More than a third of all antisocial behaviour complaints received by East Lothian Council over six months came from Musselburgh, a new report has revealed. 

The county’s biggest town has seen a spate of youth-related problems from shoplifting and fire-raising in recent weeks and police and community protection teams have been sent in to patrol over the summer. 

A report to the council’s police, fire and community safety committee today revealed complaints from residents about trouble in the town stretched back to October last year with more than one report on average a day generated between then and the end of March. 

The report said the number of complaints was up across the county with 876 123 youth-related, 96 to drug misuse and the remaining reports covering a range of things from neighbours disputes to swearing, harassment and abuse. 

It said 35  per cent of the complaints were from Musselburgh and its surrounding area,  with 20 per cent from Tranent,  17 per cent from Prestonpans, 13 per cent from Haddington, eight per cent from Dunbar and seven per cent from North Berwick. 

It also reported that during the six months 65 letters were issued to parents whose children had been identified as being involved in incidents. 

Last week the council announced it was working with Police Scotland to tackle a rise in youth-related problems in Musselburgh. 

Chief Inspector Ben Leathes, Local Area Commander said there had been an increase in incidents involving young people saying: “One recent example saw three male youths, two aged 13 and one aged 14, reported for youth offending following an incident of fire raising and shoplifting at a local supermarket.” 

The chief inspector said: “Musselburgh sees a proportionate number of these types of incidents, and we are acutely aware of the concern this causes to our local communities. 

“Positive engagement with young people is key to reducing incidents. We work closely with our partners to assist with intervention to deter this type of behaviour. 

“I would like to take this opportunity to appeal to parents or guardians to take an interest into where their children have been and who they have been with.” 

The council said it would be patrolling the town over the summer as well as using its mobile CCTV cameras at hotspots. 

By Marie Sharp Local Democracy Reporter 

Council officers are set to recommend night-time closure of a popular stargazer’s car park in West Lothian. 

The car park in the Bathgate Hills was recently packed with cars  as people drove up to view the Aurora Borealis, with cars lining the narrow road up to the site. 

Questioning the likely the closure local councillor Willie Boyle said: “We’re told we can expect more and more of these events. I don’t think we should be rushing to close a popular site.” 

Council officers have carried out a consultation with local groups following their announcement late last year that closing the Hilltop car park, also known as Gordon’s View was the only practical solution for the council. 

It faces big bills for clean-ups at the remote site despite there being bottle banks and a compacting bin on site.   

In a report to the latest meeting of Bathgate’s Local Area Committee, David Lees, a cleaner communities manager said: “Following completion of the public survey, officers have analysed the findings and responses from the survey along with other data and evidence from past and recent incidents of antisocial behaviour and vandalism in the car park; and officers recommend a decision to close this car park in the evenings and overnight in an effort to deter any further incidents of antisocial behaviour and/or vandalism.  

“A report setting out the findings and evidence supporting the officer’s recommendation to close the car park in the evenings and overnight will be presented to the next meeting of the Local Area Committee.  

“The report will include the proposed operating arrangements for the future use of the car park. Following discussion at the Local Area Committee, officers will then seek approval from the Council Executive to close the car park.” 

Speaking after the meeting, councillor Boyle questioned the validity of the   consultation and whether the council had the right to close the car park on what amounted to anecdotal evidence. 

He pointed to other car park areas in the county which were hit by rubbish and fly-tipping. 

In January a senior Operational Services manager told the committee that  cleaning crews were having to attend the car park three or four times a week. The site is regularly used for fly-tipping and the compactor bin, which costs around £4,000, has been set on fire. 

The car park affords uninterrupted views across the south west of the county. Its position, high above the town and on an unlit road, also opens up the night sky to stargazers. 

It was first opened after a campaign by the town’s community council, on which Councillor Boyle served at the time. It is named Gordon’s View after a fellow member of the community council. 

By Stuart Sommerville Local Democracy Reporter 

Emergency services are at the scene of a crash involving a car and motorbike in Edinburgh. 

The crash took place on Liberton Road shortly before 1pm on Wednesday, June 12.  

Liberton Road is reported to be closed in both directions between Kirk Brae and Gilmerton Road due to the incident. 

Lothian Buses have diverted several services as the road was closed off by police.  

According to the Scottish Ambulance Service three people have been taken to hospital.

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Liberton Road in Edinburgh is currently closed, following a crash involving a car and a motorbike, which took place around 12.25pm today (Wednesday, 12 June, 2024).

“Emergency services remain at the scene and motorists are advised to avoid the area at this time.”

UPdate: A Scottish Ambulance Service spokesperson said: “We received a call at 12:33 pm to attend an incident on Liberton Road, Edinburgh.

“Three ambulances, a paramedic response unit, a trauma team and a special operations response team (SORT) were dispatched to the scene. Three patients were transported to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh.”

A 53-year-old man who died in Edinburgh has been named by police as Brian Ramsay.

Officers were called to Westfield Road in the city around 12.55pm on Friday, 7 June, following concern for a man within a property.

Mr Ramsay was pronounced dead at the scene.

A 43-year-old man has been arrested and charged in connection with the death. He appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Monday, 10 June, 2024.

Brian’s family have issued the following statement through Police Scotland – “We are shocked and saddened by his death. We would ask that we are given privacy to come to terms with our loss at this time.”

Detective Inspector David McAlinden said: “Our enquiries into the full circumstances of this incident remain ongoing.

“We would ask anyone with any information which could assist us with the investigation, that has not already come forward, to please make contact with officers as soon as possible.

“Our thoughts are very much with the family and friends of the Mr Ramsay, and we will continue to support them during this difficult time.”

Anyone who can assist is asked to contact Police Scotland via 101, quoting incident number 1557 of Friday, 7 June, 2024. Alternatively, you can contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 where information can be given anonymously.

The number of homes broken into in East Lothian nearly doubled last year as gangs of young thieves travelled to the county on the hunt for expensive cars and jewellery. 

A police report has revealed that between April last year and March this year 163 houses were targeted, a rise of 94 per cent on the five year average. 

Chief Inspector Ben Leathes, local area commander, told a meeting of East Lothian Council’s Police, Fire and Community Safety committee, offenders behind the increase were travelling to East Lothian from outside the county with one thief traced as far as Dundee. 

He told the meeting: “Offenders are coming into East Lothian, not people who reside in the county and that raises its own challenges. It has changed over the last 10 years when offenders would have been local. 

“We have good working relationships with neighbouring divisions and those further afield.” 

His report added that overall break ins had risen by 14 per cent in the last year, compared to the five year average but had been driven up by the increase in homes being targeted. 

