'Multi-decade' future of nuclear base in Scotland secured

The UK Government plans a multi-billion-pound redevelopment of His Majesty's Naval Base (HMNB) Clyde, we revealed this week.
The commitment of the UK Government is long term. (Image: PA) An initial £250 million of funding will be made over three years which will help support 'jobs, skills and growth' at Faslane, the Royal Navy's main presence in Scotland.
Westminster said that the "Clyde 2070 programme represents one of the most significant and sustained UK Government investments in Scotland over the coming decades".
Read the full story here
Scottish economy tops the UK table on one key measure
Scotland was top of the table on one key measure. (Image: Gordon Terris) Scotland's private sector economy bounced back into expansion territory last month, a key survey revealed this week.
Scotland was the only one of the 12 UK nations and regions to record a rise in private sector employment in May in Royal Bank of Scotland's growth tracker survey.
The business activity index for Scotland, a seasonally adjusted measure of the month-on-month change in the combined output of the manufacturing and services sectors – rose from 47.4 in April to 50.5 in May on a seasonally adjusted basis to indicate a renewed rise in business activity. This marked the first increase in output on this measure for six months.
With May's reading of 50.5 only slightly above the no-change mark of 50, Royal Bank of Scotland observed the rate of expansion last month was 'marginal and similar to that seen across the UK as a whole'.
Read Ian McConnell's story here Famous Scottish retailer appoints ex-Rangers chief as loss reported
Stewart Robertson, chief executive. (Image: Sterling) Former Rangers managing director Stewart Robertson has been appointed chief executive of Sterling Furniture Group on a permanent basis as the venerable Scottish retailer looks to get back on track after a challenging period.
Sterling confirmed the appointment as new accounts show the Tillicoultry-based company tumbled to a loss of nearly £4 million for the year ended August 31, following a profit of £43,870 the year prior. Turnover dipped to £50.55m from £83.6m.
The loss coincided with a downturn in the broader UK retail sector, as consumers grappled with high inflation and interest rates, while businesses dealt with increased operating costs.
Mr Robertson, who spent eight years at the Ibrox club, initially joined Sterling as interim chief executive in December, with his arrival following the appointment of Bernard Dunn, a former head of insurance broker TL Dallas in Scotland, as chairman in October.
Read Scott Wright's story here
AROUND THE GREENS ⛳
'We can't get more people into St Andrews to play golf'
The Old Course attracts tens of thousands of overseas golfers every year, and the boss of St Andrews Links Trust has said he would like to spread the benefits of this more widely throughout Scotland. (Image: VisitScotland/Peter Dibdin) This article appears as part of Kristy Dorsey's Around the Greens series
Created in 1974 as a way to maintain local public ownership of its golf courses when town councils were being abolished in accordance with Lord Wheatley's report on local governance in Scotland, St Andrews Links Trust is the charity in charge of the most important parcel of land in all of golf.

