwame Asante and the Richard Gadd’s director Stoph Demetriou. Previous Fringe Favourites include a brand new hour of masterful storytelling from Sarah Kendall; an exciting twist in format for The Dark Room for Kids, an unexpected kids version of the terrifying live interactive game show. There is a fantastic new show from Brendon Burns and Craig Quartermaine, and another freewheeling masterpiece from the unstructured, unhinged, ‘the Cardinal of Chaos, the Ayatollah of Abuse, the Duke of Puke’ John Robertson. The gymnast of the absurd, do not be fooled by the halo – he was suckled on plutonium.

German punk-pop rockers Otto & Astrid (Die Roten Punkte) present Eurosmash! and we’re excited to see a new show from the much loved ballsy New Yorker, Abigoliah Schamaun.

Everyone’s favourite foolhardy foot-high puppets Boris & Sergey return with a confusingly named One Man Extravaganza, Yianni Agisilaou brings the show that was recently nominated for Best Comedy at the Perth Fringe 2017  whilst Stuart Black takes us on a dark journey to the depths of his mind.

Making his return to Fringe after 34 years away, is Richard Sparks – writer of Rowan Atkinson’s ‘Schoolmaster Sketch’ and regular writer on Not the Nine O’clock News – bringing his new piece of comedy writing Margarita Dreams. And hotfooting it over to Pleasance with the might of the Showstoppers producer’s behind them, comes the hottest new ticket in Improv comedy Murder She Didn’t Write

UP AND COMING ACTS include the charming and Irish Conor Drum  and the Irish and charming Danny O’Brien.   Character comedy comes in the form of  Maddy Anholt and ex-political journalist Francesco De Carlo eager to drag audiences screaming from their comfort zones – and maybe even their erogenous ones as well.

Over in the CABARET & VARIETY section JoJo Bellini beguiles and charms all with her saucy signing, and Korean magical maestros SNAP return after a total sell out 2016.

WILD CARDS,  Sarah Bennetto and Marny Godden promise to have some ace deals up their sleeves.

Losers invite audiences to grab a voting handset, meet four dangerously desperate contestants and decide their formidable fates. It’s the most nail-biting TV game-show of the decade. With a very dark twist.

The man with the galactic brain-pan, Fringe First winning Canadian rapper Baba Brinkman asks the hard questions in Rap Guide to Consciousness – what is it like to be a baby? We might have to take LSD to find out. How about an octopus? (We will have ours lightly sautéed, please!)

Following the notable success of No Child which debuted at Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2010, Nilaja Sun returns to The Fringe with her new one-woman show, Pike ST..

Matthew Floyd Jones, (Mannish from Frisky and Mannish) brings his one man show Richard Carpenter is Close to You – a parody-tribute to the less talked about half of The Carpenters.

Fresh from huge success at the Adelaide Fringe, Blank Tiles tells the story of World Scrabble Champion, Austin Michaels used to know over 200,000 words. Now Alzheimer’s disease is eating away at his memory.

Catherine and Anita is a beautifully bleak comedy. Told over the course of decades this is a story about heartbreak, mental illness, and ultimately how those in need so often slip through life’s cracks.

Lists For The End Of The World is a show composed entirely of crowd-sourced lists, from all kinds of people in all kinds of places – including the audience as they queue up to take their seats.

The Man on the Moor Written and performed by Max Dickins of last year’s critical smash-hit The Trunk, this one-man play looks at how people come to disappear and the impact on those they leave behind.

Eggsistentialism is a comedic, autobiographical journey charting the odyssey that writer/performer Joanne Ryan embarked upon while trying to decide in her final fertile years whether or not to have a child.

Following its Fringe sell out in 2016, SNAP! returns to the Festival. This enormously entertaining magic show boasts a cast of Korea’s greatest illusion artists in an enchanting, engaging and hilarious show.

And from gigantic drums to small percussion instruments Tago – Korean Drum II performances are a masterful display of thrilling percussion and precisely choreographed movement. 

For the very first time ever the UK Supreme Court (what used to be called the House of Lords for legal appeals purposes) will sit outside London, and it has chosen to visit Edinburgh.

Using the setting and technology of the City Chambers, the Court will hear three appeals this week.

The historic sitting will include appeals against sham marriages, national planning policy and the rehabilitation of determinate sentence prisoners.

And to mark the occasion the UK Supreme Court is joining Instagram to show off the set up and proceedings.

For a number of years now council meetings held in the City Chambers and in the Dean of Guild Court Room have been webcast, so the judges will know that their every move will be broadcast to an outside audience. This is what they are used to when sitting in the Supreme Court in London, and the recording will be live streamed to the Supreme Court website.

The schedule is that the court will hear Sadovska and another v Secretary of State for the Home Department on Monday 12 June 2017 from 11:00. 

On Tuesday 13 June 2017 the court will hear the appeal of Aberdeen City and Shire Strategic Development Planning Authority v Elsick Development Company Limited which relates to the correct legal test to be applied when assessing planning obligations, and the extent to which planning authorities are bound to comply with national planning policy.

On Wednesday 14 June 2017 the case is Brown v The Scottish Ministers which relates to the obligation on the state to rehabilitate determinate sentence prisoners. Lord Carloway who is both a Scottish advocate and judge as well as the most senior judge of the Supreme Courts of Scotland and head of the Scottish Judiciary, will sit on the panel of judges to hear this appeal.