He said: “This sizeable increase is primarily driven by offenders in their late teens and early 20s who are often not resident in East Lothian and have targeted domestic houses to steal high value cars and more recently jewellery.” 

Chief Inspector Leathes said in recent weeks there had been a dip in the number of homes being broken into in East Lothian but warned that this was likely to be because some offenders were currently in jail. 

He said: “There are a number of offenders who see this as a means of making money and as soon as they come out of prison they start again.” 

His report said: “Participation in the neighbourhood watch scheme is encouraged and something we would ideally like to see more of as this allows real time alerts to be issued in relevant areas. 

“We are continuing to promote the alerts system to have more communities signed up and are participating in a Quad Bike alert scheme which was 
initially piloted in Midlothian and again alerts those registered to real time criminal activity in their neighbourhood.” 

By Marie Sharp Local Democracy Reporter 

A landscaping and horticulture company aiming to build a net zero business in the countryside has been given more time to provide vital flood risk reports for the site it wants to develop. 

GMCb believe that moving to a single site in Stoneyburn, in sight of the Five Sisters Zoo, will allow the firm to become self-sufficient and become a net zero company by cutting vehicle use by thousands of miles per year.  

An agent for the business said the site would allow the firm to compost its own green waste as well as rear trees and shrubs for planting on its client project sites. 

At the moment the firm has to use premises near Edinburgh to compost green waste. 

Planners stressed that they had no issues with the proposals for planting and composting but did not agree with plans for two large sheds which would be used to store equipment and fertilisers. 

GMCb  applied for planning permission for a green waste composting area, additional horticulture production areas, erection of office/equipment storage building, storage building, yard and enclosure to the land north west of Auchenhard Farm, Stoneyburn. 

The site has been cleared and the firm has already put in additional trees and shrubs to screen the area from the B-road running through Stoneyburn. 

 Officers told a meeting of the Development Management Committee that  drainage and flooding reports had yet to be provided. Concerns were also raised about vehicle use in such a remote part of the county. 

Colin Hardie, an agent for the applicants, pointed out that the drainage and flood risk reports covered only a small part of the site – 1.4% of the total area. 

Mr Hardie said: “This next step allows them to be self-sufficient. It allows them to recycle all their own green waste, to turn it into compost. Currently they use a facility on the far side of Edinburgh because of limited facilities in West Lothian. They will rear their own trees and shrubs on this site.” 

“Between these two measures alone the company will save over 30,000 commercial vehicle miles a year.” 

GMCb is a local family business set up in 2004. It currently employs 30 people, with plans to expand including using the single facility in Stoneyburn.  

Mr Hardie added that the   planned sheds on the site were specifically to house large trailers. Company vehicles are usually taken home by employees.  The trailers are currently stored at an industrial facility nearby. 

Mr Hardie said: “This project takes major steps towards the company being net zero. They work throughout central Scotland with many blue-chip clients including Historic Scotland.” 

Planners had refused planning permission because of the storage sheds and the lack of  echnical  reports. Councillor Lawrence Fitzpatrick proposed a delay of two months to allow the submission of these reports. 

 This was supported by Councillor Pauline Stafford who said: “ I would support that position. I’m minded to try to support this business to find a way to justify the buildings possibly bringing down the height.” 

 Committee agreed to delay a decision until September. 

By Stuart Sommerville, Local Democracy Reporter 

David Gray’s first match as permanent head coach will be a pre-season friendly against Edinburgh City. 

Hibs will travel the short distance to Meadowbank to take on the Scottish League 2 side. 

The match will take place on Saturday 29 June 2024 and kick-off at 1pm. 

This will be Hibs first game ahead of the new campaign before the players head to their pre-season training camp. 

Edinburgh City were relegated to the fourth-tier of Scottish football last season, but will be looking for an immediate response under the management of Michael McIndoe. 

Ticket Information 

Prices : Adults – £11, Concessions – £6, Under-12s (with an adult) – £4 

Tickets are currently on sale to Hibs First Members! 

All Hibs First members will have received an email with the link to purchase tickets. 

Thursday 13 June, 2024 – Noon 

Tickets will go on general sale to all Hibernian FC supporters at noon on Thursday June 13. 

 The purchase link will become publicly available at this point. 

Accessible Tickets : Supporters who are looking to purchase accessible/ambulant/wheelchair tickets, should email accessibletickets@hibernianfc.co.uk. 

Berwick Jewson Bandits suffered a fourth successive defeat in the Cab Direct Championshiop which has put a huge dent in their play-off hopes.

Plymouth Gladiators staged a late raid, scoring 17 points from the last four heats, to cruise home 53-37, despite guests Jason Edwards and Zach Cook supporting stand-in skipper Lewis Kerr (pictured by Taz McDougall) well, the trio accounting for all but nine of the team’s points.

Observers felt that Bandits did not look like winning on the night but Berwick chipped away at the aggregate score, trailing by a point after Kerr and the fast-starting Edwards recorded their second 5-1 and third race advantage of the night in Heat 11.

Berwick now have ten days to rally before facing Glasgow Tigers home and away with the need for an end to their losing streak growing stronger as the teams below them begin to pick up the points.

Plymouth: Troy Batchelor 10+1, Alfie Bowtell 7, Dan Thompson 12+1, Kyle Newman 8+3, Ben Barker 2, Joe Thompson 12, Jacob Hook 3+2

Berwick: Lewi Kerr 10+2, Jason Edwards 10+1, Drew Kemp 3, Danyon Hume 2, Zach Cook 8+1, Freddy Hodder 0, Paul Starke 4

Police have confirmed that two teenagers reported missing from Edinburgh have been traced safe and well. 

On Monday afternoon officers issued an appeal for information surrounding the disappearance of 14 year old Ibrahim Krubally and 15 year old Abraham Njai,  

The pair had been last seen in the Gorgie area. 

Officers have thanked the public for sharing the appeal. 

A spokesperson said: “We are pleased to let you know that Ibrahim Krubally and Abraham Njai have both been traced safe and well.  

“Many thanks for your help.” 

Police are appealing for the help of the public to trace a 16-year-old boy reported missing from Edinburgh. 

Michael Cleal was last seen around 4.45pm on Wednesday, 5 June, in the Muirhouse Avenue area of the city.  

He has connections in the south side of Edinburgh, has links to Aberdeen and is known to use public transport. 

He is described as slim, around 5ft, with black hair.  

When last seen he was wearing a black beanie style hat, a black jacket with a hood, black jogging bottoms and black trainers. 