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The Herald Scotland

an hour ago

• The Herald Scotland

Starmer steel deal shows Swinney how nationalisation should work

A compelling read it certainly wasn't but it helped pass the time before the sun started to go down and I could think about dinner. Economists have never agreed on the benefits of nationalisation and history is littered with failed examples, particularly in the UK. But the two leaders currently occupying Bute House and Downing Street certainly seem to be in agreement that it's a good thing. And in many cases it is good but it's what you do with the assets as a Government after it is been taken into public control that is the important thing. It is here that John Swinney and Sir Keir Starmer diverge dramatically if recent events are anything to go by. Last week, a £500 million five-year deal was struck between Network Rail and British Steel to help save the Scunthorpe steelworks. British Steel is to supply 337,000 tonnes of rail track, which will secure thousands of manufacturing jobs. Why this is important is that it comes just two months after the UK Government used emergency powers to prevent the blast furnaces from immediate closure. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander, said it 'truly transforms the outlook for British Steel and its dedicated workforce in Scunthorpe'. British Steel is to supply a minimum of 337,000 tonnes of long and short rail. A further 80-90,000 tonnes is to be provided by other European manufacturers and deals are expected to be announced shortly, the Department for Transport (DfT) said. In March, Chinese firm Jingye, which bought British Steel in 2020, proposed to shut Scunthorpe's two blast furnaces and other key steelmaking operations. Alan Simpson: The new £144m electric rail line without enough trains Alan Simpson: Build more houses for rural Scots, not tax second home owners Alan Simpson: NatureScot may be threatening a rare mussel it should be protecting Alan Simpson: Scotland's tourism sector needs to be heard before it's too late This came despite months of negotiations and a £500 million co-investment offer from the UK Government. As a result, Jingye launched a consultation which it said would affect between 2,000 and 2,700 jobs. In April, the UK Government used emergency powers to take control of British Steel and continue production at the site. The Scunthorpe plant has been producing steel for Britain's railways since 1865. The Network Rail contract, worth an estimated £500 million, starts on July 1 and is set to provide the company with 80% of its rail needs. To ensure security of supply, Network Rail is set to award smaller contracts to some European manufacturers, who will supply specialist rail products alongside British Steel. The agreement is the first major public procurement since the emergency legislation was passed. Both Network Rail and the Scunthorpe steel plant are both owned by the UK Government and the swift deal is clearly a direct benefit of being nationalised. No need for public procurement rules when both sites are state-owned. The Government sees it as being complimentary to the UK and US trade deal which aims to lower tariffs and protect jobs across key sectors, including steel. The deal also compares to the complete and utter horlicks that the Scottish Government has made following nationalisation of key industries. Ministers, of course, took over the stricken Ferguson Marine shipyard in Port Glasgow in 2019 after it collapsed into administration. It seemed to be the right decision as the shipyard's main customer was the state-owned ferry body CMAL, so a steady stream of orders should have been expected. Instead the yard is facing an uncertain future after losing out on several publicly funded ferry building contracts. Now ministers have even halted a vital subsidy for the yard that is needed to bring in vital work to keep it alive, it can be development has raised alarm that the yard will not survive beyond any delivery of the much-delayed and over budget CalMac ferry Glen Rosa. The yard's business plan to 2029 assumed that the Scottish Government would sanction a direct award of the small vessel replacement programme. It was an integral part of a plan to deliver a 'sustainable, profitable, efficient and competitive yard'. After it was decided that the £175m contract would go to a competitive tender, CMAL, the state-controlled ferry procurer declared in March that the job to build seven new loch-class electric ferries would go to Poland .It previously awarded two other ferry contracts worth to £220m to Cemre Marin Endustri A.S (Turkey) - with Ferguson Marine again losing out. Transport secretary Fiona Hyslop confirmed a 'substantial subsidy' was needed to allow it to get a direct uncontested contract to build seven new small ferries and secure its future. But she admitted in correspondence with former community safety minister Ash Regan that that subsidy was not justified. Ms Regan has raised concerns that it was 'not the direct award that's the issue it's the unwillingness to put public money behind a public asset'. Ferguson Marine has been dogged with issues with the delivery of ferries Glen Sannox and Glen Rosa which were due online in the first half of 2018. The last estimates suggest the costs of delivery of the vessels for CalMac will have soared to more than five times the original £97m cost. The shipyard firm currently employs more than 400 staff including over 100 sub-contractors. Goodness knows how they must be feeling, knowing full well that the Scottish Government is in the process of sinking the yard once and for all. For all the arguments against nationalisation, no book on economics will ever list sheer incompetence by Government ministers as a reason it will fail. While there are very good reasons that the yard is struggling, one of the main reasons is the sheer complexity of the two ferries which have made them very difficult to build. As it was the current administration that insisted on the specifications of being dual fuel and 'green' then it seems extremely harsh for ministers to now throw the workforce under a bus. Sir Keir Starmer's Government has shown exactly how nationalisation should work for the benefit of the workforce and the economy as a whole. For it to be a success, there has to be a will, strategy and above all, economic competence amongst ministers. Ministers at Holyrood have shown none of that and the Ferguson's workforce and islanders have been left high and dry as a result.

