Together we can make Scotland better.

The boss of a major construction company has contrasted the Scottish Government’s positive approach to infrastructure investment with the reluctance of the Westminster Government to follow suit.

The head of Galliford Try’s construction arm Ken Gillespie has hailed the SNP Government’s record on infrastructure investment, welcoming the “very positive pipeline of opportunities”.

Commenting on the report published by Dutch banking group ING which
refers to the UK government's &quo

Following the initial calculations that the UK allocation of EU structural funds could be cut by more than 30% in Scotland - compared to around 6% UK-wide - the Scottish National Party welcomed the confirmation by Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon that the UK government has agreed to talks on how the structural funds will be finally allocated.

The SNP has welcomed statistics showing youth unemployment has fallen by 28,000 over the last year – the largest annual fall since 2006.

The youth unemployment rate of 18.4% is now at its lowest since November to January 2011 and compares to the UK’s rate of 20.6%.

India’s Prime Minister has raised concerns with David Cameron on the UK’s unfair visa system, which has continued to blight Scotland.
 

The SNP has tonight welcomed the Scottish Parliament’s support for free Higher Education in Scotland – despite a U-turn from the Labour Party.

The SNP is the only major political party in Scotland never to have voted for tuition fees, and have maintained this today. In addition, the Scottish Government is writing into law Widening Access Agreements with universities.

An SNP MSP has praised the work of a charity run entirely by volunteers – and said his mother benefited from the talking newspaper service pioneered by Lothiansound.

Jim Eadie led a member’s debate on the 25th anniversary of Lothiansound Talking Newspaper which sends weekly CDs and tapes of recorded news and items of interest to over 550 people.

The SNP MSP for Edinburgh Southern said:

An indication that the UK Government has agreed to talks on how EU structural funds will be allocated has been welcomed today by an SNP MSP as a constructive step forward.

The SNP is highlighting a consortium of charities’ campaign monitoring food poverty in Britain which reveals a shocking lack of fairness in the UK.
 

The revelation that Westminster is preparing to give the green light to 40-year subsidies for new nuclear energy in a desperate attempt to prop up the costly technology has been described as ‘the last thing people need’.