Sergeant Ian Fraser said: “Concerns are growing for Michael’s welfare and we need to make sure he is safe and well.  

“Enquiries are ongoing to trace him and one possibility is that he may have travelled to London, Camden Town area. 

“We are keen to speak to anyone who has seen Michael or may know where he is. 

“If you can help please call us on 101, quoting reference number 3530 of Saturday, 8 June, 2024 

Police in Edinburgh have released an image of a man who may be able to assist officers with their investigation into a serious assault which took place around 3am on Sunday, 19 May 2024 on Princes Street, near to South Charlotte Street. 

As a result of the incident a 38-year-old man was taken to hospital for treatment. 

The man is described as white, around twenty to thirty-years-old, of slim build, with light hair. He was wearing a navy-blue polo neck, blue jeans, and black trainers with white soles.  

He was carrying a maroon jumper around his shoulders. 

DC Calum Turnbull of Gayfield Square CID, said: “We encourage this man, anyone who may recognise him, or anyone with information about this incident to get in touch.” 

Anyone who can assist is asked to contact Police Scotland via 101, quoting reference number 0665 of 19 May 2024.  

Alternatively, you can contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 where information can be given anonymously. 

Morrisons staff in Edinburgh are being asked by Marie Curie ambassador Paul Chuckle to support ‘more nurses help more families in more communities’ by choosing the country’s leading end of life charity as their next charity partner.

Every five minutes, someone dies without the care and support they need, and Morrison’s staff have the power to help change this by choosing Marie Curie in the upcoming staff vote to determine the charity partner for the next three years.

If chosen, the funds raised in the partnership could help local Marie Curie teams reach more people at the end of life, expand services and launch new ones to leave a lasting legacy in local communities, meaning more care in Corstorphine, more baking in Bruntsfield and more hugs in Haymarket.

Recording a special video message, Paul Chuckle urges Morrisons colleagues in Edinburgh to vote for Marie Curie who supported his brother Barry at home.

“Your support could help fund half a million hours of nursing care and the money you raise will be used on services local to your region. So, a vote for Marie Curie means more nurses helping more people in your communities.”

“Please vote Marie Curie today and a big thanks to you. Not to me, to you.”

Lindsay Wilkins, Charge Nurse, at Marie Curie Scotland, said: “Morrisons is like Marie Curie in that they understand their local communities and the unique wants and needs of the area. We’re there supporting people with everything from pain relief and symptoms to emotional needs and respite for families, so they can live the best life possible, right to the end.

“We’re all unique, and what matters most to you matters to us – so the care Marie Curie gives will always reflect your wants and needs. Whether it’s for months, weeks, a day, overnight, or even just for one hour, we help you and your family to live the best life possible, right to the end.

Vote for Marie Curie today and, together, we can reach more families, in more communities – from Corstorphine, Bruntsfield to Haymarket – so no one has to face terminal illness alone.”

The Morrisons partnership could raise up to £10 million over three years, meaning the charity can deliver over half a million hours of expert nursing care to people with any illness they are likely to die from including Alzheimer’s (and other forms of dementia), heart, liver, kidney and lung disease, motor neurone disease, Parkinson’s, and advanced cancer.

Edinburgh’s St Columba’s Hospice has been designated as “exceptional” for all the indicators of quality used by the inspectorate Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) during its inspection on 17 to 18 April 2024.

Dot Partington, Deputy CEO of St Columba’s Hospice Care, said: “I am incredibly proud to see this HIS Inspection report for St Columba’s Hospice Care published. Like most organisations, we’ve been through a challenging few years and the exceptional quality of care described in the report, is a result of the dedication, expertise and unwavering commitment of our staff and volunteers. 

“Every day, we focus on supporting the individual needs of people across Edinburgh and the Lothians facing the impact of life-limiting illnesses and their families. To have this care rated as exceptional reflects the compassion and dedication that we all put into our work, so I’d like to thank our outstanding team for their hard work, adaptability and dedication.” 

Jon Heggie, Director of Income Generation, said: “I am delighted to see the results of this inspection, the team work tirelessly to deliver services throughout the community so it’s great to see everyone’s efforts recognised in this way.

“I think it’s important to highlight that with just 24% of our running costs funded by the government, results like this wouldn’t be possible without the generosity of our amazing supporters and local community. Without them, we wouldn’t be able to provide our vital services across Edinburgh and the Lothians.” 

HIS report findings concluded: ‘The environment was clean, uncluttered and in a good state of repair. Patient and staff areas were bright and peacefully decorated. Staff working in the service spoke positively about their experience of working there and felt supported and valued. All staff were enthusiastic about the service. A thorough process was in place of recording the patient’s journey while in the care of the hospice. Patients and families told us the care they received was ‘excellent’. 

Hibs star man Martin Boyle played his part in Australia’s impressive 5-0 victory over Palestine at HBF Park in Perth yesterday, scoring his sides fourth goal after providing two assists in the Socceroos’ World Cup qualifier. 

The hosts opened the scoring in the third minute with a penalty coverted by Kusini Yengi then doubled their lead midway through the first half when Boyle set up Adam Taggart who finished neatly in the corner. 

Yengi doubled his tally shortly before the break when he slammed home from close range after Boyle twisted and turned his way through two defenders in the box. 

The Socceroos started the second half in style and scored again in the 53rd minute, when Taggart returning the favour with a cutback to Boyle allowing him to tap home into an empty net. 

In the 70th minute Nestory Irankunda came on to the pitch for his debut on Australian soil, replacing Boyle. 

More substitutions followed 12 minutes later Hearts midfielder Cammy Devlin entering the fray. 

Australia added a fifth three minutes from time when Irankunda fired home a penalty to make the score 5-0. 

It was the sixth clean sheet the team recorded in this round of qualifying seeing them finish atop the group with 18 points and 22 goals from the six games. 

The General Election 2024

The General Election campaign is hurtling towards polling day on 4 July. All the candidates are listed here.

This week the parties will release their manifestos and we will publish all of them here along with other General Election coverage.

If you are a candidate then please get in touch as we would like to interview as many as possible on camera to publish on our YouTube channel.

Here are some of the candidates:

Support local independent journalism

If you can then please support us with advertising or by buying a subscription to our monthly newspaper by clicking on the image below.

Story Sessions

The Story Sessions at Tribe Porty will take place on Friday 28 June from 5.30pm to 7.30pm 

Soapbox and Tribe Porty are collaborating to bring you an evening of storytelling.

Our ability to tell stories is a uniquely human trait and has always been present in humanity, from cave paintings to podcasts. It is one of the oldest forms of communication and has been used to teach, entertain and influence people for centuries. Sharing stories has always had connection at its core with the unique power to inspire and influence our emotions. 

