Scotland

Published 44 minutes ago Share close Share page Copy link About sharing Related Topics Coronavirus pandemic Sixteen and 17-year-olds in Scotland will be offered a first dose of the Covid vaccine as soon as possible, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said. Many will be able to register for an appointment online from Friday. Ministers expect everyone in this age group to have been offered a jab by the end of September. It follows the recommendation of the UK's vaccine advisory body to extend the vaccine roll-out. Ms Sturgeon said their advice was "good news" and the step forward she had been hoping for. And she said she hoped the experts would also recommend the vaccine for more young people in the future. Jabs for 16 and 17-year-olds to start 'within weeks' What do young people need to know about the vaccine? Should all children get a Covid vaccine? …

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Nicola Sturgeon has confirmed that nearly all of Scotland's remaining Covid restrictions will come to an end on August 9. In a virtual parliamentary sitting on Tuesday, the First Minister said that most legal restrictions - including those on social distancing and limits on the size of gatherings - will be lifted, allowing large-scale events to take place. Ms Sturgeon said that the country will be able to move beyond Level 0 as a result of the "steady decline in cases" and "the success of vaccination". She also confirmed that close contacts of those who test positive for Covid will no longer be required to automatically self-isolate for 10 days if they receive a negative PCR test. However, t he First Minister announced that the legal requirement to wear face mask will remain in certain public settings for "some time to come". She added that pubs and restaurants will still be required to collect contact details of customers and home working will continue to be advised. Ms …

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On May 6, voters across Scotland will go to the polls to elect members of the Scottish Parliament. If the pro-independence parties gain a majority in the election, Boris Johnson faces an "uphill battle" to prevent Scotland from becoming independent and breaking the Union, according to Lucy Fisher. In the latest episode in our Westminster Source video series, The Telegraph's Deputy Political Editor examines Boris Johnson's plan to combat Scottish nationalism and why it represents one of the biggest challenges of his premiership. "If he fails, he will be cast as the man who clawed back UK sovereignty from Brussels, only to lose the country itself," she says. For more videos like this from The Telegraph, subscribe to our YouTube channel. …

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Published 2 hours ago Share close Share page Copy link About sharing Related Topics Coronavirus pandemic The Scottish Qualifications Authority has defended the replacement system for this year's exams, insisting they were based on teacher judgement. In her first interview in a year SQA chief executive Fiona Robertson also refused to apologise for the algorithm used last year which revised grades down based on past performance. Some pupils and parents criticised this year's assessment process as "exams by another name" . The results are out next week. Most pupils already know their individual grades but the national picture is expected to become clear. What's happening with this year's school 'exams'? Scottish schools assessment system branded Parents question fairness of Scottish assessments When National 5, Highers and Advanced Higher exams were …

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Published 21 June comments Comments Share close Share page Copy link About sharing The Scottish Qualifications Authority is to be replaced as part of a "substantial" overhaul of education, following an independent review. The government said changes would be made in response to the OECD's report on the Curriculum for Excellence (CfE). It backed the curriculum as a whole but said there was too much focus on exams in later years of schooling. The exams body is to be broken up and replaced, with pupils, parents and teachers to be consulted on changes. Schools agency Education Scotland is also to be shaken up, with responsibility for school inspections to be split off to a new independent system. Education Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said there would be a "period of change" to "improve, to achieve more and to deliver for Scotland's pupils". But opposition …

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Published 14 May Share close Share page Copy link About sharing Related Topics Coronavirus pandemic Education Secretary John Swinney has defended the assessment system which replaced the Covid-hit exams after it was a branded a "mess". The Scottish Conservatives' Jamie Greene warned it is "fast becoming the first scandal of this new parliament." The criticism comes after an independent parents group challenged the fairness of the assessments . Mr Swinney told MSPs that pupil grades will be determined by teachers and will not be challenged. During parliamentary questions Mr Greene said there is "growing and widespread concern" over the Scottish Qualification Authority's assessments and awards process. He added that the author of a review into the fallout of the 2020 exams diet, Prof Mark Priestley, described the present situation as an "unfolding debacle". Parents …

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Published 9 minutes ago Share close Share page Copy link About sharing Related Topics Scotland drug deaths Boris Johnson says he is "instinctively" opposed to drug consumption rooms, which the Scottish government wants to introduce. Scottish ministers say the facilities would help tackle the record level of drug-related deaths. But they say they have run into "legal barriers" as the Misuse of Drugs Act is reserved to Westminster. The prime minister told BBC Scotland that he was "not in favour of encouraging people to take more drugs". And he instead urged the Scottish government to sign up to Project Adder, which takes a "tough approach" to drug couriers and dealers. Drug deaths in Scotland reach new record level Six ways to tackle Scotland's drugs crisis Drug-related deaths in Scotland increased to a new record of 1,339 last year, by far the highest rate …

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Published 1 hour ago Share close Share page Copy link About sharing A man wanted on suspicion of murder following an attack thought to have happened near a children's play area is believed to have been in Scotland. Dawid Kurdziel, 23, was found dead in Telford, Shropshire, on 3 July. West Mercia Police said it believed Robert Wieczorkowski, 31, left the town following the murder. Mr Wieczorkowski, previously of Hurleybrook Way, Telford, "has links to" Aberdeen and was believed to have been there recently, it stated. Mr Kurdziel was hurt in an attack suspected to have happened near a children's play area off Ketley Park Road. Police have said he was thought to have left the scene, before being found dead outside a restaurant on Holyhead Road. It was believed Mr Wieczorkowski may have information that could help police with inquiries, the force said. Latest news from the …

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Published 9 June Share close Share page Copy link About sharing A wildlife charity has called for an independent investigation into animal deaths at Blair Drummond Safari Park. Born Free claimed the deaths showed failings which the current inspection system did not address. It comes after the body representing zoos around the UK announced it was investigating deaths at the safari park near Stirling. A spokeswoman for the park said that the welfare of its animals was of "paramount importance." It follows reports in The Scottish Sun that two lionesses died after being mauled by a male lion introduced into their pride in 2016. The newspaper reported that the deaths of a lemur and a nilgai antelope - both of which were attacked by other animals - were also being investigated. Born Free has called on the Scottish government to launch a "fully independent, transparent investigation." …

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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 …

[Read more...] about No wonder Nicola Sturgeon bangs on about independence – everything else the SNP controls is a mess