As well as hearing the appeals the court will receive educational visits. exhibitions and special events.

Mark Ormerod, the Court’s Chief Executive, said: “This channel will serve as a window into the life of the Supreme Court beyond the courtroom. Rather than focusing on the cases heard here, it will showcase the work we do with schools and universities from around the world, and our role as a popular visitor attraction in Parliament Square.”

Mark will be giving a free public talk during the Edinburgh sittings, offering those who come to observe proceedings an overview of the Supreme Court building and how the Court uses its accommodation in central London. The presentation will begin in the Council Chamber after court has risen on Wednesday 14 June, at 4.15pm.

On a daily basis there are 120 seats which members of the public can occupy and attend the hearings. These will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.

As MPs return to Westminster for the new parliamentary term there is a lot of dust still to settle.

As the Conservative Party did not get an outright majority there is a hung parliament. This means that the Tories have cast around for a coalition partner of some kind, and they have settled on the 10 DUP MPs who represent constituencies in Northern Ireland.

Late last night Downing Street announced that a deal had been struck and then just as quickly a retraction of that statement was issued.

Commenting on the UK government’s attempts to establish a “confidence and supply deal” with the DUP, SNP MP for Edinburgh North and Leith,  and Northern Ireland spokesperson Deidre Brock said : “It is an absolute shambles that the Tories claimed to have struck a formal deal with the DUP, only to now admit that no such deal was in place. Theresa May’s government is in absolute chaos.

“If the Tories do agree a confidence and supply arrangement, the public will have little confidence in it. We must have absolute transparency over what agreements will be reached for the supply of DUP votes.

“It would be nothing short of scandalous if the Tory party jeopardised the return of government in Northern Ireland and the Good Friday process in order to cling on to power at Westminster.

“At the same time there are very real questions to be asked over any suggestion that equal rights for LGBTI people or women’s rights could be diminished in any part of the UK by this deal.

“The PM’s private reassurances are worthless given her track record of u-turns and her clear desperation to cling to power.

“SNP MPs will always work with other parties in support of progressive policies across the UK and we will demand full scrutiny and transparency over any confidence and supply arrangement.”

The DUP was the only political party who did not consent to the Good Friday agreement at the time it was signed a decade or so ago.

A Downing Street spokesperson announced a phone call between the Prime Minister and the Irish Taoiseach Enda Kenny earlier today. Mr Kenny has recently announced he will give way to a successor.

The Prime Minister explained to Mr Kenny that she is working towards a confidence and supply deal with the DUP which would provide stability and certainty for the UK going forward.

They confirmed their joint commitment to restoring a Northern Ireland Executive as soon as possible and agreed that both countries would continue to engage closely to bring about political stability in Northern Ireland. The Prime Minister reiterated that the government’s approach and objectives in the forthcoming talks to re-establish the Northern Ireland Executive remained unchanged.

The two leaders spoke about their willingness to continue close cooperation as the UK embarks on leaving the European Union, with no return to a hard border.

The Prime Minister thanked Mr Kenny for helping to make UK-Ireland relations stronger than ever, wished him well for the future and said she looked forward to continuing a close relationship with his successor.

The Prime Minister has now appointed the Rt Hon James Brokenshire MP as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. Brokenshire said :

“It is a privilege to have been asked by the Prime Minister to continue to serve as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland – particularly at such a crucial moment for Northern Ireland and the whole United Kingdom.

“The UK Government remains steadfast in its commitment to the Belfast Agreement and to governing in the interests of all parts of the community in Northern Ireland. It provides the basis for Northern Ireland’s continued political progress and as the Government we remain firmly committed to this.

“My immediate priority is reaching agreement on restoring an inclusive power-sharing Executive – which is what the people of Northern Ireland voted for in the March Assembly elections.

“The statutory deadline to restore a functioning Executive to Northern Ireland is 29 June. Time is short but there was real progress in the last round of political discussion. Agreement between the parties can be reached if there is goodwill on all sides.

“Talks must resume again as soon as possible and I will meet the party leaders and Irish Foreign Minister Flanagan in Belfast tomorrow. All those involved must engage in the full knowledge that the deadline of 29 June is final and immovable.

“The UK government will do everything in its power, working alongside the Irish government in relation to those areas where they have responsibility, to contribute to and support the process, steadfastly upholding the principles of the Belfast Agreement and its successors.

“Like the overwhelming majority across the community in Northern Ireland, I believe a devolved government in Belfast is the best way to address the key decisions which affect people’s day to day lives – whether these relate to the economy, security, public services or issues of policing and justice, as well as addressing the legacy of the past.

“A Northern Ireland Executive also has a vital part to play in ensuring that Northern Ireland’s interests are represented as the UK prepares to leave the EU.

“Northern Ireland’s political leaders now have this chance to take control and restore effective power sharing government under the current assembly mandate. If they do not, the power to make decisions passes to others. Their choice in the next three weeks will shape Northern Ireland’s future.”

If you were out and about late last night you might have been forgiven for thinking you were seeing things. You were.