North Wales Chronicle

2 hours ago

• North Wales Chronicle

Starmer urges Britons to contact Foreign Office for Israel evacuation flights

It comes after the US attacked three nuclear sites in Iran overnight and Tehran then launched a ballistic missile barrage against Israel. Speaking to Sky News, Sir Keir Starmer said: 'I urge all citizens to make contact with the Foreign Office so that we can facilitate whatever support is needed.' He added that the Government will help evacuate British citizens on charter flights 'as soon as we can'. Sir Keir said: 'Well for British citizens, we've been saying for some time to register their presence. 'And so far as Israel is concerned, just as soon as we can get charter flights off, we will do so.' The UK is preparing a flight to transport vulnerable British nationals and their dependants out of Israel and the OPTs early next week. British nationals in Israel and the OPTs should register their presence to receive the latest updates and register their interest in the… — Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (@FCDOGovUK) June 22, 2025 The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has continued to urge British nationals to register their details and interest in evacuation flights, the first of which it said will take off early next week. It said further flights 'will be considered depending on demand and the latest security situation'. According to the Israeli Government, some 22,000 tourists are seeking to board evacuation flights. It is unclear how many of these are UK citizens. British nationals who have already registered will automatically be contacted and provided with a link to the booking portal, the FCDO said. Those eligible for the flight will be expected to pay for their seat – and payment will be taken on registration on the flight booking form. The FCDO added that those with 'greatest need' will be prioritised, and British nationals plus their non-British immediate family members travelling with them are eligible. All passengers must hold a valid travel document, and those non-British immediate family members will require valid visas/permission to enter or remain that was granted for more than six months, the FCDO said. The UK has been working on charter flights for Britons in Israel but none have so far taken off as the country's airspace has been closed. Business Secretary Jonathon Reynolds told Sky News on Sunday morning: 'We are in active conversations about chartering aircraft to get people out.' Asked if that will happen imminently, Mr Reynolds said: 'I believe our intention would be to do that as soon as possible… hours, not days.' Meanwhile, shadow foreign secretary Dame Priti Patel told Times Radio the UK 'must not be behind the curve' in evacuating its nationals. 'The Government's got to start moving fast now in terms of British nationals in Israel,' Dame Priti said. 'They've been talking about this for days… Israeli airspace is shut down. 'The Americans are ready to evacuate 25,000 US nationals — we must not be behind the curve.' The FCDO has warned British nationals not to make their way to the airport unless they are contacted. Register your presence: — Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (@FCDOGovUK) June 22, 2025 A spokesperson said: 'This is a perilous and volatile moment for the Middle East. 'The safety of British nationals in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories continues to be our utmost priority – that's why the UK Government is preparing flights to help those wanting to leave. 'Working closely with the Israeli authorities, our staff are continuing to work at pace to assist British nationals on the ground and ensure they receive the support they need.' Commercial flights remain in operation from Egypt and Jordan to the UK, and international land border crossings to these countries remain open. The FCDO said the situation 'remains volatile' and the Government's ability to run flights out of Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories 'could change at short notice'. The portal to register presence in Israel as a Briton is available at:

Daily Mirror

2 hours ago

• Daily Mirror

New law change for everyone who parks on a driveway - with added income boost

The new rules are designed to make life easier for electric vehicle (EV) owners, and convince more to switch to electric. It could also allow households to make some extra money Motorists who use driveways have been hit with a significant legal shake-up. In an effort to make the switch to electric more appealing, new regulations mean that homeowners can now install electric vehicle (EV) charge points without the hassle of planning permission, in a bid to boost EV ownership. ‌ This legislative change is poised to simplify the process for driveway owners keen on fitting their own charge point, eliminating a major hurdle in joining the electric revolution. The timing is critical as it preludes the impending 2030 ban on sales of new petrol and diesel cars and comes amidst efforts to sway the public about going electric. ‌ Car pundits suggest this could be a crafty way for shrewd householders to earn a bit of extra income by leasing out their EV chargers. Andy Syrett, UK managing director at YourParkingSpace, praised the announcement: "This is welcome news." He elaborated on the benefits, saying, "By cutting planning red tape, the Government has made it even easier for people to install EV charge points at home and rent them out when not in use", reports Birmingham Live. Moreover, according to data from YourParkingSpace, households with a charge point are evidently making more money, with listings featuring an EV charger raking in 13% more income compared to those without, perhaps providing a tempting prospect for many homeowners. Andy remarked: "When you consider that many of our driveway listings in hotspot areas – such as near football stadiums, music venues, train stations, and airports – typically earn around £1,000 a year, that extra 13% can quickly cover the cost of installing a charge point." He added optimistically about uptake due to simplified procedures: "With installation now simpler and planning rules relaxed, we expect more homeowners to take advantage of this easy way to boost their income." ‌ Meanwhile, motorists could be slapped with a £100 fine and face "legal troubles" if they neglect simple driveway rules. Drivers who don't maintain their driveways risk damaging their vehicles and encountering further problems "down the line". Vehicle owners are being warned to address oil and fluid stains that can accumulate when a car is parked in one spot for extended periods. Neglecting such maintenance could result in spills, which insurers might attribute to negligence, potentially leading to rejected claims, experts caution. Insurers may also consider it a misrepresentation, impacting your insurance coverage. Graham Conway, managing director of Select Car Leasing, said: "People often forget about driveway maintenance when looking after their car, but it's usually the first place where small issues start to appear."