28 MARCH 2023 | NEWS
HAMZA YOUSAF NAMED NEW FIRST MINISTER OF SCOTLAND
Hamza Yousaf has officially taken office as Scotland’s new First Minister today, following a vote by MSPs to affirm his appointment this afternoon.
The vote was a formality, given his election as the new leader of the governing Scottish National Party following the resignation of his predecessor, Nicola Sturgeon.
Although it was theoretically possible for MSPs to vote for any of the other Opposition leaders in the Scottish Parliament, there was no realistic prospect that this would happen.
As the sixth First Minister of Scotland, Mr Yousaf has become the youngest ever to hold the office, as well as the first Muslim leading a major political party in the United Kingdom.
He has formerly held Ministerial office in the Scottish Government under his predecessor as Health and Social Care Secretary and Justice Secretary.
It is understood that Mr Yousaf asked UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak for another referendum on Scottish independence when the latter phoned to congratulate him, but that the Prime Minister told him this would be a distraction from “delivering on the things that are top of the priority list for people across Scotland”.
Declaring that his elevation was “a privilege of my life”, he paid tribute to outgoing party leader and First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, adding that she leaves “some very bdig shoes to fill indeed”.
JEREMY CORBYN BARRED FROM STANDING AS LABOUR CANDIDATE
The Labour Party’s National Executive Committee has passed a vote proposed in a motion by its current leader, Sir Keir Starmer, to bar former leader Jeremy Corbyn from standing as a Labour candidate in the next General Election.
The vote was passed by 22 votes to 12. Mr Corbyn will not have any right of appeal.
The decision does not mean that Mr Corbyn, who currently sits in the House as an Independent member following the withdrawal of his party’s whip over an anti-Semitism row, could not run as an Independent candidate again in the next election.
His whip was originally withdrawn in 2020, after he stated that claims of anti-Semitism within the Labour Party under his leadership had been “dramatically overstated”, and refused to withdraw this remark.
However, he would not have the backing of the party’s electoral machine to aid him in doing so. The ruling by the NEC today has ended months of speculation that such a move would be made.
Mr Corbyn decried the decision as a “shameful attack on party democracy”, saying that he would not “stop fighting for a fairer society on behalf of the people of Islington North”.
He added that Sir Keir “has instead launched an assault on the rights of his own Labour members, breaking his pledge to build a united and democratic party”.
TERRORISM THREAT LEVEL RAISED IN NORTHERN IRELAND
Following a review carried out by MI5, Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris has announced a rise in the terrorism threat level in the country from ‘substantial’ to ‘severe’, meaning that a terrorist attack is now viewed as highly likely.
The level had been downgraded the same time last year, which was the first time it had changed in 12 years.
Mr Heaton-Harris wrote to MPs to say that: “The public should remain vigilant, but not be alarmed, and continue to report any concerns they have to the Police Service of Northern Ireland.”
It is understood that any attacks are likely to come from dissident Republican forces, and will most likely focus on police officers and their families. The PSNI’s Chief Constable, Simon Byrne, said his force “relentlessly pursue those who seek to cause harm and terrorise our communities, and attack my officers and staff”.
The Deputy Chief Constable, Mark Hamilton, said people “should be worried for [their] police service”, but added that he “wouldn’t encourage people to be hugely concerned for their own safety broader than that”.
The move follows an attack on Detective Chief Inspector John Caldwell, who was shot several times after coaching a youth football training session. The New IRA – which is thought to be the largest and most active dissident group – has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Mr Caldwell has now left intensive care in hospital, but is believed to remain in a serious condition.