Having sacred spaces for telling stories in person are rare and more important than ever. Live storytelling gives you the power to cut through the noise and make meaningful connections to both inspire and influence.

Let’s slow down; take some time to sit with us, to gather, to listen to, and share, stories.

The theme of the evening is love, with dedicated storytellers sharing their own love stories. Tickets for this event are donation based pay-what-you-can with proceeds going to Porty Pride.

Book a space @Space at the Broomhouse Hub

Space @ The Broomhouse Hub is offering free room hire for local charities to offer community activities and groups.

Two Saturday slots are available—from 1-2.30pm and 3-4.30pm – for three-month ‘residencies’ at Space.

The agreement includes free use of the Main Hall area, which has capacity for approximately 60 people. While the halls are provided free of charge, thanks to National Lottery players, groups are responsible for their own staffing.

Read more here.

Gracemount goes wild!

An award-winning programme for nursery and primary school children is encouraging young people into construction careers from an early age. 

The West Lothian Woodworking Initiative which is funded by HCI Skills Gateway at Edinburgh Napier University, encourages young pupils into construction through interactive carpentry and joinery workshops.  

The supervised workshops allow children to craft their own figurines using recycled timber and handheld tools. 

Graeme Binnie, programme founder, established the initiative to help bridge the skills gap and create more opportunities for women and young people to get involved in the construction industry from a young age.  

The workshops also establish alternative pathways for creative learners beyond academia, and train practitioners to deliver the workshops in their own classrooms. 

The West Lothian Woodworking Initiative won the College Development Network’s (CDN) innovation award in 2023. It has been rolled out in over 60 primary schools across West Lothian to date, bringing new access routes into construction to local children.  

Graeme Binnie said: “These workshops are an integral part of creating an inclusive and engaging educational environment for pupils of all ages.  

“Not everyone is a traditional, academic learner, and introducing hands-on activities in the classroom has proven to have a transformative effect on students passionate about practical learning. 

“Numerous schools have expressed keen interest in integrating the programme into their day-to-day curriculum and are supporting this drive for real, tangible change in our education system and the construction industry. 

“I’m proud to deliver the West Lothian Woodworking Initiative and I hope to be able to extend its reach to further support practical learning for primary pupils as well as practitioners across Scotland.” 

Yvonne Young, early years officer at Stoneyburn Primary School who participates in woodworking within her school said: “I’ve seen an incredible transformation among the pupils since we started working alongside the West Lothian Woodworking Initiative. 

“The programme not only introduces construction to our pupils, but it also creates an exciting new way of doing things for both the children and teachers alike. It’s a fantastic opportunity for us to learn new skills too and adapt to a fresh way of teaching.” 

Kirsty Connell-Skinner, Programme Manager at HCI Skills Gateway, said: “It’s an honour to support the West Lothian Woodworking Initiative and continue the push towards closing the significant skills and gender gaps facing our construction industry.  

“Although women working in the sector recently hit an all-time high of 15.8 per cent, there’s still much more that needs to be done and the first step towards that is encouraging a greater diversity of young people to consider a career in construction so we can ensure we have a diverse and sustainable future workforce.” 

United Airlines is marking the 20^th anniversary of its nonstop service between Edinburgh Airport and New York/Newark. Since its launch in June 2004, the airline has carried over 2.4 million customers on nearly 17,000 flights on this route. 

Today, United operates daily year-round flights from Edinburgh to New York/Newark, with flights doubling from once to twice daily during the peak summer season 2024, as well as daily seasonal services from Edinburgh to Washington D.C. and Chicago O’Hare. United is the only airline offering year-round service from Edinburgh to the U.S. and offers more seats and flights from Scotland to the U.S. than all other U.S. airlines combined. 

“We are proud to the mark the 20^th anniversary of our Edinburgh to New York/Newark service, offering the only year-round service from Edinburgh to the U.S.,” said Karolien De Hertogh, Director Sales UK and Ireland, United Airlines. “Our flights from Edinburgh to three of our U.S. mainland hubs provide our customers in Scotland with extensive travel choice and the possibility to connect onwards to over 150 destinations across the Americas for summer 2024. With such an important relationship between Scotland and the U.S., this route continues to facilitate business and tourism, benefitting the economy on both sides of the Atlantic.”

“It’s fantastic to see United celebrate 20 years at Edinburgh Airport and 20 years of the Edinburgh to New York/Newark route,” said Gordon Dewar, Chief Executive of Edinburgh Airport. “Over that time, the route has been incredibly successful with more than two million people flying between our two destinations, and United’s overall presence has grown with additional routes to Chicago and Washington D.C. as they have made Scotland’s capital their home. That shows the confidence in Edinburgh and a strong relationship between airline and airport. We hope there are many more anniversaries to come – and maybe even some new routes along the way.”

United’s year-round service from Edinburgh to New York/Newark is operated with Boeing 757-200 aircraft, featuring a total of 176 seats – 16 flat-bed seats in United Polaris^SM business class, 42 Economy Plus^SM seats with added legroom and increased personal space and 160 seats in economy.

United Polaris business class is a premium travel experience that prioritises relaxation and comfort, featuring quality inflight dining, amenity products and services from Therabody and Saks Fifth Avenue and full flat-bed seats. 

United Economy Plus offers added legroom and increased personal space. Located near the front of the economy cabin, the seats give the added benefit of a swifter exit from the plane on arrival. Economy Plus seating is available on all trans-Atlantic flights.

United economy offers complimentary food, soft drinks, juices, beer and wine, tea, coffee and inflight entertainment. On most aircraft, seats feature an adjustable headrest and a personal on-demand entertainment system.

Two of the three winners of the RICS Awards 2024 in Scotland are some of the most impressive recent building projects in Edinburgh.

The winning projects were announced at the regional ceremony at the Edinburgh Futures Institute, and were judged in five categories: Residential Development, Community Benefit, Heritage, Public Sector, Refurbishment-Revitalisation.

Rowanbank Gardens was revealed as the winner of the Residential Development category, Fairburn Tower won in the Heritage Project category and Scottish Galleries at the National came up top in the Refurbishment/Revitalisation Project category. 

The RICS Awards showcase the most inspirational initiatives and developments in land, real estate, construction and infrastructure. They recognise outstanding achievement, teamwork and companies.

The regional winners have now been shortlisted for the RICS Awards Grand Final, taking place in The Park Plaza Riverbank, London on Friday 4^th October. Each project will compete at national level, with one of the national winning projects being awarded the ultimate accolade of Project of the Year.