The Moonwalk Scotland was taking place and before it even started the charity said that £430,000 had been raised by people taking part in this year’s event. This brings the fundraising total over the last 12 years of The MoonWalk Scotland to a total of £20 million.

Joining the Moonwalkers was crime author Val McDermid who completed the Half Moon of just over 13 miles. Well done Val!

The First Minister’s trip to the US interested The Edinburgh Reporter, particularly the second half of it, as she arrived in New York when I was already there for Tartan Week.

I had the opportunity of following the First Minister around Manhattan for the day and interviewing her there without too many other news outlets in evidence. Glenn Campbell from the BBC was there and had been out in California too, but apart from Reuters we were the only other.

I published an account of the Day in New York in magazine form and you can read it again below. There was some criticism of the expense and the effect of the visit, and as you will see the First Minister herself gave us her own reply to that.

https://steller.co/site/static/js/steller.js

Now we have the full facts and figures on the visit, and the expenses incurred, which might be weighed against the inward investment attracted, or indeed just the effect of the First Minister being in the US to ‘press the flesh’.

The future relationships which that might engender are as yet unknown of course, but Nicola Sturgeon is, in my own experience of seeing her in action, always well briefed and on message. She knows the facts and numbers inside out and did not appear to put a foot wrong during her time in the States.

She began her visit in California and then worked back east across the US to New York and then flew home to Scotland from there just a day ahead of the Tartan Day Parade. This was a bit of a pity as her presence on that day when Scots from all across the States gather,  would have been welcomed by the ex-pats and Scots who parade down Sixth Avenue.

So her visit was very much about business and investment, not tartan and bagpipes. It was left to some SNP MPs to represent the political party and the Presiding Officer, Ken Mackintosh MSP to represent the Scottish Parliament, which he did with his customary grace and style.

The First Minister’s visit to the US lasted from 2-7 April and was choc-full of meetings from end to end.

We made an FOI request to The Scottish Government, and discovered that the expenses of Ms Sturgeon’s travel and accommodation were as follows :

First Minister

Flights £7053.95

Accommodation £1426.03

Subsistence £0

Seven accompanying officials (who included press and media officers as well as security)

Flight costs £15,502.13

Accommodation £7145.45

Subsistence £2045.85

The total cost of car travel in the US was £7494.73. This sounds high if you equate it to what you might have paid for one saloon car if you were visiting on holiday, but then the First Minister and her staff travelled in several cars, in much the same way as Barack Obama did when he visited Scotland the other day. (We counted 12 vehicles in the former President’s entourage.)

So how do you balance those expenses of £40,668.14 against the potential benefit of spending this money and time in the US?

Just as a reminder, the 2017 General Election had not yet been announced; the snap election was declared by the Prime Minister Theresa May on 18 April 2017. All that anyone knew at the time was that Britain was, and still is, on course for Brexit as Section 50 had been triggered.

Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Tourism and External Affairs, Fiona Hyslop  MSP, explained the context of US trade and the reasons behind the First Minister’s visit in an answer made to Ash Denham MSP in the Scottish Parliament on 20 April 2017.

Here is the answer in full :

“The visit focused on promoting trade and investment, boosting tourism, sharing best practice across the public and private sector and promoting Scottish innovation, entrepreneurship and culture.

“The relationship between Scotland and America is an important one with deep and long-standing ties reflected by the strong economic, cultural and personal links of our citizens. The US is Scotland’s top source of inward investment, accounting for 36% of projects and is Scotland’s second largest export partner – worth £4.56 billion or 15.9% of all international exports.

“This visit came at a crucial time following the UK’s vote to leave the EU and the single market, and only days after the formal triggering of Article 50. It was important that the First Minister took this opportunity to reassure businesses and visitors from the United States that Scotland is an outward looking, welcoming country and remains open for business.

“Beginning her engagements in California the First Minister, joined by Dr Lena Wilson of Scottish Enterprise and Chief Scientific Advisor Professor Sheila Rowan, focussed on opportunities for Scotland’s technology sector, low carbon innovation, university collaborations, and Scottish start-ups.

“The First Minister met representatives from Par Equity and confirmed that Par Equity will open its first office in San Francisco and launch a $125 million fund, focussed on providing investment opportunities in health technology in Scotland and access to the US market for Scottish companies.

“At Stanford the First Minister hosted a business breakfast for an influential business and academic audience in which she promoted Scottish Government support for high quality international research partnerships that further the economic, scientific and social aims of both Scotland and California, with specific reference to Strathclyde, Stanford and the SU2P initiative which also includes the universities of St Andrews, Edinburgh, Heriot Watt and Glasgow.

“Meetings with Apple and Tesla concentrated on opportunities for shared public and private sector collaboration in the areas of next generation health and well-being research, including the use of digital health and care to deliver better results through personalised, proactive and self-managed care and on opportunities to further develop Scotland’s sustainable energy initiatives and reinforce the strategic importance of energy storage technology to Scotland’s wider energy strategy, highlighting the common goal of a holistic energy system.

“The First Minister also hosted a dinner with representatives of major US firms to discuss opportunities for Scotland in Silicon Valley and met with American angel investors, ahead of a delegation of seven female CEOs supported by Investing Women to California, to highlight the Scottish Governments vision of Scotland as a world-leading entrepreneurial and innovative nation committed to unleashing the economic potential of women.

