Fraser MacDonald

YouTube video by Bruce Springsteen Land of Hope and Dreams

Tonight, Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band opened their Land of Hope & Dreams Tour. Bruce launched this run of shows with three statements about the situation in the United States, with comments preceding his songs Land of Hope and Dreams, House of a Thousand Guitars and My City of Ruins.

John Swinney announces £300,000 in extra humanitarian aid for Middle East conflicts THE Scottish Government will provide an extra £300,000 in humanitarian aid to help people affected by conflict in the Middle East, First Minister…

First Minister @johnswinney.bsky.social has announced an extra £300,000 in humanitarian aid for people affected by conflict in the Middle East
www.thenational.scot/news/2510814...

Eradicating child poverty is my top priority and we’re making progress.

Labour should abandon austerity and match our ambition.

New LSE report says the UK government could lift 700,000 children out of poverty by matching our Scottish Child Payment. 👇

www.lse.ac.uk/News/Latest-...

Christina McKelvie saw the very best in people, and growing up she also saw firsthand the injustice faced by her family and her community.

Her experiences made her determined to address the many injustices facing society.

We will carry on that fight in Christina’s honour.

New analysis shows 700,000 children could be lifted out of poverty overnight by following Scotland New analysis shows 700,000 children could be lifted out of poverty overnight by following Scotland

"The UK government could lift 700,000 children out of poverty overnight by matching Scotland’s fiscal commitment to driving poverty down." - Professor Ruth Patrick www.lse.ac.uk/News/Latest-...

Former Labour MSP quits party over welfare reforms which "stigmatise the weak, poor and the vulnerable".

Welfare crackdown 'devastating' for disabled people - Scottish government Scotland's social justice secretary says the UK reforms will have a

BBC News: Welfare crackdown 'devastating', says @sa4dunfermline.bsky.social www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

29 years ago today the Dunblane atrocity took place. We will always remember those who suffered from what happened that day.

Some stunning production pics of Wild Rose at the Lyceum, from the brilliant Mihaela Bodlovic...

A heartfelt tribute to Jack Vettriano by Scotland's Culture Secretary @angusrobertson.bsky.social

"Scotland owes him a debt of gratitude for his remarkable contribution to our cultural landscape."

✅ We’ve met our CAMHS targets - over 90% of those referred to CAMHS were seen within 18 weeks.

👦🏻 When it comes to child mental health, there’s always more we can do. That’s why we’ve more than doubled mental health investment since 2020/21 - to £1.3 billion next year.

Watch now | Scottish Parliament TV

First Minister @johnswinney.bsky.social delivers a statement on Solidarity to Support Ukraine in the Scottish Parliament now.

📺 Watch live on www.scottishparliament.tv

FM @johnswinney.bsky.social tells journalists he did not want his government's Budget to "limp through on the neutrality of abstentionism" - saying the Budget was able to "reshape Parliamentary politics", bringing support from the Liberal Democrat and Green MSPs.

A full-throated rejection of nuclear weapons by
@johnswinney.bsky.social this morning from Bute House:

"Nucelar weapons provide no tangible or realistic benefit to the military challenges we face... and indeed, I think they are an inhibitor because of the resources that they command."

Scottish Government budget passed:

💷 Record £21 billion for our NHS
🏠 8,000 new affordable homes
❄️ Winter Heating Payment for every pensioner household
✂️ Ending Labour’s two-child cap, lifting 15,000 kids out of poverty

This is a budget that puts Scotland’s priorities first

First Minister John Swinney delivers a speech in front of a green backdrop at Glasgow's Botanic Gardens

First Minister @johnswinney.bsky.social: "The world is changing around us – quite literally in terms of global temperature rises.

"It is a time of growing uncertainty, an age of anxiety. In response, too many are offering easy answers when what we need are the right answers."

John Swinney speaking at the Glasgow Botanics, surrounded by lovely trees.

First Minister @johnswinney.bsky.social delivering a speech on climate at the Glasgow Botanics, warning there is an emerging political consensus, attempting to block action on the climate crisis. The FM says there is a need to "mobilise" the mainstream against right-wing populism.

Scotland's First Minister @johnswinney.bsky.social has announced an additional £25 million in the upcoming Budget to establish a Grangemouth Just Transition Fund.

The fund will support businesses and stakeholders to bring forward investible propositions over the next 12 months and beyond.

I am very grateful to parliamentary colleagues in the Scottish Liberal Democrats and the Scottish Green Party for their engagement in the Budget process and for their support.

@shonarobison.bsky.social has led a constructive and inclusive process. This is good news for Scotland. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

It’s good to have a debate - but let’s get the facts right on Scottish Income Tax:

✅ 51% of Scots pay less income tax than in England.

✅ £1.7bn more for public services.

✅ More workers moving to Scotland from rUK than leaving.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Kate Forbes on GMS this morning:

Today I’ve outlined how we will improve access to our NHS - making it easier to see your GP, using more digital innovation, and delivering over 150,000 appointments and procedures in the coming year.

Here’s a summary in 50 seconds.👇

An annotated map produced by the Scottish Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament in the 1980s. Pic: National Museums Scotland.

John Swinney announces plan to bring down NHS waiting times The first minister says changes will make it easier to see a GP - but union leaders say they lack of detail.

This morning, First Minister @JohnSwinney delivered a speech on NHS renewal.

As part of this plan, NHS Scotland will deliver an extra 150,000 appointments and procedures in the coming year. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

A bird's-eye view of a former Auschwitz II-Birkenau camp showing a wide dirt pathway flanked by parallel rows of barbed-wire fences. Groups of visitors walk along the path, surrounded by the remnants of brick structures and barracks, now reduced to foundations. Green grass contrasts with the somber history of the site, as the path leads toward a guard tower in the distance.

Auschwitz was at the end of a long process. It did not start from gas chambers.

This hatred was gradually developed by humans. From ideas, words, stereotypes & prejudice through legal exclusion, dehumanization & escalating violence... to systematic and industrial murder.

Auschwitz took time.

🧵 The NHS is personal to us all. It’s there for every family, at every stage of life.

Built on the dedication of staff and innovative care, the NHS is resilient.

With collaboration and patient-focused reform, we’ll ensure it thrives again—public, free, and fit for the future.

👏 The SNP has won the Bannockburn by-election! Congratulations to Bob Buchanan and the rest of his campaign team.

A fantastic result for @thesnp.bsky.social in Bannockburn tonight - huge congratulations to Bob Buchanan and the dedicated team of local SNP activists who worked their socks off through the difficult Scottish winter ❄️

Bannockburn (Stirling) by-election first preferences:

SNP: 565 (35.9%, +7.2)
Labour: 376 (23.9%, +3.1)
Reform UK: 358 (22.7%, new)
Conservative: 169 (10.7%, -8.4)
Lib Dem: 55 (3.5%, +1.4)
Green: 53 (3.4%, +1.0)
(Note: Ind got 26%, Family 1.1% in 2022)

SNP elected Stage 6.

The Scottish Parliament has just unanimously called on the UK government to compensate WASPI women, which the UK Labour government refused to do.

The SNP has stood with the WASPI women for years, and we will stand with them until justice is delivered.

The world’s premier celebration of Celtic music is underway. Glasgow hosts Celtic Connections festival until 2nd February.

Celtic Connections brings together the very best talent in a packed programme of events and workshops.

For tickets and more info visit:
celticconnections.com