Scottish Government

We're getting £100 towards our heating bill.

Well, maybe, because the Scottish Government said it's actually £650 million real-term reduction in this budget.

But then Westminster shot back and said, actually, it's £600 million more.

The math's not mathing, do you know what I mean? My biggest takeaway is that we'll not be having any big takeaways because maybe they can afford them.

If you would like to get in touch or get more information about the podcast, please check the show notes for more details.

Stock Talk is produced for the Scottish Farm Advisory Service in association with the Scottish Government.

farm advisory service podcast audio advice on livestock crops and soils environment rural business and more brought to you in association with the scottish government

Craig Houston, who filmed fascist-style demonstrations in Glasgow and Edinburgh over the summer but denied being involved in organising them, is also a member.

Written by Xander Ellards and read by Billy Gordon From the National News Section Friday the 23rd of October Scottish Government activates emergency response to Storm Bullo Written by Laura Pollock Scottish ministers have activated the Scottish Government's Resilience Room, SGORR, to prepare for Storm Bullo.

Forecasters have issued a number warning for much of Scotland on Saturday evening, into Sunday as the storm hits, the day after Storm Austin, which is bringing heavy rain to many areas on Friday.

A Met Office yellow warning of strong winds over the weekend has been upgraded to amber for all of mainland Scotland and islands off its west coast.

There are no further weather warnings for Scotland on Monday, though a yellow warning for wind comes into force from 3am on Tuesday, ending just before midnight the same day.

Storm Bolo brought 80mph gusts and travelled disruption to much of Scotland over the weekend, shortly after Storm Austin brought heavy rain to many areas on Friday.

The Scottish Government's Resilience Room, SGORR, met on Sunday to discuss the fallout from the storm.

Social Justice and Housing Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said on Sunday, as we experience a third consecutive day of weather warnings with continued strong winds forecast until later today, it is important that people keep up to date on the impact the conditions are having in their local area.

You know, there wasn't a lot in this budget that directly impacts Scotland in some ways.

I mean, there's been the usual argument between the SNP and Labour, between the Scottish government and the British government as to whether the amount of money allocated to Scotland is going up or going down.

The Scottish government obviously... claims that it is going down.

External analysts, on the other hand, seem to agree with the British government that actually it's going up.

You know, that was the verdict of Spice in the Scottish Parliament and of the Fraser of Allander Institute.

But this was not a government that's a budget rather than it seemed to me was going to have a massive amount of an impact on the Scottish government, which is obviously in the foothills of preparing its own budget for next year.

How do you see this budget informing or impacting the choices that Jenny Gilruth is going to have to make when it comes to the Scottish government's budget later in the year?

Well, of course, the consequentials from the budget are principally as a result of that decision to give households in England and Wales and bands ATD £100 to help with energy costs.

I mean, I can only assume that it's a smokescreen.

But also it's trying to delegitimize the Scottish government as being able to function in a country.

I think it's part of it's almost like a project theory thing.

But see if right at the beginning, if they'd said something like Michelle O'Neill said at the Cardiff thing, which was, yes, but we can do more than one thing at once.

You know, yes, we can tackle all these day job things and we can still work.

consider our future as an independent country.

Even if you did take the view, as clearly some of these do, that the Scottish government is not doing a good enough job on these points.

One of the beauties of independence is you elect whatever government you think.

Today I sit down with Douglas Guest, who's a Mankind Project brother from Scotland.

Douglas has devoted his career to working for the benefit of families and children, co-created the Year of the Dad for the Scottish Government, and helped establish the Scottish Healthy Masculinity Alliance.

Since 2021, he's been regularly facilitating grief-tending circles.

Our conversation went far afield.

douglas guest is a mankind project brother he's somebody that i think that you and i have been facebook friends for at least a decade and have had some good discussions in the past and connected and we reconnected recently let me tell you a little bit about him Douglas Guest has devoted his career to working for the benefit of families and children across health boards, local authorities, a UK government board, and Scottish and UK charities, including as a Scottish director of HomeStart.

His skills encompass building and leading teams and projects, fundraising and developing charities and campaigns, He spent 30 years volunteering as a facilitator, trustee, and a funding advisor.

He co-created Year of the Dad for the Scottish government and has been instrumental in establishing the Scottish Healthy Masculinity Alliance.

Douglas has been a member of the Mankind Project since 2015, facilitating men's groups since 2019, and he sits on the planning group.

If you would like to get in touch or get more information about the podcast, please check the show notes for more details.

Stock Talk is produced for the Scottish Farm Advisory Service in association with the Scottish Government.

farm advisory service podcast audio advice on livestock crops and soils environment rural business and more brought to you in association with the scottish government

Hotel operators in Scotland were urged to maintain robust procedures for disposing of ash from open fires, ensure they could account for every guest promptly during evacuation, and give night shift employees practical experience of evacuation drills.

The Scottish Government was asked to consider requiring active fire suppression systems when historic buildings are converted into hotels and to examine the particular risk created by hidden cavities, age and varying standards of construction.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service was also asked to shorten the time between carrying out a fire safety audit and issuing its written findings.

And although the changes could not alter what happened at Cameron House, they demonstrated why Jane Midgley had continued pushing for this inquiry even after the criminal proceedings were complete.

This is your Farming in 5 daily news update from Farmers Guardian.

In today's episode of Farming in 5, farmers dismissed the Chancellor's budget as damp squib, DEFRA has been criticised over its £1.9 million pledge to the Rothbury estate, the Scottish Government has announced that the calving interval will be reduced in the suckler beef support scheme and a Labrador gathering at Clarkson's Pub supports farmers' mental health charities.

Now, farmers have shared their frustration over the lack of focus and support for farming in the Chancellor's autumn budget.

Chris White, an arable farmer from Doncaster, said whilst the budget lacked the horrors of Rachel Reeves' first budget, his non-action showed there was little appetite from this government and the Chancellor to support farming.