“Building on the technology focus of the visit, the First Minister later visited the Flatiron School, a digital skills academy in New York that is helping equip people with skills to gain employment in ICT and digital technology occupations. The Flatiron school provided an opportunity to learn from one of the foremost digital skills academies in the world and followed the announcement that the Scottish Government is to make £36 million available in loans to business to support digital skills training.

“The visit also focussed on key economic opportunities in the financial services sector, food and drink and tourism.

“In New York the First Minister met with representatives of Marriott Hotels and welcomed their continued investment and strong growth pipeline in Scotland including their commitment to create 7 new hotels and 1,400 new rooms in Scotland by 2021, reinforcing Scotland’s key tourism investment and visitor attraction strengths at a global leadership level.

“She also met with Executives from TripAdvisor and announced a European-first, multi-year collaboration, with VisitScotland. The unique partnership with the world’s largest travel website will attract up to 70 million new visitors every year generating a potential additional spend of £150million.

“Celebrating Scotland’s food and drink industry success the First Minister attended a showcase event in New York organised by Scottish Development International to promote Scottish produce to an audience of over 100 North American buyers and industry influencers and to showcase new agreements secured by Scottish firms worth £8m of export sales to North America, further strengthening food and drink exports in a market that was worth £1billion in 2016.

“The First Minister also held business meetings with Morgan Stanley and BlackRock to further develop the relationships with key inward investors and met with staff and graduates at Aberdeen Asset Management, officially opening their expansion in New York and discussed economic developments in Scotland, Europe and the US with Professor Joseph Stiglitz of the Council of Economic Advisers.

“In addition to the focus on business and investment, the First Minister met Scottish Ballet Youth Exchange students studying at the prestigious New York University TISCH School of the Performing Arts, supported by Scottish Government funding.

“Fourteen participants from Scotland’s leading performing arts schools aged between 14 and 24 are currently taking part in a two week visit to the US, collaborating with dance students from TISCH. This allows Scottish Ballet to showcase Scottish dance training abroad and to create a new work to be premiered at The Joyce Theater in New York City.

“This initiative was part of a wider £100,000 International Touring Fund awarded to Scottish Ballet this year to enable their first ever run in New York

“The First Minister also hosted a reception to celebrate the Scottish Ballet’s first tenure in New York City, and promoted the world-class calibre of Scottish performing arts.

“The visit also provided an opportunity to highlight the contribution Scotland can make to key global challenges.

“During the California leg of her visit the First Minister reaffirmed Scotland’s role in tackling climate change during a meeting with the Governor of California. She signed a joint agreement between Scotland and California committing to work together on climate change. The First Minister and the Governor discussed how the two administrations could work together to achieve the ambitions set out in the Under2 MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) and the importance of offshore wind in tackling climate change and considered how the two governments could share knowledge and best practice in developing this technology.

“The First Minister followed the agreement with a speech to over 250 Stanford academics and students on Scotland’s Place in the World which can be viewed here:

“The First Minister then took part in a Q&A, hosted by Professor Michael McFaul, Director at The Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies at Stanford University.

“Attending the 8th Women in the World Summit, the First Minister discussed Scotland’s commitment to equality, her personal experience of being a female leader and the importance of empowering women and girls.”

This was part of what she had to say:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKrJJ0GZ5es]

“This followed on from a visit by the First Minister to the UN where she held meetings with UN Women, the Head of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the UK’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations.

“During a speech at the UN, the First Minister announced £1.2m of funding to train more than 200 women from conflict zones around the world on peacekeeping and conflict resolution. The First Minister used her address to highlight the importance of mediation and respect for human rights as a way of preventing conflict, and lent her support to the UN Secretary General’s call for more female representation in the United Nations.”

In full the announcements made during the visit were as follows :

Xilinx Inc is to invest £3.8million in its specialist research centre in Edinburgh. 12 new jobs and protection for 30 existing jobs.

Spiritus Partners Limited, ION Geophysical Corporation and PPS UK to invest £6.3 million in Scotland creating or safeguarding 44 jobs.

Par Equity opened a new US office launching a $125 million fund supporting Scottish companies to expand into the US.

Scottish Food and Drink companies secured £8 million of export sales to North America contributing to a market worth £1 billion in 2016 to Scotland.

Marriott International will open 7 new hotels and 1400 new hotel rooms in Scotland by 2021 including a major hotel in Edinburgh.

European first collaboration between VisitScotland and TripAdvisor promoting 70 million potential new visitors with an additional spend of £150 million.

Cooperation Agreement on Climate Change signed with California Governor Jerry Brown.

£1.2m funding to train women in conflict zones on peacekeeping and conflict resolution.

Funding for Investing Women a Scottish social enterprise supporting women led businesses doubled to £120,000.

I travelled to New York courtesy of Delta Airlines. When they launched the year round flight last year from Edinburgh to JFK the airline quoted Scottish Government figures on the US being the number one inbound tourism market to Scotland. There were nearly 500,000 US visitors to Scotland in 2014 and that had increased by 20% from the previous year.

