There isn’t going to be another referendum. That remained the firm view of Scottish Tories on Saturday night as Nicola Sturgeon failed by the narrowest of margins to win the 65 seats that would have given her the overall majority she desired in the Scottish Parliament. By holding onto highly marginal seats at opposite ends of the country, and with the help of one staunch Union-backing Labour MSP, they left the otherwise victorious nationalists marooned and one seat short of what she regarded as the overwhelming mandate she says should force Boris Johnson to agree to another referendum on independence. And there is no doubt … it was unofficial tactical voting what did it, as it did for stalwart Labour Unionist Jackie Baillie in Dumbarton as well as several Tories. Surely now Labour and Lib Dem leaders have finally got the message to draw up a pact that will prosper against the separatists’s bid to smash the United Kingdom. They both turned down a proper deal this time. Never …
Labour
No wonder Nicola Sturgeon bangs on about independence – everything else the SNP controls is a mess
There can surely be little mystery about why Nicola Sturgeon has decided to put all of her not inconsiderable political energies into re-igniting the SNP’s clamour for another independence referendum. After all, what else does she have to offer? Breaking up Britain is all she has left for her party conference next month. The massive support of the Scottish public, which surged only a few short months ago and had excitable London-based commentators predicting the imminent end of the United Kingdom, has petered out. And internecine bickering which looked as if the SNP was engulfed in a civil war has left her once super-confident activists looking ill at ease and unsure of where their leader is taking them. It is true that she still wins plaudits from many for her handling of the Covid-19 pandemic; but even here the gloss which she acquired over much of the last year for her superior communication skills has dimmed considerably. There is no doubt that it was the vaccination …
Exams U-turn as pupils win reprieve over A-level and GCSE grade appeals
Pupils will be allowed to challenge "unfair" A-level and GCSE grades after the exam regulator changed its stance in the face of a backlash from headteachers . Schools will now be allowed to appeal against results in "exceptional" cases if they believe students are incorrectly marked down by the statistical modelling being used to calculate the grades . The decision comes in the wake of the Scottish results fiasco, where close to 125,000 predicted grades were downgraded by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA). On Wednesday, The Telegraph revealed that headteachers in England were concerned that pupils faced being handed a "life sentence" unless they were allowed to appeal over their grades. They warned that "all hell would break loose" on A-level results day next week unless appeals were allowed. Now the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual), the exam regulator, has softened its stance. Gavin Williamson, the Education Secretary, said he …
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Pro-independence cranks, bloggers and SNP outcasts flock to Salmond’s Alba banner
“Alba are hoisting a flag in the wind - planting our saltire on a hill,” a customarily hubristic Alex Salmond declared last Friday, as he blew up the Holyrood election campaign just 36 hours after it began with the launch of his new pro-independence party. “We shall see how many will rally to our standard.” Those answering the battle cry, his opponents claim, were not of the "strong calibre" Mr Salmond predicted, but the misfits and conspiracists of the independence movement who had already found themselves sidelined by Nicola Sturgeon's moderate SNP. The former First Minister unveiled a slate of 32 candidates on Wednesday night, just six any with parliamentary experience, while he has largely relied upon a motley crew of hardcore nationalists, failed politicians and bloggers to spread his message online. Kenny MacAskill, a former Scottish justice secretary and the MP for East Lothian, was the first major defection from the party Mr Salmond led for two decades, and in the …
Nicola Sturgeon warns international travel restrictions may not be lifted for sunseekers
Nicola Sturgeon has warned that she may only initially lift international travel restrictions for Scots who want to go abroad to meet family, and not sunseekers wanting a foreign holiday. The First Minister told a BBC One Scotland Holyrood election leaders' debate that she would consider the UK Government's traffic light scheme , which may allow holidaymakers to fly from English airports to Europe's top holiday destinations from next month. But she warned she was prepared to maintain restrictions on flying from Scotland's airports "for a little bit longer" to allow her to "open up much greater normality domestically". Ms Sturgeon said: "It may be that restrictions on international travel are the price we have to pay for that, and when we do open up we focus on family reunification before holidays". Although she said she wanted a deal on common arrangements with the UK Government and her Welsh and Northern Irish counterparts, she said it had to be "on the right four nations …
Britons may need to apply for online clearance to visit Europe post-Brexit
British tourists could be required to register for a Europe-wide visa after 2020 following a European Union plan to introduce an American-style visa-waiver scheme. The proposals, which have been backed in the past by Britain, will require all non-EU citizens to pay 5 euros (£4.30) and fill out an online form to obtain clearance to travel within Europe's 26-nation ID check-free area. The checks, which will see applicants cross-checked against visa, criminal and stolen document databases, will apply to people from 60 countries, including the US, who are currently granted visa-free travel to the EU for business and tourism. Whether or not Britain is exempted from the scheme would depend on the outcome of the forthcoming Brexit negotiations with Europe, British officials said, but conceded it would logically apply once the UK has become a third country, outside the EU. Amber Rudd, the Home Secretary, said in a BBC interview last September that she could not rule out that Britons …
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‘I retired too early’ Retiree explains how he’s earned £66,000 in just two years
Martin Lewis outlines pension scheme for 16-21 year olds Make the most of your money by signing up to our newsletter for FREE now SUBSCRIBE Invalid email We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info With long hours and 34 people working for him, retiring at the age of 46 was something he was really looking forward to. "It was just too much really," he says as he looks back upon why he decided to sell his company. Related articles Pension ages - which EU country has the lowest state pension age HMRC issues £500 ‘C19’ support payment today - check your bank account READ MORE HSBC warning as scam text may be followed with dangerous call Prior to selling up, Chris was working intense hours in London each week, and …
Parental bonus amendment proposed as first change to pension system, coalition partners at odds
The Eduard Heger government is set to make fundamental changes to Slovakia's pension scheme, after the previous Smer-led governments made the system unsustainable in the long run, so much so that observers have dubbed it a time bomb for public finances. But Labour Minister Milan Krajniak of Sme Rodina cannot be sure to gain the necessary support of the ruling coalition for the major pension reform he has drafted. Krajniak expects objections not only from coalition partners, but also from the central bank, the fiscal council and other relevant players. “We have decided to propose a compromise that will help people receive decent pensions, all the while ensuring that [pensions remain decent] 50 years later,” Krajniak stated. Some changes have already been made via an amendment appended to the judiciary reform by Justice Minister Mária Kolíková (Za Ľudí), which the MPs passed in December 2020. The amendment creates the constitutional framework for the parental bonus, a planned …
Retirement age may be capped in Slovakia
Slovakia is one of the European countries most endangered by an ageing population. This does not only mean a less available labour force in the future but an increasing pressure to finance pensions for the increasing number of pensioners. To ease this burden the Robert Fico government introduced an automatic increase in the retirement age. Now his ruling Smer party wants to cap it. Some opposition parties as well as economists do not see it as a good idea since this would endanger the sustainability of public finances in the long run. “If we do not cap the retirement age, children born this year will retire at the age of 71,” said Robert Fico, leader of Smer and former prime minister, after negotiating the capping of the retirement age with trade unions and Labour Minister Ján Richter on May 16. “We cannot simply accept this.” They agreed that men and childless women should retire at the age of 65, women with one child at 64 and women with two and more children at 63 years. Now …
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