Colin Smith, Chair of the Scotland RICS Awards judging panel, said: “These winning projects are a true testament to the hard work and dedication of industry professionals in Scotland. The talent and collaborative approaches undertaken by the teams behind these projects have resulted in exemplary and innovative schemes that really do represent the very best built projects across Scotland.

“RICS is delighted to recognise the hard work that went behind ensuring these projects were delivered successfully and I wish the winning projects the best of luck in the grand final later this year.”

Further information is available at: RICS Awards UK

Rowanbank Gardens (Residential Development)

Artisan Real Estate is one of the UK’s most progressive commercial and residential developers, specialising in flexible, mixed-use regeneration projects in sensitive city centre environments. Rowanbank Gardens in Corstorphine, Edinburgh is Artisan’s second major residential development in Scotland and is delivering 126 sustainable homes – including 25% affordable and a significant proportion of family housing. Hailed as a ‘spectacular blueprint for low carbon living’ the high-quality development is on track for completion in spring 2024, with 93 apartments for private sale set around a large shared courtyard and garden space filled with fruit trees and communal planting beds.

Fairburn Tower (Heritage Project)

Fairburn Tower is a rare example of a surviving tower house from the Scottish Renaissance situated to the north-west of Inverness. The tower sat as a ruin for over a hundred years and was on the Buildings at Risk register, until it was identified by the Landmark Trust as an opportunity to add to their portfolio of unique holiday homes around the United Kingdom. The project saw the Category A listed tower transformed from a roofless ruin into high quality holiday accommodation, using appropriate traditional materials and craftsmanship whilst carefully integrating necessary modern services.

Scottish Galleries at the National (Refurbishment/Revitalisation Project sponsored by HD Sharmans)

In 2014, Hoskins Architects won the competitive tender to redevelop the Scottish Collection Gallery on The Mound, Edinburgh. Extensively reworking an area of 1970s office accommodation and the adjacent, dated Scottish Collection gallery, as well as connecting to the 2004 Weston link, the team has doubled the available exhibition space and created new circulation routes to the Category A listed gallery above, whilst forming a new façade onto Princes Street Gardens, with extensive landscaping enhancing accessibility to the garden entrance. The project delivered a world-class gallery space to display the large collection of Scottish works in the Scottish National Collection.

The Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2024 programme has been launched today with a diverse range of work of all kinds.

There will be 3,317 shows, with themes tackling some of the most topical issues in the world today.  From politics and current affairs to the environment, AI and technology to sport, LGBTQ+ and neurodiverse-led work to capitalism and the female experience, this year’s festival brings together performers from across the world, from homegrown Scottish talent to international artists travelling from near and far. 

There will be performers from 58 countries appearing in Edinburgh this August. 

Shona McCarthy, Chief Executive of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, said: “Revealing the programme is such an exciting moment for everyone involved in the Fringe, and we encourage audiences to jump right in, book some things that you know you will love, and take a chance on something new.

“The Fringe programme is bursting with every kind of performance, so whether you’re excited for theatre or cabaret, or the best of comedy, music, dance, children’s shows, magic or circus; get ready to unleash your Fringe this August and experience the creativity, excitement and passion artists bring to Edinburgh every year.’

“Thank you to everyone who has a hand in making the Fringe happen. To artists, venues, workers, producers, technicians, promoters and support staff, we appreciate you and hope you have a fantastic Fringe. Thank you to Edinburgh’s local business community for your support; to Scotland’s residents who come out in their thousands, and to all audiences who keep the Fringe buzz alive by coming to see work. Bring on August.”

The 2024 Edinburgh Festival Fringe will run from 2 – 26 August.

Dozens of dead people were identified as still being on a council house waiting list with nearly 100 more holding blue badges during a fraud investigation. 

East Lothian Council employed a counter fraud officer last year as part of a new shared service agreement with neighbouring Midlothian Council and a report on their first 12 months of work has revealed errors which will save the council more than £665,000 have been uncovered. 

They include identifying people on council lists who have died and those receiving single person discounts on their council tax who are no longer living alone. 

The report was due to be discussed at a meeting of the council’s audit and governance committee today but it had to be cancelled after not enough elected members attended to make it quorate. 

It revealed the new officer had worked with the National Fraud Initiative (NFI) a data matching service, which brings together information from council and other public sector bodies comparing them to flag up any possible fraud cases. 

It matches data including dates of birth, National Insurance numbers and addresses along with benefits details and blue badge holders. 

Of the core 83 reports received from the data matching work 77 have been fully investigated with 2,151 matches. 

The report said: “From these core matches the following areas of error were 
identified: 50 deceased individuals were removed from the housing waiting list with NFI estimated savings of £214,150;  96 deceased individuals had Blue Badges cancelled with NFI estimated savings of £62,400;  5 duplicate invoice payments that had not already been returned were identified with a recovery of £48,999 that has now been received back by the council.” 

The counter fraud officers also introduced a process for reviewing households receiving single person discounts which may no longer qualify. 

It revealed that household were written to and asked to confirm their status with a final reminder sent to those who do not respond and the discount removed if they ignore it. 

The report said more than 2,000 households were identified by the NFI and more than half had been reviewed resulting in 171 ‘amendments’ to single person discounts resulting in an additional £114, 364 extra council tax being collected. 

It said: “Within the last year the counter fraud officer has investigated a total of 1,165 cases and provided estimated savings of £665,764 and the council has or is actively recovering £203,253 of income/wrongly paid expenditure. 

” The case for continuing to support a counter fraud officer is strong and 
enhances the capability to detect and recover underpaid income and overpaid 
expenditure.” 

By Marie Sharp Local Democracy Reporter 

Lead singer of indie-folk band, Tide Lines, Robert Robertson, treated a group of fans and visitors to the Ross Fountain to an impromptu acoustic set in Princes Street Gardens on Tuesday.

The band will be headlining this year’s family-friendly Royal Highland Hoolie on Friday 21 June (presented by Farmers Bash) as part of The Royal Highland Show.

The Highland Hoolie is a celebration of Scottish Music featuring a line-up of Scottish traditional bands as well as Irish country bands and takes place on Friday 21 and Saturday 22 June.

https://www.royalhighlandshow.org/hoolie/

The Royal Highland Show takes place from 20 – 23 June.

Robert got a wee fright though as he began his informal set:

A number of council homes in West Lothian are set to be sold after the council agreed changes to its buy back policy. 

Councillors on the Housing services committee agreed proposals which could see homes which are the sole council property remaining in a block being sold on the open market. 

Money made from selling council homes would go into a pot to fund the buying of other homes. 