I attended the VisitScotland business breakfast at the Yale Club in downtown Manhattan and it was clear that there is a huge push to increase the US visitor numbers even further, using springboards like the Outlander series around which American tourists can build their trip.

Particularly in 2017 the Year of History, Heritage and Archaeology this kind of tourism is key to helping people find out about the past through initiatives led by The Scottish Government and assisted by many other bodies including VisitScotland.

VisitScotland has at its core an ambition to grow tourism revenues by £1 billion by 2010. According to VS figures tourist spending in Scotland contributes £6 billion to Scottish GDP which is about 5% of the total Scottish GDP so it is an important arm of the Scottish economy.

So these are the facts. The expenses amounted to just over £40,000 for five days in the US for eight people including the First Minister.

If Scotland or the UK is to perform on the international economic stage, it seems to us it is important to get out and speak to the people who make such decisions. Is it not?

Police are appealing for witnesses following a serious sexual assault in the North of the city which took place just after midnight on Saturday.

A 33-year-old woman had been out in the Leith area during the evening and was returning home via Bonnington Road and Anderson Place.

At this time a male, who had been walking in the same direction as the victim, asked her for directions to Ferry Road and then ushered onto the path leading to the Water of Leith Walkway and attacked  her.

The suspect then made off from the area and the woman sought assistance from a passing motorist who contacted police.

Officers are now urging anyone who can assist in identifying the male responsible to come forward.

He is described as male, white, between 18 and 24-years-old,  around 5ft 8ins tall with a slim build with short brown hair that was close cropped at the back and sides, dark stubble, prominent dark circular earring in one or both ears.

In addition the male was wearing a camouflage patterned hooded jacket, blue jeans and trainers. He had earphones and was wearing a rucksack on his back and was carrying or using a skateboard.

The suspect is thought to have an accent, possibly Irish, although this is not certain, and he seems not to know Edinburgh well.

Detective Chief Inspector Martin MacLean said:”This was and remains a terrifying ordeal for this woman.  Specialist officers are providing her with support and assistance while detectives conduct a rigorous investigation into this incident.

“I would urge anyone who recognises the description of the suspect, or who was in or around Bonnington Road, Anderson Place or the Water of Leith walkway at Anderson Place on Friday evening into the early hours of Saturday morning and remembers seeing anything suspicious to contact us immediately.

“The suspect is distinctive as, unusually for that time in the morning, he was seen both on his skateboard and carryng it.

“I also now know that our suspect hailed a black hackney taxi on Ferry Road shortly after the attack at around 12.15 a.m. on the Saturday morning, and headed westwards.

“The taxi driver might remember the male carrying his skateboard, and I urge that taxi driver to come forward.

“I appeal to anyone with any information they might think is relevant to this investigation to get in touch.”

Those with information can contact the Public Protection Unit in Edinburgh via 101 and quote incident number 124 of the 10th June. Alternatively, an anonymous report can be made to the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Auditions across the UK are being held to recruit a British bulldog to star as ”Rufus” in Legally Blonde: The Musical. 

Bruiser  is already cast and will be on the road with the cast but producers have decided to hold auditions for ‘’Rufus’’ in every town and city on the tour.

Auditions in Edinburgh being held at The Studio, 22 Potterow, EH8 9BL on Monday 17 July at 6pm.

Human stars of Legally Blonde include Eastenders‘ Rita Simons, Eurovision contestant Lucie Jones and Bill Ward of Emmerdale. 

Associate Director David Barrett said: “Legally Blonde: The Musical is a show all about stereotypes and not judging a book by its cover and the dogs are no different in this. So whereas ‘Bruiser’ is the cute, tiny, adorable one, with ‘’Rufus’’ we are looking for the total opposite. We are looking for a big, brutish, dog that only its mother could love – preferably a bulldog as in the film but we are certainly open to options.”

Based on the 2001 film with Reese Witherspoon, Legally Blonde: The Musical is the feel-good story of Elle Woods who heads to Harvard Law School in an attempt to get her boyfriend back. Along the way, she proves that being true to yourself never goes out of style.

The show will tour the UK and Ireland until June 2018.

For more information, or to apply for your dog to take part in auditions, please contact David Barrett at: djebarrett@hotmail.co.uk

Brigadier David Allfrey, Producer and Chief Executive of The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, gets a sneak peek at an original tartan suit of English Jacobite, Sir John Hynde Cotton, ahead of its installation at the National Museum of Scotland for the Bonnie Prince Charlie and the Jacobites exhibition later this month.

The Brigadier’s special preview comes as National Museums Scotland and the Tattoo unite this year to tell the tales of Scotland’s colourful history through a variety of exciting initiatives.Splash of Tartan will be the theme for this year’s Tattoo, encouraging Scots across the world to explore their connections with the country while organisers urge visitors to dress in their finest tartan accoutrements during the August showcase.

Brigadier David Allfrey said: “It has been a huge pleasure working with National Museums Scotland to develop our plans for ‘Splash of Tartan’ at this year’s Tattoo.  In looking to celebrate Scotland’s Year of History, Heritage and Archaeology, a wonderful interest from Scottish clans and families around the world, a Royal Navy lead and the special place of Scotland’s national fabric; we have needed to do lots of research.  The National Museums’ staff have been incredibly generous with their time, and we have all learned so much about the Jacobites.

