John Rentoul * @JohnRentoul • 4h X Where it all went wrong for Keir: it was the welfare U-turn, not the Mandelson misjudgement, that undid Starmer's premiership
Yes: these clowns were hired on the clear understanding that they would pursue cruel welfare cuts and now it’s clear they cannot do that, they are surplus to requirements. The search is now on for someone who will.
£53k *affordable homes* may be a bit of an increase on what is currently being delivered, but without extra funding, I don't see how the rate of social home delivery will increase.
Not sure what Anas said, but the manifesto doesn't commit to anything on *social homes* except 'more'.
For the avoidance of doubt, following the publication of the explicitly transphobic Scottish Labour manifesto this morning, I will not be campaigning for any Scottish Labour candidates in the upcoming election, and I will not be voting Scottish Labour either.
#NoVotesLabourInMay #TransRightsNow
Faiza Shaheen: "Theres a big gap between the [govt] rhetoric we're hearing & the reality.. we are allowing the US to load their planes with bombs on UK bases & they are bombing Iran. This defensive/offensive doesn't play out in reality, the govt think they can play the public.."
A light green image with a photo of 11 people smiling at the camera. the words say "FULL COUNCIL, MARCH 2026" and underneath the photo is a green band with the Scottish Greens logo (a spiked circle with SCOTTISH GREENS in the middle) and the word EDINBURGH, in white.
Today is a Full Council meeting in Edinburgh and our Green Group have a busy agenda including discussing:
🤖Data Centres and AI
🟰Equality for traveller communities
🏘️Short-term lets enforcement
🪺Protecting nesting skylarks
👶Affordable childcare
and more!
democracy.edinburgh.gov.uk/ieListDocume...
The deterrence plan in full:
𝗨𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝘃𝗼𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝘂𝘁 𝗟𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗮𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗯𝘆 𝟰𝟬% 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗶𝗿𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗵𝗮𝗺 𝗕𝗶𝗻 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗸𝗲.
@unitetheunion.bsky.social members are coming to the end of the line as far Labour is concerned. 1/3
READ MORE ⤵️
For folks in Edinburgh:
Colleagues at Edinburgh Napier are still under threat of compulsory redundancy.
There is a rally in front of the Scottish Parliament, Thursday 5 March 10:30am for 11:00am start.
We're crushing a sector that supports our city and region. Why?
I did enjoy finding out that a former pupil of Jimmy Clark's was John Gollan (1911-72), general secretary of the Communist Party of Great Britain. ⚒️⭐🇬🇧
He got 6 months in 1931 for handing out socialist pamphlets (“The Soldier’s Voice” and “The Organ of Communist Soldiers“) at Redford Barracks 🧑⚖️
The Glasgow Budget (and by extension, the YP proposal) contains over £20m of previously agreed cuts. Let's be serious.
This is the Edinburgh Disc Golf Community course layout in Hailes Quarry Park showing where the start for each hole/basket is. Marked up with yellow on the ground at present.
Image which shows the change in the boundary of Edinburgh Central between 2021 and 2026.
This image from @ballotbox.scot neatly shows how the boundary of Edinburgh Central has changed to give the Scottish Greens a genuine chance of winning the seat. The Tory vote has since collapsed and they might not even keep their deposit.
🟢Both Votes Green in Edinburgh Central🟢
Map of site allocated for housing in Edinburgh's Local Development Plan. The area highlighted in red is the former Tynecastle Garage, across from Gorgie Farm.
We also have this site, the former Tynecastle Garage, which is down to deliver 69 homes. However, the owner wants PBSA and would rather leave it empty than invest in housing. A gap site included in the plan has just received permission on appeal for PBSTL.
www.facebook.com/share/p/1DkY...
Extract from Edinburgh Local Development Plan 'City Plan 2030'. Red area highlights site designated for housing on both sides of Gorgie Road between Stevenson Road and Coxfield.
This is the only site in Gorgie that is earmarked to deliver a decent amount of mainstream housing, but that is dependent on private developers taking the lead and I expect that they will try to include PBSA in the mix.
Investment in "affordable" tends to be concentrated in larger scale developments. Within the current system (the economic system, not just the planning system) there is no path to development of sites like these other than PBSA and PBSTL.
I don't like it - just trying to answer the question.
The Cabinet Secretary is still publicly misrepresenting the state of play in his substantially redrawn constituency. Not only is the Conservative horse not in the race due to that party's collapse in support, but the boundary changes euthanised the poor thing.
A photo of Kayleigh Kinross-O'Neill with text "Free Bus Fridays" and "Green TVL Proposals".
A photo of Councillor Dan Heap with text "Defund the police" and "Green TVL proposals".
Today the Edinburgh Green Councillors proposed radical changes to the Tourist Tax allocation. Sadly other parties were not open to protecting services, affordable transport or creating safer community environments. 🌳 🚌 🤝
Screenshot of a skeet from Angus Robertson, the SNP MSP for Edinburgh Central and candidate for re-election, falsely claiming “it’s a 2-horse race between the SNP and Tories in Edinburgh Central” which is demonstrably untrue
I’m sorry to see Angus Robertson continuing to share deliberately misleading false claims 🤥
Greens are polling to win the Central constituency 💚 with tories absolutely nowhere to be found
Maybe he’s seen the polling and is scared to tell the truth?
Map of Lothian Bus routes 30, 3, 25, 33, N28, N30, N25 diverted through Balgreen Road, Stevenson Drive and Stenhouse Drive to avoid the closure.
Map of Lothian Bus routes X27 and X28 diverted through Balgreen Road, Stevenson Drive, Stenhouse Drive and *Saughton Road* to avoid the closure.
Here are the bus diversion routes for the closure of Gorgie Road between Balgreen Road and Ford's Road.
The closure will be installed at 6.30pm on Sunday the 24th January.
Project details here: www.scottishwater.co.uk/In-Your-Area...
A little preview of my forthcoming journal article on council tenants' resistance and resilience today in @scotnational.bsky.social. Massive thanks to @charlielynch.bsky.social for reaching out and giving my work a write-up.
www.thenational.scot/politics/257...
Angus here, either showing total ignorance of likely voting intention of residents, or just spreading shameful tactical misinformation
@ballotbox.scot has crunched the numbers and it’s clearly a race between @scottishgreens.org, SNP and Labour - and one we can win
ballotbox.scot/sp26-edinbur...
*a horse would have more chance of winning in Edinburgh Central than a Tory
Tweet by Angus Robertson MSP claiming "Edinburgh Central is a two-horse race between the SNP and the Tories." Accompanying picture of Angus and activists in Dumbiebykes.
Map of Ballot Box Scotland Constituency Projection for Edinburgh on new boundaries for 2026. Projects Scottish Greens to win in Edinburgh Central.
In Edinburgh Central you can vote @scottishgreens.org because you agree with our policies and know that we have a genuine chance of winning the seat (see @ballotbox.scot projection).
We won't try to scare you into it with made up stories about Tory horses*
I wrote a bit in the Evening News on why I've joined @scottishgreens.org
It's only been 2 weeks, but I've already learned a lot from Green councillors and I'm loving being part of a group that is so focused and hard-working.
Maybe it was Barksy 🫣
📻 Weekend listening 📻 - @sabrinafernandes.com on the disappointing outcomes of #COP30 and Lula's politics of class conciliation, that seeks to achieve climate and environmental goals whilst placating agri-business and mining interests:
Locally and nationally, @scottishgreens.org are representing working-class interests and providing a real left-wing alternative - the very things I had hoped to do as a Labour councillor.
I will continue to spend every day trying my very best to serve the people of Sighthill/Gorgie.
