Holyrood

But in this instance, it does seem to me to be somewhat fraudulent to be pretending it's all about better services and when the inspiration for it is clearly financial.

Yeah, well, that was what was dominating the agenda at Holyrood earlier in the week, of course, as the week went on.

All

good news for the Scottish Government.

Written by James Walker.

Ross Greer has hit out what he called confusion over the Scottish Government's position on a moratorium for hyperscale data centres after yesterday's Holyrood vote.

Speaking at First Minister's Questions on Thursday, the Scottish Greens co-leader said MSPs and communities had been left unsure about what would happen to live applications due to be determined before new government guidance is published.

The Scottish Government committed yesterday to introducing mandatory Environmental Impact Assessments, EIAs, for hyperscale data centres and also, during a debate in Hollywood later in the day, to publishing planning guidance for councils by the end of the year.

Referring back to the 2014 referendum, he then said, The UK is a voluntary union, which means that its nations can stay part of it or they can choose their independence.

These two things were once accepted right across the political spectrum in Scotland.

The Scottish Lib Dem MSP, Willie Rennie, argued against the motion, saying that the SNP failed to secure a majority at May's Holyrood election, to which Mr Swinney highlighted that there were now a record 73 pro-independence MSPs in the Scottish Parliament and that it should be respected by the UK government.

Introducing his amendment which backed Mr Swinney's wording but added further commitments to tackling child poverty, Michael Marra called for Holyrood to deliver change now on issues such as the cost of living, opportunities for young people, housing and public services.

I think there probably is a little bit of thought there that they need to have people who have previously voted SNP or previously voted yes in the referendum.

They need their votes if they are ever going to have a chance of prospering at Holyrood.

And they do probably need to take a different way of reaching out to them.

I think it'd be interesting to see if that's what the Mara leadership is going to do.

Like if this actually happens, you know, you took this massive reorganisation of local government.

alongside the planned massive reorganisation of health boards.

This would be the biggest thing, I think, that Holyrood has ever done in a one-hour.

This is a massive, massive thing.

So what is going even more wrong? Well, the Scottish Government will point to those netizens.

Many campaigners will point back to Holyrood and its public health approach, saying that it's not more harm reduction policy that's needed, but more rehab and detox facilities.

And everyday Scots, I think, Nick, particularly here in Glasgow city centre, will point to the lane-filled needles and the open, visible using and selling all around them and say that this is an out-of-control crisis with no end in sight.

A bleak picture painted by LBC Scotland correspondent Alan Sosinski.

absolutely is chippy the right word for that yeah I'll go for it yeah chippy Lucy love it I do love a chippy so it makes

sense then it's fantastic Well, we are going to be talking quite in depth about last night's independence vote in Holyrood today.

We're going to be discussing that for the main chunk of the show.

And then we are also going to be turning to the UN General Assembly, having a little chat about Andy Burnham and Trump's first in-person meeting.

We will show you the clip.

This debate is ill-judged, self-serving and wholly inappropriate.

And no wonder 2 million Scots did not vote in the recent Holyrood election.

Deputy Presiding Officer, I asked for understanding orders to have this debate ruled ultra-virus.

The figures demonstrate how a housing shortage can become a capacity crisis even without a comparable rise in people entering the system.

For further information, see Scottish Government, Holyrood, and Scottish Housing News.

Ireland's energy shock forces a choice between broad relief and targeted support.

Ireland is reconsidering plans to restore fuel taxes as renewed energy pressures reshape preparations for its October budget.