“I was thrilled to be invited for a closer look with conservators at the National Museums Collection Centre in Granton.  It was fascinating to see the conservators at work and talk through the challenges of their various disciplines.  The suit is not only a substantial garment – he was a big lad – but the tailoring and colours in the tartan are intricate and extraordinary.  So much of a story in one piece of ‘high and mighty’ clothing!  John Hynde Cotton certainly knew how to splash the tartan!”

Bonnie Prince Charlie and the Jacobites launches on Friday, 23 June and will present over 300 objects covering the full ‘multi-media’ range of material culture: jewellery, portraiture, official documents, letters, textiles, metalwork, sculpture, glassware and more.

www.nms.ac.uk/jacobites

Tonight at the Westerwood Resort the big event was the Tenants Information Service (TIS) Awards 2017 and the big winner of the Residents and Tenants Organisations category was….. a tenants’ group from Edinburgh.

Not just any group but Tenants and Residents in Muirhouse (TRIM) & Friends of West Pilton (FoWP) who do so much good work in the north of Edinburgh, including running a community shop on Pennywell Road.

Chairman Robert Pearson said : “As a group we were absolutely delighted to be nominated then become a finalist.

” Tonight at TIS awards we couldn’t believe when they announced us as the 2017 RTO of the year. He continued to say Our group work tirelessly to better Muirhouse and West Pilton. This award gives us the recognition we believe we deserve It goes to show just what volunteers can achieve.”

WINNER: Tenants & Residents Organisation sponsored by the IUT goes to @TRIMandFOWP – fantastic! pic.twitter.com/16ZkQpiqSd

— TIS (@TISScotland) June 10, 2017

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TRIM & Friends of West Pilton ( FoWP) is a Tenant’s Group and it was set up by a group of local residents in Muirhouse with the help of Link-Up and advice and support from then TRIP.

The organisation has a vision where Muirhouse & West Pilton is a positive place to live, where regeneration is sustainable and maintainable, where the community has influence on decisions being made on their behalf and where partnerships are formed and developed for the good of the community as a whole.

TRIM and FoWP covers all tenants and residents in Muirhouse & West Pilton – from Council, Housing Association, Private Lets and Owner Occupiers. They want to work in partnership with all groups and landlords to make Muirhouse a better place to live for everyone. Theye aim to build on the positives, deal with the negatives and take an active part in the regeneration of the area.

Edinburgh Monarchs, the current league leaders, have a night off on Sunday as their scheduled SGB Championship clash at Newcastle Diamonds has been postponed.

Meanwhile, there will be a track inspection at 11am on Sunday to see if Glasgow Tigers can host Workington Comets in the same competition.

Tigers’ bosses have confirmed that they are acquiring track covers which should be available within the next few weeks.

Scottish voters rewrite a well-worn script

Paul Cairney, University of Stirling

A hung parliament: how little we appreciate the shape-shifting nature of politics in the UK. Like many people, I thought most analysis of the Scottish political landscape post-general election could be expressed before we fully knew the results, so I wrote the bulk of this piece early on, before reflecting on the way things actually played out.

The campaign was dominated by talk of “indyref2” – a second referendum on Scottish independence. As in the elections for Holyrood in 2016, the debate soon became polarised and simplistic. The SNP focused largely on Brexit and the UK Conservative government as symbols of the limited control of Scotland’s destiny held by Scottish voters.

The Conservatives went all out to use the election as a platform for its anti-referendum stance, even to the point of printing placards to protest the SNP’s manifesto launch. Both parties embraced “valence politics” wholeheartedly, focusing on each other’s lack of governing competence (the SNP in Scotland, the Conservatives in the UK), accentuating focus on the leaders, and simplifying their message to the extent that if there was any discussion of actual policies going on, they had failed.

The Conservatives found that this approach helped them regain ground in Scotland: they became obsessive in their declaration that the SNP is obsessed by the prospect of another referendum. There were other parties involved, but you could blink and miss their importance to this election.

The only way was down

The analysis will be dominated by a comparison with 2015, in which the SNP came close to winning all 59 seats (they managed 56, after securing just six in the previous election in 2010). Each seat lost by the SNP in 2017 will be interpreted by the Conservatives as a vote against a second independence referendum.

We faced the bizarre prospect of relatively few newly minted Conservative MPs declaring in their acceptance speeches to a far greater number of SNP MPs, that the people had spoken in the 2017 election: they don’t want another referendum. In fact, the longer-term story remains one of SNP dominance of almost every form of election in Scotland, to the point that opponents declare success if the SNP sees a drop in seats but still wins overall.

When viewed through the lens of the late 1990s when Labour dominated in Scotland, the SNP’s current position is truly remarkable. Perhaps the trick for most opposition parties is to portray the SNP’s 2017 results as a similar beginning of the end, with only another decade or so until it emulates Labour’s spectacular decline.

Yet, if we remain fixated on the constitution and neglect to debate properly the record of the Scottish (and UK) government, why would people vote for anyone except the SNP and, to a lesser extent, the Scottish Conservatives?

How it really played out

As it turned out, this analysis did not quite tell the whole story. The SNP did more than lose a few seats (21 in total, down to 35 from 56 seats in 2015). And even though they remain the largest party and won the election in Scotland, the result will, for some time, feel like a loss or at least a major setback, particularly since they experienced major losses with senior figures Alex Salmond and party deputy leader Angus Robertson.