The proposals were backed today (Tuesday) by a meeting  of the council’s Executive.  

The SNP said it was an idea that could have been implemented a long time ago  but would now see houses being sold weeks after the council had admitted to a housing crisis. 

A report to committee said: “In situations where the council is in minority ownership or where reaching an agreement with private owners regarding necessary repairs proves impossible and the property becomes void the service would propose to designate the property as surplus to requirement and offer the property for sale on the open market once it naturally becomes vacant.” 

The report added: “The Right to Buy scheme has resulted in some tenements where the council owns only a small portion of the properties. This scenario can create difficulties when addressing essential repairs to common areas due to the involvement of private owners. “ 

The report detailed criteria both for the sale of council homes and the buy back. 

 For the sale these include: 

• The council is in minority ownership within the tenement block;  
• Reaching an agreement with private owners regarding necessary repairs has proven unsuccessful;  
• The property has naturally become void; 
• Funds received from any disposal would be re-invested into new supply. 

For the buyback these include: 

• The property for sale is in one of the highest demand areas in West Lothian;  
• The purchase of the property would result in the council being the sole owner in a block;  
• The purchase of the property would result in a long-term empty home brought back into use. 

Councillor Pauline Stafford asked: “ Will this have any impact on the long-term capital programme if we have to wait for  a long time for these properties to become naturally vacant?” 

 Marjorie Mackie, the Housing Strategy and Development Manager said: “No. We do have an active open market acquisition scheme in place where we are purchasing properties. It’s part and parcel of asset management whereby there’s one flat in a larger block, There wouldn’t be any delay.” 

“I’m taking it that we wouldn’t be down any properties?” asked Councillor Kirsteen Sullivan. 

When this was confirmed she said: “I think we have all probably had representations from council tenants where work has been unable to be done because private owners haven’t agreed.” 

Councillor Stafford said: “There’s logic behind this but I think it would have been an action better to have been taken quite a few years ago.  Here we are talking about getting rids of council properties that are desperately needed. I don’t think this is the right time for this policy change.” 

Chairing the Executive meeting Councillor Lawrence Fitzpatrick said it was always difficulties in tenements divided between council tenancies and private owners. 

“It’s a much higher management cost there’s much greater complexity in maintenance and much higher costs it makes sense to divest ourselves of such property and use this money for acquisitions elsewhere.” 

A report to the Housing Services PDSP said: “In 1997 the council agreed a policy of buying back former council houses. When the policy was first introduced, the purchase price was the original selling price and included reasonable legal costs of the transaction.  

“On 15 June 2009, the policy was changed and it was agreed that the council would carry out a formal valuation of each property being considered for buy back. It was agreed that the offer price would be the lesser of the actual selling price or 80% of the current market value.  “Only three properties had been bought back using this policy since 2009. The policy was reviewed in 2016 and again in 2021, as a means to increase purchases and as a result increase West Lothian Council’s lettable stock.  

“On 19 January 2021 the reviewed policy was agreed by Council Executive. The current policy has seen continued success with 97 properties purchased between 2021/22 and 2023/24. 

By Stuart Sommerville Local Democracy Reporter 

The South West Initiative Team from Wester Hailes recently ran a two-week operation focusing on proactive patrols targeting acquisitive crime and drug dealing.  

The operation resulted in the arrest of three people heavily linked to drugs supply.  

Drugs worth £15,100 and £2710 cash were seized. 
 
Three weapons were recovered including two knives and a wooden bat. 
 
15 Arrest Warrants were enforced for prominent individuals. 
 
Along with the DVLA, seven vehicles were uplifted, six clamped and three warning notices issued. 
 
Four people have been positively identified in relation to disturbances involving weapons and enquiries are ongoing to arrest them. 

A spokesperson said: “Please continue to call Crime Stoppers on 0800 555111 to help make your community a safer place.” 

Police Scotland has released the name of the woman who died following a disturbance in Broxburn as Chitsidzo (Veronica) Chinyanga from Zimbabwe. 

Officers were called to a property in the Curnnighar Road area around 7.55pm on Sunday, 9 June, 2024. 

The 42-year-old was taken to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh where she later died. 

A 46-year-old man has been arrested and charged in connection with her death. 

He is due to appear at Livingston Sheriff Court on Tuesday, 11 June. 

Her family has released a statement through Police Scotland and said: “Veronica was a much loved mum, sister, niece and mother to all, who will be missed dearly by many. 

“We would ask that we are given privacy to come to terms with our loss at this time. 

Plans to list the Low Port Centre in Linlithgow due to its architectural significance and striking internal mural have been supported by West Lothian Council. 

Council planners recommended that members of the council Executive back Historic Environment Scotland’s (HES) proposals to list the building containing the mural on Tuesday 11 June 2024. 

HES have advised the council that they are minded to Category B list the Low Port Centre, as it meets their criteria for ‘buildings of special architectural or historic interest, which are major examples of a particular period, style or type’. 

The Low Port centre, on Blackness Road, was opened by Lothian Region Council in 1988 as a community outdoor education centre with residential facilities.  

The award-winning design of the building by distinguished post-war architectural practice Wheeler and Sproson aimed to mix art and architecture, with a bespoke public mural as a key part of the central stairwell. 

Scottish artist James Cumming, who was regarded as one of the most talented and original artists practising in Scotland in the 20th century, was commissioned to produce the mural. His creation, The Community: A Festival of Time, depicts a theme of timeless community life within a colourful town setting. 

Low Port Centre was operated by both West Lothian Council and West Lothian Leisure after local government reorganisation in 1996.  It is currently leased to St John’s Church Linlithgow (SJCL) for a range of church and community-focused activities, after it was no longer required for the delivery of council services.  

SJCL have created and registered an independent charity to oversee and manage activities, and have  the option to acquire outright ownership of the centre under a community asset transfer when the lease expires in January 2026. 

Offering his support Executive chair  Councillor Lawrence Fitzpatrick, the council leader said: “ This is a very worthwhile project here.”  

Local Lib Dem councillor Sally Pattle said: “ I  just want to say how happy  I am at this news. The mural we all knew was hugely important we’re so lucky to have it in Linlithgow, but I think it’s great, the fact that we are  also now going to protect the building    because it is such a rare example of the municipal building that was built for purpose in Scotland. We are  in a unique position in Linlithgow in the fact that it is in the middle of the town. 

 “Thanks for all the support that the council has given to this and I’m delighted that HES has come forward with  the proposal to list the building, and protect the mural.”   

For the SNP Pauline Orr said: “ I think this is an excellent opportunity to  legislate protection  for something that has been borne out of our lifetime.”  