With 13 seats (a huge increase of 12) that included the scalps of Salmond and Robertson, the Conservatives re-established themselves as Scotland’s main opposition, with every win providing disproportionate symbolic value and a chance to reiterate that their constituents are sick at the thought of another referendum.

Scottish Labour performed a minor miracle gaining seven seats (an increase of six), described before any serious analysis as evidence of a “Corbyn bounce”. Even the Liberal Democrats won back some credibility with four seats (an increase of three). So, in a shifting political landscape, the Scottish electorate helped rewrite a well-worn script.

We will need more reflection to work out the implications for a second referendum on Scottish independence. In the short term, it is clear that Nicola Sturgeon would not have announced one so quickly if she had her time again (although her hand was forced in part by the Brexit vote itself).

The phrase “now is not the time” seems to have more weight after the election, with or without Theresa May behind it. In the longer term, the further maintenance of SNP dominance in most elections will surely keep the issue high up the Scottish agenda, particularly when the implications of Brexit become clearer and start to bite.

But for now, it’s hard to believe that anyone has an appetite for any more voting on any issue.

Paul Cairney, Professor of Politics and Public Policy, University of Stirling

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

SGB Championship: Edinburgh Monarchs 56, Redcar Bears 34

Edinburgh: Sam Masters 15, Mark Riss 5, Erik Riss 11, Josh Pickering 6, Ricky Wells 6, Max Clegg 7, Mitchell Davey 6

Redcar: Jason Garrity 0, Jonas B Andersen 11, Ben Barker 12, Ellis Perks 2, Charles Wright 5, Coty Garcia 3, Matt Williamson 1

Inspirational skipper Sam Masters powered to a 15-point maximum as Edinburgh Monarchs savaged Redcar Bears 56-34 in the SGB Championship at Armadale.

And team-mate Erik Riss also moved into double-figures on a night when riders found the track difficult.

Ben Barker was best for Bears with 12 points and Jonas B Andersen was next best with 11 but this proved a comfortable win for the home side.

Bears were not helped after their captain Jason Garrity withdrew from the meeting after crashing in heat one.

Monarchs were six points ahead after the fifth race but skipper Masters and Mark Riss won Heat Six for a 5-1 to extend their advantage to 23-13.

The home side extended their advantage to 37-24 after Heat Ten but the next race was stopped following a crash involving Ricky Wells and his home team-mate Max Clegg. Wells went to the changing room while Clegg took part in the re-run.

Then Bears’ Charles Wright was withdrawn from the meeting after Heat 12 and Monarchs then underlined their superiority.

They won Heat 14 with a 4-2 and wrapped-up their night with a 5-1 courtesy of Masters and Erik Riss in the final face.

She’s been sent home to think again…..Theresa May about Brexit, Nicola Sturgeon about a second independence referendum.  And, in a way, we’ve all been forced to think again.  What’s come out of this extraordinary General Election, I think, is that we are all less certain about leaving the European Union and less certain about leaving the United Kingdom.

Far from resulting in strong and stable government, the election has produced a new age of uncertainty.

Even the Labour Party, who are the real victors in this campaign, still have a lot of thinking to do over Europe and how far they want to pursue “Corbynism”, and their new-found left wing agenda.

One of the extra-ordinary aspects of this election was how the issues changed week by week. It started off being about leadership, strong and stable Theresa May versus weak and wobbly Jeremy Corbyn. Then it turned to “austerity” with the publication of the party manifestos. Then, with the terrorist attacks, security became the dominant concern. And finally, it went back to leadership, except this time the other way round, weak and wobbly Theresa May versus the increasingly strong and stable Jeremy Corbyn.

Another extraordinary thing was that the election was a totally different affair in Scotland from England. All the above issues were completely overlaid with a debate about independence, or rather its proxy – a second referendum on independence.  And we can see this in the results. Wherever the Tories or Labour or the Lib Dems were seen as the main opponents of the SNP, their support was augmented by tactical voting.

So the Conservatives swept up seats in the Borders and the North East and went from one MP to 13.  Labour increased from one MP to 7. The Liberal Democrats jumped from one MP to 4.   That left the SNP with 21 fewer MPs and with two of its great champions defeated, Alex Salmond and Angus Robertson.

It was also a warning to Nicola Sturgeon that now is not the time to be talking of a second independence referendum in 2018 or 2019 or for some considerable time thereafter. It’s a warning she appears to have taken on board, saying she will “reflect” on the result of the election.

At this point I too need to reflect on my foolhardy prediction last week when I suggested that the SNP would hold the balance of power at Westminster.

That role appears to have fallen to the Democratic Unionist Party in Northern Ireland and that has opened up a whole new can of worms (I would say vipers but  there are no snakes in Ireland).

So we now have 10 Brexiteers, representing a Province which voted to stay in the EU, supporting a government which will have to impose a hard border with the Republic of Ireland which those same 10 Brexiteers want to avoid.  And this at a time when the DUP is in dispute over the new power-sharing administration in Northern Ireland. Irony is piled on irony, on top of a scary instability.