The charity is required to use ‘all reasonable endeavours’ to retain and take steps to suitably protect the mural at all times during the two-year lease period, and for as long as they own, or occupy, the Low Port Centre. 

The council will also include a conservation burden in any future conditions of sale that requires the mural to be protected by the building’s future owners. 

By Stuart Sommerville, Local Democracy Reporter 

The Borders Book Festival kicks off this Thursday (13^th June) with One Day author David Nicholls and the BBC’s Great British Sewing Bee presenter Patrick Grant, both taking to the stage in front of packed audiences, as well as former Labour Home Secretary Alan Johnson and leading WWII historian James Holland. 

Taking place this weekend from Thursday 13^th to Sunday 16^th June in Melrose’s Harmony Garden, in the Scottish Borders, the packed four days of events will feature well-known names from the worlds of fiction writing, sport, current affairs, health and wellbeing, comedy and history, as well as children’s literary favourites. 

The book festival officially opens with the announcement live on stage of the prestigious Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction, with six shortlisted international literary talents in contention for the £25,000 prize, with the shortlist this year as follows: THE NEW LIFE by Tom Crewe; HUNGRY GHOSTS by Kevin Jared Hosein; MY FATHER’S HOUSE by Joseph O’Connor; THE HOUSE OF DOORS by Tan Twan Eng; IN THE UPPER COUNTRY by Kai Thomas; ABSOLUTELY AND FOREVER by Rose Tremain. 

Further highlights over the weekend include: two legendary female comedians – Scotland’s own Janey Godley and, from south of the border, the fantastically funny Jo Caulfield — discussing with typical humour, candour and warmth their acclaimed memoirs; in the run-up to the General election, well-informed Westminster insider, broadcaster Robert Peston; memoirs from BBC stalwarts Clive Myrie and recently retired Rory Cellan-Jones; former BBC Breakfast presenter Louise Minchin with astonishing female stories of courage and adventure; nature-lover and queen of cosy Kate Humble with her refreshingly pared-back approach to the good life; explorer, writer and filmmaker extraordinaire Benedict Allen, and the ever-fabulous Rory Bremner on stage with fellow legendary comedian Fred MacAulay. 

The book festival is also honoured to host, in this Paris Olympic year, a very special event on the centenary of Scotsman Eric Liddell’s historic 400m win at the 1924 Olympics — also in Paris — which was immortalised in the 1981 blockbuster film Chariots of Fire in which he is portrayed by fellow Scot Ian Charleson (and later, in 2012, by local Borders actor Jack Lowden in the West End stage play).  

In an Adam & Company Event, unique to the book festival, Sally Magnusson, Liddell’s biographer, will be joined on stage by: Allan Wells, the Scottish athlete who dedicated his 1980 100m sprint win at the Moscow Olympics to Liddell, even before Chariots of Fire had been released and Liddell’s popular legacy secured; Eilidh Doyle, Olympic and Commonwealth medallist and an ambassador for the Eric Liddell 100 Programme and Liddell’s niece Sue Caton. 

Festival Director, Alistair Moffat, said: “The Harmony Garden stage is set for another glorious celebration in our beautiful Borders home, and we could not be more excited to welcome old and new visitors alike to share in the joy. 

‘This year’s book festival sees familiar, much-loved faces returning to our marquees to spark laughter, debate and applause, as they do every year, but our programme also brings together new voices from across the cultural spectrum, creating a truly unique opportunity for exchanges of ideas and the sharing of connections. 

‘Harmony Garden is where the party is at this weekend, and we don’t want anybody to miss out.  There are the myriad events to explore, but there is also the Food & Drink Village in which to indulge those summer cravings, and the electric atmosphere is added to by live music, unrivalled beauty in our surroundings, and the reunions of friends from far and wide in high summer. 

‘You have to be at Harmony Garden to experience the Borders Book Festival in all its glory.  You can’t stream this on catch-up!  So make sure you’re there with us to share in the magic.” 

The family festival takes place throughout the day on the Saturday and Sunday (15th & 16^th June), packed with exciting author events, including: beloved author and former Children’s Laureate Michael Morpurgo OBE, now celebrating 50 years in print, with more than 35-million books sold; the wonderful Abi Elphinstone with Ember Spark and the Thunder of Dragons; festival favourites Vivian French and Alan Windram; Josh Silver and Sally Nicholls with their young adult novels Dead Happy and Yours From the Tower, respectively; Craig Graham and Mike Stirling – both former Beano editors — with a very special Beano event; and debut author Fiona Carswell with her joyful story of friendship and acceptance, The Boy Who Loves to Lick the Wind, illustrated by acclaimed artist Yu Rong. 

The Orchard tented food village adjacent to Harmony Garden plays host to live music and free, fun activities for all the family, making the Borders Book Festival a great day out for young and old alike (and all those in between!)  

Alan Bett, Head of Literature & Publishing at Creative Scotland said: “Borders Book Festival provides an important and diverse literary offering to the region and beyond. Covering everything from cookery to crime, politics to picture books, the programme caters to a broad range of literary interests and fosters a lifelong connection with books for everyone.  

“It’s particularly encouraging to see a strong focus on young readers through the family festival, which lays essential groundwork for engaging children and young people in a future filled with reading and imagination.” 

Tickets available at www.bordersbookfestival.org  or by calling 0131 290 2112 and from the Book Festival Box Office on the day subject to availability. 

The Edinburgh Taxi Outing passed through the city centre on Tuesday morning en route to East Lothian where everyone involved will have lunch at Archerfield Walled Garden after an ice cream stop in Musselburgh at S. Luca’s.

As the taxis passed by the council’s licensing department staff there were well armed with water balloons to get their own back against the constant barrage of water from the pistol wielding youngsters (and the not so young).

The council had been persuaded to move the planters at the top of Cockburn Street to allow the procession to pass down the Royal Mile. Only half of the street was closed – but leaving the bollards at the top of the street open allowed many vans and trucks onto the High Street – almost causing a jam just before the taxis arrived.

Read more about the outing here.

ON THE HIGH STREET

A home owner has been warned to check for birds before replacing windows after planners spotted a nest on Google Maps during a check.

The owner of the house on Tipperwell Way, Penicuik, applied for permission to replace timber window frames with UPVC after it was claimed the original ones were ‘substandard’.

However photographs submitted to Midlothian planners sparked concern as they appeared to show a house martin nest on the property leading officers to check images on Google Maps.

In a report recommending the replacement windows are approved officers said: “The council’s biodiversity consultant (TWIC) have commented stating that the photos submitted by the applicant appear to show house martin nests on the rear of the property.