The other 27 countries in the EU must think we’ve all gone mad.  In the exit negotiations to come, I can only hope they treat us gently, as they might the village idiot.  I never quite understood Theresa May’s logic that she needed a “strong and stable” mandate from the British people to negotiate a good deal with the rest of Europe.  What difference, I wonder, would that make to the deal the 27 were prepared to offer ?

I think we wake up after this unnecessary election in a slightly older and wiser mood.  Theresa May  – if she survives at all  – will not be as cavalier about the Brexit talks as she once was. She may even take Nicola Sturgeon’s advice and move towards a “soft Brexit,” staying inside the single market and the customs union.  She may take Jeremy Corbyn’s advice and ease up on austerity. She may even take wise advice from within her own party and gradually learn to be more competent and less prone to blunder.

Here in Scotland, the SNP will concentrate on the “day job” and bide their time on independence. They are still by far the largest party with 35 MPs (37 per cent of the vote, compared to 28 per cent for the Tories and 27 per cent for Labour) and still in control, with the Greens, in the Scottish Parliament. As for the other parties, they will keep up the pressure on the SNP’s handling of education, health care, child poverty etc and hopefully take the time between elections to develop policies of their own, other than No to independence.

And the rest of us ? I wish we could forget about politics for the next few years. But alas the politicians have landed us in this new age of uncertainty. So as we take the window stickers down, it might not be long before we have to put them up again.

In less than four year, local charity Leith Links has raised an incredible £50,000 to purchase ‘Kicks for Kids’ Season Tickets which enables children, who wouldn’t normally be able to attend games, to go to Hibs’ matches at Easter Road.

‘Kick for Kids’ is a Hibs scheme that offers season tickets at a reduced price and Leith Links buys them from the club.

Each ‘Kicks for Kids’ season ticket costs £75 and a minimum of two have to be purchased (one for the child and one for the adult accompanying them), so permission was granted by the club for a fund where donations are pooled and the corresponding amount of tickets purchased.

The Leith Links fund started in 2013 and since then, generous Hibs fans have donated money to purchase 589 season tickets.

Last season alone 269 were bought, up from 152 the previous year.

Donations have ranged from £5 – £1,000 and fundraising is ongoing so that more tickets can be bought so all donations, and no matter how small, can and will make a difference.

The fund received a boost recently with the announcement that long serving double cup winner Lewis Stevenson has chosen the fund as one of two charities who will benefit from his testimonial fund.

Fund Treasurer Susan Linn told the Edinburgh Reporter: “This achievement is testament to our wonderful fans and I can’t thank you enough as from that total 589 Kicks for Kids season tickets have been purchased and many, many children have joined the Hibee family.

“It’s amazing how this project just grows and grows and the difference it is making to young people’s lives.  With Hibs also being back in the Premiership next season, there are certainly exciting times ahead and hopefully many more children will be able to attend games at Easter Road.”

To contribute to this worthy cause click here

Mollie Hughes last month became the youngest woman in the world to successfully climb Mount Everest from both its north and south sides.

Now, the Devon-born climber gives her first post expedition public talk on Tuesday, 13 June in Edinburgh.

The 26 year-old climber will list the challenges she faced and then host a question and answer session.

Tickets for the talk called Tales from the Top with Mollie Hughes are available at £13.15 each from Eventbrite here.

Edinburgh Napier University’s Lindsay Stewart Lecture Theatre on the Craiglockhart Campus on Colinton Road host the event and proceeds will be donated to Cancer Research UK.

Mollie, who lives and works in Edinburgh, said: “It is a terrific opportunity to share my motivations for undertaking the climb and the many challenges I faced with Jon Gupta and my sherpas on the north side of the mountain during the Tiso Returns to Everest Expedition.

“Hopefully my talk will raise further funds for Cancer Research UK and inspire many other young people to follow their own dreams.”

NetGolf has swung into action at a Lothians Chamber and bosses are now looking to continue the initiative.

Twelve members and non-members of Midlothian and East Lothian Chamber of Commerce took part in the inaugural event.

They were given instruction from PGA professionals on their long and short game, networked and then played nine holes on the testing, par 64 Melville Golf Centre course near Lasswade.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bCMBHI5ti8]

Keith Barbour, Chamber president, said: “I did not talk about business during the afternoon but met a number of people that I could potentially do business with.

“This event has been a great success and I believe we’re the first Chamber to experiment with networking like this.

“We will be doing more of these as we believe this is an ideal way of bringing business people together.”

Lewis Bridger and David Howe should return on Saturday to give Berwick Bandits a cutting edge as they entertain Newcastle Diamonds.

Gary Havelock, the club’s team manager, warned the Tyneside that his men were anxious to claim their third win in the SGB Championship.

Havelock said: “Lewis says he should be back on Saturday and David is due back too.

“Newcastle need to look out as we are hungry for more wins now we have a couple under our belts.” Tapes up 7pm.

Meanwhile, Glasgow Tigers travel to Workington Comets on Saturday looking for a road win to boost their bid to keep the pressure on Championship pace-setters Edinburgh Monarchs.

Captain Aaron Summers is relishing the chance to go head-to-head with former Monarchs captain Craig Cook who is the opposition No 1 and the top man in the current averages.