“Google Street View from May 2022 shows one nest above a window on
the side of the property. Works to replace upper floor windows on these
two elevations should avoid the bird breeding season (March to August inclusive).

“If works are to be carried out during the bird breeding season, a check for active nesting house martin should be completed prior to works commencing. If an active nest is identified, then an appropriate protection zone should be installed within which there can be no works until the chicks have fledged.”

House martins and their nests are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 after the population saw a sharp decline.

Applying to replace the windows with UPVC in the conservation area, the home owner pointed to other properties on the modern estate which had already been allowed to carry out the same work.

One representation was received in support of the application, the officers report said.

It added: “It states that the windows supplied for these houses were well below standard for the type of house and Scottish weather and that other houses in the area have successfully replaced windows without damaging look and conservation standards.”

The application was approved by Midlothian Council planners.

By Marie Sharp Local Democracy Reporter

Teenage vandals could force more stores in the centre of a West Lothian town out of business, it was warned this week. 

It comes after Kidzeco – a popular social enterprise selling baby clothes – was forced to close its doors in Bathgate over safety fears for its staff. 

Vandals also made a community space on the second floor of the building unusable by breaking a hole in the roof space causing water damage. 

Councillor Harry Cartmill told a meeting of Bathgate Local Area Committee.  “It’s a dreadful thing to happen in Bathgate; for a shop to have to shut because of the behaviour of a minority within the town.” 

“I fear that shop will never open again and it’s not opening because of the behaviours of certain people in this town.” 

Councillor Cartmill asked PC Ross Walker: “Do you see it as societal breakdown, a lack of police numbers, a combination of those two or another factor? 

PC Walker said: “I was a community officer in Bathgate four of five years ago and it was a bit of an issue then. It’s a bit off and on.” 

“He said that community officers were working on reports around the incidents and trying to identify culprits.  Crime prevention and safety measures are also being compiled. 

Councillor Cartmill asked: “Are you engaging with the staff there. Is there a hope the shop will reopen? People are disgusted with this.” 

PC Walker said: “Once recommendations are in place it’s up to the premises to implement. Hopefully the staff will feel comfortable to come back.  We will continue to work with partners and engage with young people.” 

Kidzeco founder Tracy Murdoch welcomed the support of the councillors. She told the Local Democracy Reporting Service:  “We value the committee’s commitment to addressing the challenges faced by Kidzeco and other affected shops.  While we eagerly anticipate the reopening of Kidzeco Bathgate, we recognise the importance of robust security measures. 

“Ensuring the safety of our staff, customers, and the community remains our top priority.  The situation and anti-social behaviour continue to be at the heart of our discussions, not only for Kidzeco but for the entire Bathgate community.  We appreciate the collaborative efforts to strike a balance between safety precautions and supporting local businesses.  The dedication from the Local Area Committee partners to finding solutions is commendable and we sincerely appreciate their tireless efforts. 

Councillor Willie Boyle told the meeting that he feared Poundland would vacate its George Street premises after facing similar problems of  teens  damaging the flat roof of the building. 

The store-once home to Woolworths- is one of the largest in the pedestrianised centre. 

Councillor Boyle said: “I’m really disappointed at what’s happening here and I’m not reassured by what I’m hearing. There’s a serious issue from what I’m seeing and from what I’m being told.  Kidzeco is the culmination of this. 

“Poundland has had the same problem.  If they could find suitable premises elsewhere they would move, they would vacate that building, 

 “The problem is that’s a flat roof. There’s been so much damage done to that flat roof its now a liability and rather than try and deal with that they are looking to try and remove themselves from that liability.  

 “That’s serious because we could end up with that building sitting derelict with the town centre.” 

Councillor Boyle highlighted vandalism at industrial units in the town which suggested that some teens were getting away with random destruction. 

“This is bad news for George Street. Some sort of concerted effort needs to be done. The police need to be a key driver in this.” 

PC Walker said since the Kidzeco damage was done a crime prevention survey  was in the process of being carried out.  He added: “Looking at Poundland I don’t recall seeing any reports from there. This issue seems to be around Kidzeco.” 

He added: “We have identified a number of young people responsible for  anti-social behaviour in the partnership centre, and the wider community and young people have been reported for vandalism.” 

“I think the wider ASB issues have settled a wee bit.” 

Last summer shop keepers petitioned the council   after a group of street drinkers began disrupting trade in and around George Street and The Steelyard. 

By Stuart Sommerville, Local Democracy Reporter 

After some photos on social media showed the former Scottish Green leader and MSP, Robin Harper, stuffing envelopes for Labour candidate Ian Murray, the veteran politician has announced that he has joined the Scottish Labour Party.

Harper, who was MSP for the Lothian region from 1999 until 2011, said that voting for Scottish Labour in this election is the only way to get rid of the Tories.

In a letter to voters in Edinburgh he also criticises the SNP and his former party for failing on the environment.

In a letter to voters in Edinburgh Robin Harper writes:

 “I desperately want to see the back of this Conservative government, who have crashed our economy, degraded our political life and failed to tackle climate change.

“The SNP, and until recently their Green coalition partners, have also failed to take action on the environment.

“John Swinney has failed to rule out supporting new oil and gas licences and the SNP have rejected Labour’s calls for a windfall tax on record oil and gas profits.

“Labour is the only party with a plan for combatting climate change and harnessing the potential of the green industrial revolution. Our plans for GB Energy, a publicly-owned energy company, will deliver clean energy by 2030 and, with our Warm Homes Plan to insulate thousands of homes, will create 69,000 jobs in Scotland alone.

“Investment in renewable energy would be paid for by a windfall tax on the oil and gas giants making record profits during a cost-of-living crisis, something that the SNP oppose.

“This election provides us with a now-or-never opportunity to remove the Tories from power and end the chaos, failure and inaction that has marked their fourteen years in government.

“Only Labour is able to do this across the UK and only Labour has a plan to halt environmental destruction.”

Shadow Scotland Secretary and Labour candidate for Edinburgh South Ian Murray said: “Robin is one of the most respected parliamentarians of the devolution era.

“His decision to join the Scottish Labour Party demonstrates that we are the only party with a clear plan to deliver on Scotland’s green potential – creating thousands of clean energy jobs and cutting energy bills for good, with GB Energy paid for by a windfall tax on oil and gas giants.

“At this election, only a vote for Scottish Labour is a vote to remove the Tories from power, and I’m delighted that Robin is helping our campaign to make sure we get the Tories out and deliver the change Scotland needs.”